I am back in London for a brief visit on the day that anti-war protester Brian Haw celebrates his 3000th night camped outside the Houses of Parliament; the country's 'A Level' and 'GCE' results are announced by email; the Scots are apparently releasing the only person ever convicted for the Lockerbie aeroplane bomb after only 8 years (or 2 weeks for each of the victims) - whatever happened to that 'rot in jail' concept and why was it ever such an issue to release Ronnie Biggs after? The Daily Mail has confirmed that candles can cause cancer - so no more romantic dinners - and I can't remember whether a glass of red wine is good for you or not this week..... I adore London because it offers what only a great city can do - the constant stimulus of new experience. However, it is August and if ever there is the moment or chance to have a change of scene this month is it . Visit London but don't be based there -in the month of August - far better to get out and about and now allow me to fill you in with what we've been up to.
On the last post of the 24th July I left off on the sojourn in East Anglia. If I may I will pick up again from there....
Wiveton Hall Farm Cafe has become the celebrated eatery on the increasingly fashionable North Norfolk coast. It is and informal Bohemian hot spot, brightly decorated: "its like a brightly coloured tea-cup" explained William Prideaux and he is exactly right. Most of the food is from
On the last post of the 24th July I left off on the sojourn in East Anglia. If I may I will pick up again from there....
Wiveton Hall Farm Cafe has become the celebrated eatery on the increasingly fashionable North Norfolk coast. It is and informal Bohemian hot spot, brightly decorated: "its like a brightly coloured tea-cup" explained William Prideaux and he is exactly right. Most of the food is from
the estate and it is a joyful and fun place to have lunch.....a perfect break from the holiday-cottage-fever that can build up in the closest of parties.
Wiveton Hall
Is a fabulous Jacobean manor house on the foreshore between Cley and Blakeney. It is a gem of a house that is both romantic and beguiling....as some of my American friends will know from renting it during the summer. It is a magical house for a family holiday, our host is the legendary Desmond MacCarthy....genial, great fun and fantastic with children. It was in this environ that we have been existing during the summer.
The Old Friary on the front in Blakeney is a wonderful house for a family on holiday with pets. It is large and spacious and has a huge walled garden (Cricket, croquet, golf swing and BBQs)even in the centre of this port/ancient harbour....full of books - from Agatha Christie to Bulldog-Drummond it is a delightedful house to unwind. A short stroll from the Point....where you can spy splendid wildlife and seals. It is also big enough to entertain and we able to have Justin and Julia Marozzi, Desmond MacCarthy, Kate Bernard, Joa Studholme. The food was a delicious ham with broad beans from Wiveton farm. The weather was good and it was fun to all be outside at one huge long table with all the younger generation.
A couple of nice pubs too....quite a rarity in Norfolk.
In the middle of all this I returned to town look after some clients from South Africa and we had a splendid day enjoying the Portobello Market, the Wallace Collection and the Tate Britain.
The train back up to Sheringham on the Norfolk coast was an adventure in itself and is reminiscent of a gentler era...particularly the link from Norwich to the coast. The carriage (there are only two) is half full of itinerant Polish workers who labour as pickers on the various farms. They are all comparing new trainers and mobile phones - bought with their hard won wages. It is a jolly and optimistic atomosphere.
From the station we went straight to Mary MacCarthy's exhibition opening at the Wiveton Cafe. It was a huge success and her paintings sold very well.
Brancaster beach the next day was spectactular and a perfect opportunity to pick mussles. We had a wonderful walk towards the wreck. Lunch was at Blue Tiles Barn in London Street that had been rented by James Butterwick and Joa Studholme. The huge gathering enjoyed the most exsquite crab bisque prepared by James himself. The previous day he had hand caught 23 large and edible specimens on Brancaster beach!
That night we dined on dove and pigeon breast that had been shout by William Prideaux.
