under another sun

Up early doing some writing, then dealing with the door people who rehung the door and fixed the problem. Then down to Preston Park and off to Trafalgar Square where I watched people scrabbling about between the paws of Landseer Lions at the Base of Nelson's Column and being unenthusiastically controlled by people with whistles. Some folks wandering around with St Patrick's day Irish tricolour hats and so on, young women with shamrocks on their cheeks. Bob had been a bit delayed, and arrived saying he had vision problems and chest tightness. After a quick triage it seemed that it was a migraine, and that he had been rowing this morning on his rowing machine. He bought some migraine pills and we found a cafe. However as we walked in, the Italian bloke inside was weirdly rude, and so Bob turned on his heel, to the denunciations of Italians as we left. I helpfully reminded him that he was a cazzo  as we left. Thence across the road for a drink and a sandwich. These seemed to hav...

Lorraine and I had an afternoon zoom up to London today, by way of doing something cheery. We went to The National Gallery and then into the Portrait Gallery. Just a lovely way to spend a couple of hours. Gallery behaviour so different these days, and it does make me feel like an old curmudgeon. I'd not been to the National for years. People walk up to deathless masterpieces of art, take a photo of it on their crap phones and wander off without giving it a second glance, or perhaps take a selfie with themselves in it with Van Gough's Sunflowers over their shoulder. The fact that you can download better images of the pictures from the internet. Anyway. Lorraine and I found ourselves sitting down near the Constables, and we looked at these over familiar images for some time. I've not really looked deeply at them since I was a child, as my tastes have moved on somewhat. But they really are astounding in lots of ways. Great to see the picture of Moulin Huet too by Renoir. ...

Early business calls and general work and business this morning. In the afternoon off to see Bob in London. We'd arranged to meet outside the Swiss Centre, which is long-closed and replaced with the mindless M&M World. I arrived early and watched the greeters singing along to the old pop music blaring out of their speakers with a ghastly compulsory corporate cheer. What a vile way to earn a living. Bob loomed of the flat grey day at me and it was jolly good to see him. We found a strange little pub and had a couple of sharpening beers and a packet of peanuts and pork scratchings before surging off to see the Goya The Portraits exhibition at the National Gallery. I wasn't incredibly excited by this prospect, but it was fascinating. The amazing depth and differences of character he was able to bring out was astonishing. Everything from pompous punchable windbags, fiery independent noblewomen and thuggish royalty. Interestingly his best friends and his much loved son were pa...

At Brighton station this morning, popped out while buying a ticket and peered in a nearby cafe where Beth and John were being filmed for an online advert for Barclays. I peered in, and then snapped the scene without seeing them. On the train to London, however, I noticed their profiles in the background. In London, I met Bob at Nelson's Column Trafalgar Square was bright and sunny and full of people, lounging on the Landseer lions, and sitting around the column itself. Bob and I found each other, and made off to the National Gallery where Bob had read about an exhibition by Peder Balker. More about the exhibition here  - I just love going to art exhibitions. Then Bob and I sloped off to the lovely gin palace of The Salisbury for some food, served very, very slowly. I drank soda and lime, and Bob had cokes. Lots of chatting to be done, and various aspects of the world to be put right. Then to Two Temple Place, where we had intended to see an exhibition called Cotton into Gold. U...