Its been an absurdly long time since I have had the opportunity to bring you up to date. I am going to give you a brief insight to what has been happening and then I can assure you that the diary will be back on the regular slot.
Christmas was spent in Devon and the New Year in Northumberland....both delightfully and at moments alarmingly snowed it. Adrian Renouf and his family were the most thoughtful and fun hosts......and then after crossing most of the Kingdom by train.....Ivan Invanovich would have been challenged by the rail journey to and from Exeter and then again to Newcastle.
Jamie Howell proved again to be the consummate host. We dined in some splendour at his latest acquisition - The Fisherman's Lodge - in the heart of Newcastle. Despite my acid reflux we tested the menu to the full. It was a lovely surprise to eat such delicious food.
Newcastle on New years Eve was like another planet. I now know what binge drinking is. The streets were littered with girls dressed for the beach in Magalouf or Veleyaki. It was like a fancy dress Toga party but in a snow storm. The residents are fun and full of good will and staggered through the snow and slush, some of them stopping to kip in the snow drifts. The Baltic gallery stood magnificent in the midst of all this..
A last minute invite to shoot with Rubin Straker on New Year's Day was a fabulous head clearer after a night painting the tiles red in the City and then a 2hr drive home across the moors with nothing but owls, badgers and foxes for company as we drove through the white-out. Land Rovers are fabulous just when they need to be.
But even a shot like Straker was pushed to hit anything with the white-out visibility that meant you couldn't really see beyond the end of the 28" barrels. But it was glorious to be out in the snow with the raspberry ripple skys and fabulous sunsets and also the guest of such generous and fun friends.
It was glorious to experience the snow in depths of the country and it proved a splendid break
Despite the hoardes and standing in the rain, the Van Gough Exhibition at the Royal Academy is an absolute must. Mary Killen swept us off on a rainy Tuesday morning and we were thrilled by the drawings and then the fabulous vibrant colour of the oils.
We cheekily went across the road to chance our luck at 1pm and Jeremy King, who had booked me to look after his friend for the day in the autumn, very kindly found us a table at the Wolseley and we enjoyed a very agreeable lunch of Toulose Sausages with puy lentils and I had the boiled ham with white sauce. The wine was excellent. Mary and I fretted over tax deadlines along with 75% of the other diners...
The portrait is coming along beautifully and I am really enjoying the challenge. The subject has only managed to make one sitting so far because of his involvement in the Chilcott enquiry. I am loving using my father's studio in his house in Barnes and thrilled to be spending so much time with him. He is teaching me a lot and guiding me through the portrait. I am also really enjoying Barnes....the village like feeling and the cosy pubs. The Brown Dog gastro pub is managed and staffed by some of the nicest people in the business. The food and atmosphere are wonderful - with proper coal fires, lots of dogs and plenty of newspapers.
I've also been able to catch up with some friends form the past. Roger McGough lives round the corner and we had a couple of beers in the Sun Inn just by the pond. This is a vibrant little boozer in the heart of the community. Doreen Londonderry (Doreen Wells) met us for coffee after the farmers market...which is as good as you'll find anywhere. Shirley Wadham and Lucy Kellie Smith laid on the most splendid dinner for us all.
I've also had the chance to catch-up with Hannah Sutter Brimelow. Hannah has just published her very well received book 'Big Fat Lies' or how the government is making us fat and it is being serilaised in the Mail. We discussed the issues in detail over dinner at the Dean Street House hotel with the wonderful Liz Hoggard.
The artist Peter Brown stands on the currently closed bridge at Hammersmith and paints the view looking out west along the Thames towards Chiswick Mall. I stopped to talk to him and cheekily get a few tips about capturing the light. It was a stunning day - more like late spring. After lunch at Morton's (vastly improved) with Julia Marozzi of Bentley Motors I then went on to meet Nicky Philipps who has just finished her original and stunning portrait of Princes' William and Harry, as commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery. It was wonderful to get steal and force out some tips from her too.........
Christmas was spent in Devon and the New Year in Northumberland....both delightfully and at moments alarmingly snowed it. Adrian Renouf and his family were the most thoughtful and fun hosts......and then after crossing most of the Kingdom by train.....Ivan Invanovich would have been challenged by the rail journey to and from Exeter and then again to Newcastle.
Jamie Howell proved again to be the consummate host. We dined in some splendour at his latest acquisition - The Fisherman's Lodge - in the heart of Newcastle. Despite my acid reflux we tested the menu to the full. It was a lovely surprise to eat such delicious food.
Newcastle on New years Eve was like another planet. I now know what binge drinking is. The streets were littered with girls dressed for the beach in Magalouf or Veleyaki. It was like a fancy dress Toga party but in a snow storm. The residents are fun and full of good will and staggered through the snow and slush, some of them stopping to kip in the snow drifts. The Baltic gallery stood magnificent in the midst of all this..
A last minute invite to shoot with Rubin Straker on New Year's Day was a fabulous head clearer after a night painting the tiles red in the City and then a 2hr drive home across the moors with nothing but owls, badgers and foxes for company as we drove through the white-out. Land Rovers are fabulous just when they need to be.
But even a shot like Straker was pushed to hit anything with the white-out visibility that meant you couldn't really see beyond the end of the 28" barrels. But it was glorious to be out in the snow with the raspberry ripple skys and fabulous sunsets and also the guest of such generous and fun friends.
It was glorious to experience the snow in depths of the country and it proved a splendid break
Despite the hoardes and standing in the rain, the Van Gough Exhibition at the Royal Academy is an absolute must. Mary Killen swept us off on a rainy Tuesday morning and we were thrilled by the drawings and then the fabulous vibrant colour of the oils.
We cheekily went across the road to chance our luck at 1pm and Jeremy King, who had booked me to look after his friend for the day in the autumn, very kindly found us a table at the Wolseley and we enjoyed a very agreeable lunch of Toulose Sausages with puy lentils and I had the boiled ham with white sauce. The wine was excellent. Mary and I fretted over tax deadlines along with 75% of the other diners...
The portrait is coming along beautifully and I am really enjoying the challenge. The subject has only managed to make one sitting so far because of his involvement in the Chilcott enquiry. I am loving using my father's studio in his house in Barnes and thrilled to be spending so much time with him. He is teaching me a lot and guiding me through the portrait. I am also really enjoying Barnes....the village like feeling and the cosy pubs. The Brown Dog gastro pub is managed and staffed by some of the nicest people in the business. The food and atmosphere are wonderful - with proper coal fires, lots of dogs and plenty of newspapers.
I've also been able to catch up with some friends form the past. Roger McGough lives round the corner and we had a couple of beers in the Sun Inn just by the pond. This is a vibrant little boozer in the heart of the community. Doreen Londonderry (Doreen Wells) met us for coffee after the farmers market...which is as good as you'll find anywhere. Shirley Wadham and Lucy Kellie Smith laid on the most splendid dinner for us all.
I've also had the chance to catch-up with Hannah Sutter Brimelow. Hannah has just published her very well received book 'Big Fat Lies' or how the government is making us fat and it is being serilaised in the Mail. We discussed the issues in detail over dinner at the Dean Street House hotel with the wonderful Liz Hoggard.
The artist Peter Brown stands on the currently closed bridge at Hammersmith and paints the view looking out west along the Thames towards Chiswick Mall. I stopped to talk to him and cheekily get a few tips about capturing the light. It was a stunning day - more like late spring. After lunch at Morton's (vastly improved) with Julia Marozzi of Bentley Motors I then went on to meet Nicky Philipps who has just finished her original and stunning portrait of Princes' William and Harry, as commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery. It was wonderful to get steal and force out some tips from her too.........