To return James's kind hospitality it was left to us to introduce him to the fine art of cockling on Stiffkey beach, further along the coast and close to Holkham. James, wife Natasha, kids and brother Guy Butterwick. They are serious about the art of living off the foreshore. Armed with buckets and rakes, not for them quiting after a disheartening 40minutes and half a dozen cockles. The famous 'Stewkey Blues' as the cockles are known are worth a bit of pain. James was left by all the family who had grown bored. That night he returned with 300 plump examples. We were all put to shame.
Charlie and Carol Skinner had very sweetly mentioned to Thomas and Willy that they were welcome to use their sailing boat that is moored in the Blakeney estuary. It is a tidal area and the sailing trips are totally dictated by the tidal activity. So no sailing that night as we all motored over to Little Walsingham for dinner with Julia Marozzi of Bentley Motors. Little Walsingham is actually a much larger town than Great Walsingham down the road.....the shrine and Slipper Chapel are both at Little Walsingham and this is where the pilgrims come.
Robbie and Tina Guillory who live in Wighton came over to sail and stayed for dinner with the Skinner family and Desmond Macarthy.
The next day our two week holiday in rental cottages came to an end. Not that we could accept it....a Saturday morning in beautiful sunshine on the coast is not the moment to set off to London. Willie Athill and Ali at Valley House in Cley came to the rescuse and we had a borrowed 24hrs in their lovely house. Emma Bridgewater and Matthew Rice added to the pleasure by inviting us over for dinner in the lovely new house at the top of the lane overlooking Blakeney towards Morston and Willie Athill's oyster beds.
After the drive back to town via a house we fancied that is on the market (some dream) it was a curry takeaway in London. What a change. William had gone via Stanstead to Portugal and Thomas by train to stay with his friend Alex Windet in Southwold.
I had accepted an invitation to stay with Mary Killen and her husband the artist Giles Wood. They live in an exquiste hamlet in Wiltshire not far from Devizes or Marlborough. I will not name this genm of a valley for fear of revealimg it to trippers who would quite by accident bring it out of the C18th just by the act of visiting it in numbers. Having noticed a hand written sign in the sitting room above the bookshelves stating: "Please do NOT ask to borrow a book" I asked Mary for advice about what she would recommend I should read given that I would have to finish it in two and a half days. Mary immediately recommended "Deadly Sins" by Nicholas Coleridge.....even though it is 500 pages long....."Its brilliant, you won't put it down " she said. Beyond belief she is absolutely right. It is an extremely good read and I did manage to finish it without being rude or ignoring my hosts.
Devizes is a wonderful Market Town. Vibrant and busy on market morning, it is every bit as exciting as a market in Provence but with the added excitement of the feeling that you might bump into the Mayor of Casterbridge at any moment. A walk on Salisbury plain with Sophie Toply and her wippet and coffee with Sophie Heywood, a near neighbour before training it back to Paddington......again full of longing for a permanent move to the country that I always get in these summer months.
A week with Jolyon and James Rebbeck at their new flat in West London allowed me a few days to paint the 'country-in-London' that I have so enjoyed on Wormwood Scrubs. James is a wonderful cook and we were joined on the Saturday night by the restranteur Craig Delamere and his wedding dress designer/maker girlfriend. The hugely tallented actor Oliver Kernan Jones arrived and regaled us with stories about his recent experiences and the new drama he has been comissioned to write for TV.
James left for Grimuad to stay with his mother and Stepfather Malcom Selsdon in their beautiful villa. Jolyon and I took the opportunity to be tourists in our own city. I took a break from painting to visit various musems and galleries. On the Thursday I spent the day with the awriter Liz Hoggard driving around London in the new Bentley GTC sport Convertible. We had a fantastic visit to the Purdey factory in West London before heading out to Lunch at Petersham Cafe and back via Merchant Archive and the Wallace Collection.
The next day was back at the Electric to meet Ayesha and Stephen to plan the next art class at Electric House in the late summer. It will be a one day event.