Nearly the End of July 2018 Update

At present there appears to be two different realities: a quieter, more private domestic one of relative bliss, and a more external one of perpetual uncertainty and pathetic conflict and ineptitude. I think the single most positive event has been the rescue of the Wild Boars. The duration of the ordeal was agonizing, and the final outcome for the lads and their coach nothing short of miraculous. There was a most welcomed global focus and a feat of international cooperation.  In all, it became one of the most beautiful things to have happened for our world at present, and though four members of the team are stateless, I can envision the whole group becoming a collective emissary visiting significant places and needful events for the troubled world in the future.

Apart from the continuing fiascos of Syria, Yemen, Libya, Nicaragua – the first that come to mind, there are the ongoing frustrations of both Brexit and Trump. With regard to the first of these, a few days ago I answered a question that was asked on the Heathen Political Discussion page and then put it on my Facebook wall as well: “Admittedly the EU is in need of reform, but my British children have been able to work, live and go to school on the Continent which will not be as available for future generations to do. And recently at the US Embassy, the person in charge of business relations told us that because of the overwhelming intricate trade connections between the UK and the EU, he does not see how Brexit could be anything other than a disaster. Last night, the BBC World Service had a programme that covered British-Iranian history and the deceit, manipulation and gross interference the British have had in wanting Iranian oil. It made me realise that Britain's leaving the Union will allow the UK to pursue a similar imperialistic and frankly dishonourable modus operandi no different than America's. For all its faults, the EU has largely curtailed the kind of disgraceful colonial and militant expansionism of which individual nation-states have been and are all too capable. I'm even older than Nacht Engel and it is not my future that is at stake, but it is that of future generations. Yes, the future can be frightening. But it takes courage, wisdom and determination to face the unknown rather than regressively turning back the clock. By staying in the Union, Britain would be able to retain her say and work toward improving what needs to be improved rather than running away hysterically.”

And with the American President, I heard one interesting comment on the BBC mentioning that we need to recognize that Trump is not wrong about everything. I am increasingly suspecting that ‘the Russian thing’ and Robert Mueller’s investigation are all that the Democrats have at present to use in their desperate hopes for impeachment. Personally, I do not buy the Crimea charge against Russia and have been more skeptical about the rage and distrust leveled against Vladimir Putin, but concerning this last, as soon as I finish currently with Robert Grave’s Count Belisarius, I want to read next Anna Politkovskaya’s Putin’s Russia that I have just purchased at the book stall in front of the National Theatre to which Elisabeth took us to see Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes and an excellent expose of ‘the American Dream’, ‘Nordicism’ and the development of 20th-century consumer capitalism. My portfolio actually included some Lehman Brothers shares at the time of the 2008 crash. Otherwise, back to the political, I was most disappointed with Erdogan’s win on the first round.

It has been nearly two months since my last update. I will not know until November, even if only superficially, how successful the radiation treatment has been. But for the rest, I have recovered from the side effects. The perpetual exhaustion and daily need for an afternoon nap have been attributed by the hospital to the three-year hormone therapy, but as Richard has been in the same boat with regard to stamina or the lack thereof, I am suspecting that age is certainly another contributing factor. Dinners have included one at Fish in a Tie with Penny and Hamish; another at the Persian Hafez restaurant with Penny, Hamish, Elisabeth, Stephen and Roberto; a chaotic but delicious Mexican tapas meal at Alebrijes with Marion and Leslie; dinner at the Club with my niece Julie; another Club meal with Natacha and Jeanne; a fabulous dinner at Ledbury’s with Lise, Matthew, Ruth and Bart; with Lise alone at the Azteca Latin Lounge; with Gede and Jonathan at Thai Square; and chez nous with Gin, Rix and Peter. Richard and I have also been to a special Mexican meal event at Whole Foods, the Micromégas vernissage at the Saatchi Gallery, a completely uplifting Cadogan Hall Sacred Concert Duke Ellington concert (‘Brazilian Songs of Nature’ arranged by Roland Perrin and Nina Bennet singing an utterly transcending ‘Heaven’) as well as the Waves of Heaven concert at the same venue – the music of Yerkesh Shakeyev; also at the Cadogan London’s Gay Men’s Chorus that was most spirited and marvelously choreographed; Julie Felix’s 80th Birthday concert at the Charring Cross Theatre (I had dated Julie in college at Santa Barbara, & she went on to become the Joan Baez of Britain), and the Nonsuch Singers’ Spem in Alium by Candlelight concert in St. Martin in the Field in which Eamonn had a solo.

