Search Results for: Tim elkington

Addlestrop gate Addlestrop church Stow-on-the-Wold yews – which I first photographed around 40 years ago My reflection in silver teapot in cake shop Pat reading Tim’s WWII diary Caroline Marina, Tessa, Caroline Marina, Caroline Marina, Pat, Caroline Tessa Pat, Caroline, Tessa What she was inspecting in the background Caroline’s Green Man Gaia as aviatrix

Drove across to Hill House in wonderful sunshine, then – after wonderful lunch – out to Adlestrop, where Elaine wanted to the see the railway station that featured in a poem she likes, but we failed to find it. Meanwhile Marina came via rail, picked up from Kingham station. House full of the family young and their friends. Up to the WWII diary image above, the photos above were taken yesterday, the later ones today. Last night Caroline had us watch the film Last Chance Harvey, with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, which turned out to be quite wonderful.

Cliveden clock tower Secret Garden Clock tower 2 War Memorial gargoyle Head Stairway to the Thames Boats 1 Boats 2 Boats 3 Facade Mistletoe

Fountain, detail 1 Fountain, detail 2

We dropped in at Cliveden – which neither of us had visited before – on the way home this afternoon, had lunch in The Orangery, then walked down to the Thames, where I was looking for boats for Caroline to paint. Not even the slightest whiff of scandal these days, which was slightly sad. The Profumo Affair was one of those pivotal moments in generational politics, but my main memory, as a schoolboy, was being fascinated by the sex. Industrial quantities of mistletoe festoon the ride of trees that run from the main house to the Fountain of Love, which seemed vaguely appropriate.

One thing that caught my eye, on the Duke’s Lawn, was the date 1668, marked in the lawn. The duelling sword included in the design was the clue to the story. That year, the Duke of Buckingham, who was building Cliveden at the time, fought a duel at Barn Elms (a stone’s throw from where we live) with his mistress’ husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury – who got the worse of both ends of the Duke, who killed him.

Pointed in Portland Gallery Nelson and Park 1 Nelson and Park 2 Park and umbrellas

Dropped in on Hatchard’s, buying Stories of the Sea, edited by Diana Secker Tesdell – and sporting one of the most beautiful book covers I have ever come across, based on painting of the schooner Volunteer under full sail.  

Thrilled to see the statue of Sir Keith Park in Trafalgar Square for the first time.  The statue should stay.

As we scuttled around in the rain, we dropped into the Portland Gallery, which was showing a glorious sculpture of two big cats, leopards or cheetahs, and an intriguing collection of big-hatted figures. As we had lunch in the National Gallery, overlooking the Park memorial, people scurried this way and that with their umbrellas. My brain was constantly turning over material for the GRI report I have to finish in the next few days.

Landed or ready for take-off?

The only time I went gliding, shown in the photo above, with me in the front seat, I was around 17, I think, and the turbulence made me feel quite green.  Imagine the photo was taken by Tim, who insisted that I try gliding rather than what I had wanted to do, which was to parachute. A form of aversion therapy? If so, it turned out to be remarkably effective.

Lisbon airport The 2BP Magnolia blooms Birthday Sam Our Magnolia stellata blooms Flowering currant – scent of Spring Fallen sapling Ripples and raindrops Fish on bicycles 1 Fish on bicycles 2 Reeds 1 Reeds 2 Rusty predators Puddle Magnolia again

What a week!   Monday involved flying to Madrid and then Lisbon, because of the BA strike, to speak at a conference on ‘Business and Poverty’. Hadn’t realised that this is European Year for Combatting Poverty and Social Exclusion. Met some wonderful people and keen to spend some sensible time in Lisbon at some point.

Otherwise, the remaining two working days were a mix of writing, meetings, A SustainAbility Board meeting (after which a bunch of us had the most delightful decompression over a couple of bottles of wine that BP found in the SA kitchen) and Sam’s birthday on 1 April, when I also fell for one of the most elaborate April Fool’s stunts I have ever come across. Well done Alex (Nick).

Have spent much of the Easter holiday writing, among other things the first of a series of Fast Company blogs to appear later in the month. Today, in fitful sun and rain, Elaine and I walked around the Barnes wetlands, which sported a number of rather delightful sculptures on wildlife themes. My favourite, by far, were the fish on bicycles. They have apparently been there for some time, but it’s been a quite a while since we last walked around.