Jack Freak Pictures

Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love Gilbert and George but even I wasn't prepared for how good their monumental new work is, at White Cube, Masons Yard and Hoxton Square.

Quentin Tarrantino!

I promised myself I wouldn't do this kind of thing on the blog but I can't resist posting this.
I'm always an eager star spotter but seeing Quentin Tarrantino ambling down Regent Street yesterday got me very excited. That's his back! I just about managed to stop myself stopping him and saying something silly.

Several things that made me happy this week

in no particular order: Saturday morning, in bed with Ibolya, Ruby and Tutsi Friday night out at The East Village Club, Great Eastern Street for Jessica's birthday

Going swimming with Ruby, Maisie and Kate on Friday afternoon

Making fairy cakes with my Mum on Saturday afternoon, for Ruby's baptism

Seeing Anthony Gormley's 'One and Another' in Trafalgar Square

Summerfield on Harrow Road is becoming a Co-Op

Seeing Pete's paintings again at his exhibition

All the Apollo II 40th anniversary coverage on TV and Radio 4

3 big Hydrangea bushes in Tufnell Park

My Che Part 1 & 2 DVD finally arrived

A parcel of gifts arrived from Beatrice in Paris

including this beautiful toothbrush for Ruby

Heard Q-Tips's brilliant 'The Renaissance' album for the first time

Boris unveiled the new Overground trains at Willesden Junction

The final episode of series 2 of Flight of the Conchords

Lots of fun and time with Ruby on Friday and Saturday

Ruby's Holidays

When we went to France a couple of weeks ago, we left Ruby with my sister Jane and her family, for the weekend. Matthew even took time off to single handily look after Ruby and their youngest Beatrice on the Friday. We'd been very anxious about leaving Ruby behind, for the first time, and the difficulties and inconvenience this would cause the Hargreaves. But all our worries disappeared when Matthew sent us through these pictures of Ruby and her cousins, having a great time together.

Dalmatians

I received my very first 40th Birthday present last week and it was a very auspicious gift indeed. One of Stephen's magnificent Dalmatians paintings, beautifully framed by Harriet's Rob.
I've loved these paintings for many years and it's a privilege to have one in our home.

I wasn't the only recipient of a dalmatian painting, Ruby got one too as an early christening present and we both have our paintings on our bedroom walls.
I'll do some better pictures when I get time, with a bit of scale too so you can see how big they are.

Weekend

What a great weekend! Lots of quality family time together, lots of very good things to eat and drink, got to see some good friends and some very good art too.
Friday night started the weekend well with dinner of duck in a cherry or orange sauce with broad beans and roast veg. Watched and fell asleep through most of 'Gone Baby Gone', from our lovefilm subscription.
Saturday morning we had bagels, cream cheese and salmon for breakfast. Ruby had her very first hard boiled egg, listened to Miles Davis and Stan Getz albums on Spotify. Got the tube to Lancaster Gate and walked through Kensington Gardens to the Serpentine Gallery to see Jeff Koons' 'Popeye Series', by far the best art Ruby has seen so far and a great show. We also took a look at the new temporary pavilion, which is alright and not as good as Frank Gehry's last year.
We hopped on the 52 bus back to Kensal Rise and went to the College Road street festival. Had a long lunch at The Island with Kate and Dan and several pints of Moon Bar.
Back home, after playtime, bathtime and a pasta supper, we lolled in front of the TV and watched (fell asleep through) Vincent Price in 'The Abominable Dr Phibes' which I'd had to buy after reading Matt's latest entry on The Wood Rules OK. Ibolya gave me a late wedding anniversary treat followed by a very early night . Sunday morning we listened to David Bowie's 'Young Americans' while eating breakfast. It was so good to hear that great album again and enjoyed it so much I made Ruby listen to 'Stationtostation' and 'Low' during morning playtime. Late morning we went to Phil's and after that to The Paradise with Stephen, Christophe, Chloe and Mavi and had a tremendous pork belly roast lunch.

When we got back we did some hand painting with Ruby, Ibolya made gridled chicken with peas and vine tomatoes for supper and rescued a chick from Putty's jaws. Still feeling in a Bowie mood we tried to watch 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' but gave up after 20 minutes, gave in to tiredness and another very early night.

Jeff Koons 'Popeye Series'

Jeff Koon's 'Popeye Series' at the Serpentine Gallery is absolutely fantastic. A collection of pictures and sculptures of blow up beach toys, melded with real, functional, household objects, that celebrate Koon's abiding obsessions with banality, popular culture and sex.
Superficially these are great fun, hugely engaging, funny and sexy. Ruby was entranced by the bright colours and striking images and this was definitely the best show she's been to.
The works perform a miraculous transformation when you realise that the pictures are not the dense, multi-layed computer generated images they appear to be but are perfectly rendered in oil on canvas. And the blow up toys are cast, with perfect accuracy, in aluminium.
The pictures are copied from the Guardian.