Forgetting about water

..for a day at least. Today, some of the great unwashed went to London. (Bad description, of course we've washed!)

One proud Grandma has been eager to see where the apple of her eye works and following a promise made ages ago, we set out on the train this morning to meet Edward for lunch at "the office". Taking the train to London was an adventure in itself and all went surprisingly smoothly, thank goodness.

The timing of the taxi ride from Paddington to Westminster even coincided with the changing of the guard, making a little sightseeing en route incredibly easy.


We met Edward outside St Stephens Entrance as usual, enjoying the opportunity for a little people watching whilst we waited. There were surprisingly few people about though, and being the first day of the Summer recess, not much work was being done ;-)



The weather was kind and we were able to sit outside on the terrace for lunch with a lovely view. It was amusing to watch the tourist boats approach with everyone peering over in our direction to see what's going on. No, we didn't wave.....

After a guided tour and celebrity spotting opportunity (not good today, just 3 MPs and a Cheeky Girl!) I managed to get the two of them to stand still for just one embarrassing minute. Sorry, Edward - but the carrier bag does contain one bottle of "thanks"!

(I have been asked how I could have allowed Mummy to hang on to her shopping bag whilst I took her photo...Oh dear.....!)

Art in Action

Together with what seemed to be the rest of the country, we went to Art in Action at Waterperry House today. It used to be a regular event in our diary and one to which we looked forward, but in recent years we felt it had become a little samey and so we deliberately chose not to go for a while. We stayed on the mailing list however and with the weather forecast promising the one fine day this week, we gathered up m-i-l Bettine and headed off first thing ths morning. We still didn't beat the queues

Everything is beautifully organised however, so it didn't take long to get through the gate and into the first marquee: Drawing , where we admired the work of Gill Crabbe Akasaka.

Sad to say, we didn't really tune into much of the painting, nor most of the sculpture....and our days of collecting treacly ceramics are over. We loved Jenny Crisp's baskets, however.

Shame I have no need for a boat - isn't this a lovely one? (Butler & Co)

In the textiles tent, it was interesting to chat to the embroiderers working on a new set of vestments for St Pauls Cathedral. So willing to share their knowledge and experience, delighted to find so many people interested in this magnificent project.

But what makes Art in Action special is the way in which visitors can get involved and have a go themselves. For some reason, we found this year's show rather more commercial than we recalled and so we were pleased to find this corner of the calligraphy tent set aside for what we think to be the principal purpose of Art in Action.

It was a good day, we enjoyed ourselves and can't complain about the commercial aspects when we left one or two pounds behind ourselves, mostly in the Rainbow Silks till but also for a set of Inktense pencils to take on holiday, since my Caran d'Ache Neocolour crayons have become so mucky.

Thanks to my internet friends (and Dijanne's worksheet), I have a few ideas of what to do with my Lutradur, but ideas of what the Evolon is going to do for me will be gratefully received! (No, I don't plan any hi-tech wiping....)

Views from a Mayfair pub

Sitting outside the pub on the corner of Mount Street and South Audley Street is very entertaining. In the hour and a half we were there on Sunday evening we spotted three of the Neighbours cast (Mark recognised them - what does that tell you?!), even more Bentleys, Rolls Royces and Mercedes than the Daylesford car park and then, the little show in the photo above. It was a light preamble to the rather serious but absolutely superb concert we heard Edward sing in later that evening.

Do the residents of Mount Street feel insecure about their whereabouts?

Textiles in Performance

Fantastic concept, beautiful textile art shown in an altogether amazing setting, sadly let down by the logistics. Nevertheless, we had a fascinating (if rather short) evening.

We live in an area renowned for its textile heritage and I'm the first to admit that I don't take as much advantage of this as I ought to do. The Textile Festival is running right now though, and upon hearing about the "Textiles in Performance" from our good friend, Anne Rogers, we immediately got tickets and looked forward to....we had no idea! Anne's one of the artists involved in the show, so I knew there would be felt in there somewhere. Added to which we've long thought there was a call for something along the lines of WOW in the UK and whereas it was clearly not going to be anything so huge, perhaps there might be a flavour of that in there somewhere.