When I had first finished the radiation, Chloe and Matt came over and cooked up a lovely pancake breakfast meal. Cinema has been François Ozon’s L’Amant Double that we saw with Penny and Hamish. It was wonderfully engrossing. On TV, we watched The Farmer’s Daughter with Loretta Young. Another film has been McQueen that was work for me with its jerky camera but otherwise a fascinating and incredibly well put-together. There has also been In The Fade – sobering and with an excellent Diane Kruger. Another soberingly sad film was The Happy Prince about Oscar Wilde’s post-prison years.  Rupert Everett was most impressive, and the filmed underscored for us how fortunate we have been able to be in our changed times and mores. Also engaging has beenStephen Nomura Schible’s documentary, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda, which, apart for the bouts of handheld camera for which I would need to close my eyes and then fall asleep, was engaging. Sakamoto too, in the terminal years of life, appears to interrelate through an all-embracing mystical surrender and perspective. Finally on films, Peledu Kalnas is about Lithuanian resistance to the Soviet Occupation in the late 1940s or 1950s. Very heavy and tortuous but well done.

One enormous peak has been an absolutely stunning performance by Laura Linney in Elizabeth Strout’s My Name is Lucy Barton at the Bridge Theatre. So very human and real but liberally provocative – including on the issue of Aids. Almost equally as terrific was the Cole Porter Kiss Me Kate at the Coliseum. Excellent singing, dancing and music. Another most enjoyable Coliseum experience has been Tommy Steele’s Glenn Miller Story. Richard and I went to the American Embassy for the Town Hall Meeting. I enjoyed this, and it seemed to have lessened the feeling of American threat. It was here that the business secretary informed us that business-wise, the extraction of the UK from the EU is incredibly intricate and complicated and seemingly impossible. Other lectures or talks we have been to included that of Gary Lachman on Ouspensky at the Kensington Central Library, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki at Nova Stellar, Gede Parma’s at the Atlantis Bookshop, and Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis on ‘The magi and the magic of ancient Persia’ at the British Museum.

We have also been to both the magnificent Masterpiece 2018 London Art Fair at the Royal Hospital grounds (overwhelming and top art in the world – Picasso, Ernst, everyone) and the Antique Fair at Olympia. This last turned out to be difficult to reach (we overshot on the bus, etc.), but once we got there it was a relaxed feast of beauty & nostalgic travel. The Mosimann’s restaurant was the highlight and the raison d’etre for really going in the first place. We had two G&Ts a piece, bread, olives, a seafood platter for two and chicken-quinoa-feta. I had a carrot cake and then Val from Brazil brought me another and each of us a glass of champagne. We had insistently to refuse second champagnes. For Midsummer’s, we dipped ourselves into the Thames at daybreak/sunrise. That evening, after a psychedelic day, we attended Conway Hall for a ritual to Hestia & Apollo. We have also been to the Great Exhibition and Summer Show at the Royal Academy, attended the Anti-Brexit march and London Pride 2018. We had already watched the exhausting England-Columbia World Football Cup game in which England won astonishingly in the penalty shoot-out, but with Pride we missed England’s 2:0 win over Sweden – though Manuel told us afterwards that it was not an interesting game. For Pride itself, we had taken folding chairs to Piccadilly Circus and lasted five hours. It was once again a moving experience. We missed the rest of the football and virtually all of Wimbledon apart for the very end of Serena Williams’ loss.

I have managed to read both Gwynne’s Kings and Queens and Michael Arditi’s Of Men and Angels. The last is a multiple view of Sodom through the ages. The first seems to be a Catholic history of the British monarchy – defensive of King John, Richard III and James I, exalting of James II, negative on Henry VII, and devastating concerning Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, William III & Mary II. Neville Gwynne explains ‘constructive treason’ as “one of the law’s most useful frauds … [I]t means whatever the authorities happen to want it to mean – making it a perfect instrument of oppression.”

In addition, we have been to the Dulwich Picture Gallery for the utterly fascinating Edward Bawden exhibition. I had not known of him previously and found him a delightful surprise. While there, we had lunch with Gin, Rix, Chloe, Michael and Janey. We also had five wonderful nights at Rix’s house on the sea in Alderburgh that included fresh air, restorative views of the beach and waters, lovely foods, a wonderful walk with Gin and Rix to The Maltings, Isabel Coixet’s film The Book Shop based on Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel (Richard and I enjoyed it; the gals were more critical), and an excellent dinner at the Lighthouse that included the four of us along with Janey and Michael. And the weather could scarcely have been better. In fact, Britain has been enjoying its best and hottest summer since 1976 - & I had passed through the country at Wimbledon time that year as well. From Aldeburgh, I drove Richard and myself to Waddesdon Manor for the Silver Caesars. Richard drove from there back to London – the first driving for him since he passed his license exam and the first time for me since I can remember.

And finally, we had a delightful high tea and champagne with dearest Claire at the stunningly beautiful Wolseley. Cambridge Scholars Publishing has accepted my Pagan Mysticism manuscript, and getting it ready now for final publication is my next project. For the first Lucaria (which is also the anniversary of my brother Peter’s exit from life), Richard and I had a dinner of guacamole, nachos and a pitcher of margaritas at Azteca.

I can imagine after describing the last two months that it sounds unlikely that Richard and I are spending more time quietly at home, but we are definitely slowing down and are not minding it that we are. It has so far been a splendid summer, and however ephemeral it may be, life feels good at present.