January 2025 Update

Four visits to the Belgravia Surgery for one or the other of us – for various tests. Richard has had dental work – twice with Nick; once with Laurence. I’ve also had a telephone consultation with the Royal Marsden. And our original appointment with Toby Dean for RSV jabs was cancelled after he fell from his cycle and has broken his pelvis. We did see him finally on the penultimate day of the month. I’ve had two sessions with Scott concerning my laptop and will have another in six days. Also had contact sessions with both Apple and DuoCircle. But, finally, my email has been rectified and appears to be working now.

We’ve had two dinners with Rix and Gin – one at Chucs across from the Belgrave Surgery and another at Kutir the venue which was once that of the English Garden - Italian and India respectively. And with Gin, we have also been to the Tate Modern for the “Electric Dreams” exhibition. This I found strange but interesting. We had cappuccini and cheese scones after and then at Bill’s in Covent Garden at separate tables more to eat and berry smoothies. Then after all this, Richard & I had a bubbly each at the October Gallery for its “Material Sensibilities” exhibition opening. This was followed with some whisky once we were back home.

Yesterday, after Toby, we met Meg at the Cadogan Hotel and, because we already had had coffee at the Surgery, had some delicious tequila the three of us. After this, Richard and I met Atticus at Mestizo for margaritas and a Mexican meal. I was disappointed with the food, but Atticus was delightful. And Richard had a good time.

Other things we have managed this month include the “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers” exhibition at the National Gallery – an incredible assemblage of works from all over the world and all dating to 1888/1889. The artist’s prolific frenzy during his final years made me tear up. At Sadler’s Wells, it was Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake which was moving and absolutely fabulous. At Cadogan Hall for the German National Orchestra (all young), we had a Jack Daniels before and another during the intermission. We enjoyed Britten’s Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra and then a dazzling performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Wayne Marshall as the pianist. He was also the evening’s conductor. The second half was a moving presentation of Holst’s The Planets. For cinema, we most enjoyed Maria with Angelina Jolie and beautiful promenades of Paris. There has also been at the Odeon Haymarket, Queer with Daniel Craig essentially as William Burroughs and a relatively outrageous Lesley Manville in the jungle. The film is dark, strange and most unusual, and I am surprised that it received no Oscar nominations at all.

Further things included The London Art Fair at the Business Design Centre which was relaxed, fun and exhausting. The Palestinian demonstration in Whitehall was very moving let alone quite cold, but the two things that stood out for me the most was a group Orthodox Jews standing on a wall demonstrating that they are pro-Palestinian and, even more so, elsewhere, a group of people labelled as Holocaust Survivors and who carried ’Stop the Genocide’ signs. The Soteria this month was Heward Wilkinson’s presentation of Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo. It was difficult for me to relate to but got me investigating, i.e., googling much afterwards. For Nova Stellar, it was Pete Jennings on “Heathen Magic” including killing through magic. At the London Fortean Society, it was Tina Rath on “Vampires: from Monster to Mister.” Incredibly well attended, and the talk was engrossing.

There has also been the Sophia Conference in Canary Wharf. The papers were interesting, and I was asked to chair the last session of the first day and only one of the two days that we attended. Laura Andikopoulos gave me a copy of her Jung and the Twentieth Century Psychological Astrology: Perspectives on Magic, Psychology and Culture. The Wharf was packed afterwards when Richard & I were trying to get back to the Underground. It was the Winter Lights.

Further this month, David Lynch died at age 78, and Marianne Faithfull also at 78. I did watch President Carter’s funeral as well as the Inauguration of the 47th US President. Jeff Lipmann recorded me online for his Garden of Doom radio programme. The subject was Canaanite Mythology. Maurice repaired and remounted our bathroom blind. I’ve had a phone call with Marie-Laure. I have also managed to enter Richard into the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art and to get him a National Insurance Number. I’ve also learned that at Boots, they no longer accept paper money! What next?

Reading-wise it has been Phyllis Rose’s Parallel Lives: Five Victorian Marriages that Penny gifted me for a second time since the first somehow got lost. I enjoyed it thoroughly and the intricate partnerships that are described and investigated. It seems that only that between George Eliot & Henry Lewes could be understood as successful and happy. The next has been Lilan Laishley’s Past Lives & Present Purposes: Reincarnation and the Illumination of Your Soul. I found this entertaining and with heartfelt purpose – something to discuss with the author later this spring. And finally, I have two entries myself in Suzanne Owen and Angela Puca’s Pagan Religions in 5 Minutes but am now availing myself of the other 68 delightful contributions to this astutely crafted publication.

Finally, the highlight of the month for us was to celebrate our 50th anniversary. We forgot it on the day itself – the 7th but managed a splendid party on the 11th. Woody did the most marvellous catering – a veritable feast, and Stead did incredible serving. Both were terrific. Besides Woody and Stead, our guests included Tillie, James & Eamonn, Gin and Rix, Sylvester, Nina & Max, Caroline, Paddy & Kier, Atticus, David Barrett, Viviane & Chris, David & Ingrid and Cosmo & Bethany. I guess we were 23 in all, and everyone appeared to be thoroughly enjoying each other. Richard and I could not be happier over how well the party was as well as how well the last 50 years have been for us.