Apart from instruction to arrive promptly for a timed shuttle departure from the car park to the remote and partly derelict Woodchester Mansion, we knew nothing more. Details were pretty thin on the ground and perhaps, with that wonderful skill of hindsight, the organisers might reconsider the information to send along with the tickets - after all, audience members can't toe the line if none has been drawn! As it was, our group was HUGE (about 75); as a result there were parts of the show which we didn't/couldn't see and the dancers had trouble negotiating the crowds.


Each (small!) room was set simply for one of a number of linked dance scenes and the architectural framework of the uncompleted building provided a stunning backdrop for some magnificent textiles. The chair in the background behind all that scaffolding is actually made from human hair - intriguing, but like so many other small details, easy to overlook.

The atmospheric and ethereal soundtrack was key to the success of creating an intimate and intriguing fantasy - if only there were not the huge number of people crammed into each set, stepping on each others toes and jockeying for the best position. People who couldn't actually squeeze into the room stood around chatting - creating a less-than-welcome disraction for the lucky few who could.



I'll say now that, though I was glad to be able to take photographs, I think it would have been wise to request no photography.

Constant flashes, clicks and whirring didn't help maintain the concentration, and must have been distracting for the performers. In addition, the chap who I assume to be the "official" photographer/cameraman had a little higher profile than I would have thought necessary!


All of which sounds carping, which is unfair, for this was a brave and technically demanding show. Textile artists are seldom required to create works of art that withstand the rigours of real life and creating costumes for dancers enabling quick changes and free movement is a challenge - I was particularly sorry that my favourite piece in the show, Anne's blouse with felted neckline and cuffs, with matching cummerbund, was not shown to best advantage due to the lack of time to do all the buttons up! Nevertheless, it was a beautiful piece of work which stole the show as far as I was concerned.


If only I could return to watch the rehearsal, alone in the room to take full advantage of all the small details, the little nooks and crannies full of witty and intriguing items which were crowded out of every scene. I'd love to see the interaction of the dancers across the room - impossible because of all the people in between them, and most of all, I'd like very much to go back and have a closer look at some of those wondrous creations they were wearing.


Having reached the end of the performance, we found ourselves in a room with far too many people standing cheek by jowl with glasses of wine. One exit...via the same route as the incoming groups...and sad to say, having had the briefest of words with Anne, to congratulate her on such amazing work, we took the opportunity of a swift exit before the next crowd was shepherded in.


On the way home, we chatted about how our experience could have been improved. Clearly, fewer people in the audience would have helped. But, it would seem that the demands of the Arts Council, who supplied funding, specified high audience numbers. Perhaps the timed entry wasn't controlled as efficiently as it might have been, for we suspected that the cool evening breeze was a factor in propelling everyone indoors as quickly as possible. On a warmer summer evening, maybe we would have enjoyed a longer linger with a glass in hand. As it was, we were on our way home around 8pm and though we didn't quibble at the £25 ticket price, we didn't really feel we had value for money.

We would have appreciated the freedom to wander at our own pace, watching and viewing the small sideshows, rather than being coralled as a herd. It seemed as though that as the dance scenes were ongoing, the route was clearly marked with a red ribbon and the elegantly dressed stewards were able to keep everyone on the right track, this would not have been difficult. Being better informed as to what to expect would have helped all concerned, I think - and future performances will surely benefit from the challenges of last evening's premiere.

We wouldn't have missed it for the world, though. We are so fortunate to be able to enjoy such an inspired event in magnificent surroundings. The concept was remarkable and I hope the designers will feel encouraged to go on and create similarly exciting ventures. I would like to see the show again in a different setting - the next is planned for the Fresh Air event at Quenington, next month - another wondrous location.

I have been on an adventure!

Travelling with a group of seven amazing women during the last week has been such an enriching experience.

The sun has shone every day and the English countryside could have not looked better.

Gloucestershire was green and gorgeous as ever.

Yorkshire was full of lambs enjoying the lush green pastures.

We visited the most fascinating of places and delighted in so many shared interests.

As for what else we got up to....well, perhaps you'll have to use your imagination!