The past two weeks have been every more diverse and jam-packed.... here is a summary:

Whitefriars Glass

The Vessel Gallery on Kensington Park Road - the fabulous leading glass and ceramic London experts in London, co hosted a lavish party and show in a mansion in Belgrave Square. Aswell as works by Venini (Murano, Italy) there were some new designs by Tom Dixon too - there were an amazing amount of young designers in the 18-30 yr old bracket. Vessel has been wonderfully helpful with our plans for Whitefriars but most of all I'd like to live at 35 Bellgrave Square. Sally and I also had the chance to meet with Tom Dixon at his cafe in his complex at Portobello Dock. We later met with Pippa Small in her Colville Mews' showroom amid her fabulous jewelry designs. Both meetings where very stimulating.

Sally Prideaux, Joe Coles and I met at the Royal College of Art in Kensington. The reason being to introduce Joe to the highly talented Glass Blower and Tutor, Simon Moore. It was lovely to be having breakfast in a University environment...discussing our plans on a beatiful autumn morning. We went for a lovely walk through Kensington Gardens and stopped for coffee at the stunning Orangery at Kensington Palace. It was flooded with sunlight. I am so looking forward to doing a practical course in glass blowing at Simon's furnace in mid November.

Footer at Eton
I also had the opportunity to spend the day at Eton College. Cosmo Studholme, the older brother of my god daughter Nancy, was playing in a football match. I had an image of Eton- privilidge and prestige etc. At the risk of sounding daft.....It is a fabulous institution with stunning facilities and history. It is wonderful and in many ways magnificant....I wouldn't mind going there myself.

Sister Mary Birthday Sunday 18th

My father hosted a lunch party at his house in Barnes to celebrate my sister Mary's birthday. Although Joseph did the cooking and Gregory did the organising, Dadda was, at 84, the host. It was fun to catch up with one of my school masters, Julian Dare, who I havent seen for 32 years...and had anecdotes relating to my time at School. Also there was the old Worth Boy Hugh Betts - who runs Maggs Bros, the antiquarian book dealers in Berkeley Square, with his wife Asya Chorley. It was great fun.

In the evening I went to Thyra October Ellicots birthday celebration at the Primrose Pub by the Harrow Road.

Moving House

My land lady arrived from the country to say that she was selling flat and I had a months notice. Its a shame since I have loved living here and was just getting used to it.

Captain Ben Babington Browne RIP

Two strange things came out of this. In need of an office, a studio to paint and somewhere to live I entered the Gumtree website.

As a result of surfing the web I was taken to an obituary of a brave soldier called Captain Ben Babington Browne. Ben had been kiiled in Afganistan in July this year. He was 27 years old. I last saw Ben when I went skiing with him and his family in 1993 - he would have been 11. His father, Nigel had been great friend and colleague back in the 80s when we all worked in the Cellular radio business. We even went on Concord. Ben was 6 or 7 when I first met him and even then one was struck by his sensitivity and intelligence...he was mischievous and fun even then. I lost contact with the family and heard only a few years ago that Nigel, who had owned a snooker club in Maidstone had passed away. Now his wife Nina and is other son, Daniel, are left. Look at Ben's tributes to see what a truly outstanding man as well as an officer. The family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Guiding the Blind Round Paris 23rd to 28th October

The other remarkable thing to happen by going onto Gumtree is that I signed up to accompany 9 sighted and 9 blind people around Paris. It seemed such an interesting take on my job that I could not resist it. It was the most up-lifting and joyful experience. I learnt more from the visibly impaired about Paris than they did from me. We went to galleries, churches, the home of Louis Braille, restaurants and clubs. We laughted till we wept and painted the town red. One was up-ended on the exit from the metro in the turnstyle like a wheelie bin, one had a panic attack and another an asthma attack. But we each loved it fully and sang and drank and told stories. There will be an article that I've written for a national paper about the adventure and which I'll post to this site shortly. I painted and they brought to life the 'acoustic landscape'

DESMOND MACCARTHY THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE

We were meant to be at Wellington Square to watch the Farmer needs a wife starring Desmond MacCarthy and filmed at Wiveton. Unfortunately the program was moved to 11pm and to a different channel. Desmoind himself had pulled some strings so had got a copy on DVD to show the 30 odd friends he'd invited to dinner that night at Wiveton in Norfolk.

Thursday 29th

Instead I drinks with Mary Killen and Candida Lycett Green with Amabel Lindsay...later joined by Rupert Lycett Green who arrived by bycycle from the Calvary Club in Piccadilly at the Electric on the Portobello Road. I did have dinner with Mike Falconer and his wife Lizzie with Matthew Bell at Wellington Square

Friday 30th V&A 'In the Dead of Night'

Michael Howells staged a 'dine with death tableau vivant' at the V&A which was visually stunning. His costume design was magnificant. It was part of the dead of night at Victoria and Albert. The crowds were gormless and everything else seemed meaningless and disorganised.... I hadn't seen him since we had all had a riotuos evening at Wiveton Hall with Desmond MacCarthy and Selina Fellowes in the Spring.