Untitled, October 2009

If I wasn't enjoying this October quite enough, it got even better the other day when I met my dear old friend Peter Roseman on Thursday, at the Flying Halibut. The occasion was the handover of my recently completed 40th birthday present, an original, new painting by Pete.
It's one thing I couldn't have wished for more and I am absolutely thrilled, delighted and overjoyed to receive it.
What's more, I know Pete's work well, and this one really is a beauty.
It's now hanging, where we will all see it most, in our back, breakfast room. Thank you Pete, we love it and are immensely grateful.
These pictures show it wrapped-up, unwrapped, hung and close-up details.

Don't Look Now

I'm an enormous fan of Nicolas Roeg. For me, one of the undisputed giants of British cinema - up there with David Lean, Michael Powell and Carol Reed. Roeg has left an indelible mark on cinema, creating highly idiosyncratic, sexually charged movies, characterised by dazzling use of fractured, non-linear time lines, that at their best, are phycholgically disturbing and visually powerful.

He's a true craftsman, having no formal film eduction, he learnt his trade from the shop floor upwards, as you'll see on his CV at IMDB, starting out as a camera operator to becoming one of the country's best Director's of Cinematography. Films like Truffaut's 'Fahrenheit 451', 'Far from the Madding Crowd', 'The Masque of the Red Death' are worth seeing alone for his sumptuous use of saturated colour. His illustrious pedigree includes his contribution as second unit camera operator on 'Dr Zhivago' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'. He's also the only film director I know to be immoratlised in the lyrics of a song (and my second favourite song of all time) Big Audio Dynamite's 'E=MC2'

But it's for the films he directed in the 1970's, 'Performance', 'Walkabout', 'Don't Look Now', 'Bad Timing' 'Man Who Fell to Earth' and 'Eureka', that make him such a hero to me and why I was cockahoop to be at a gala screening of 'Don't Look Now' at the Lexi's Flicker Club last night. Introduced by the director and the opening pages of Daphney Du Murier's short story, read by his wife Harriet.

It was a huge thrill to be just a couple of meters away from him and to see this great film on a big screen for the first time. It also felt all the more powerful for Ibolya and I, seeing it for the first time as a parents and married, you need to see it to know what I mean.

Weekend Bits

A few last snaps from a wonderful weekend and two holiday days. A brace of pheasants and ducks, shot by Lee and guttered and plucked by a local butcher. The Fantastic Mr Fox window in Gap Regent Street, a broken candle holder in our bathroom and Josie sitting under our new light.

Halloween Pumpkin

Just had two glorious days off work, at home with Ruby and Ibolya and one of my highlights was making Ruby her first Halloween pumpkin head. I made one for her last year but this the first she's seen. I'm fairly happy with the results.

New Lamp

I accidentally bid and won an 'Eames Era' lamp, on ebay the other day, from an address in Acton. When I first saw it, it wasn't at all what I was expecting, a lot bigger and I didn't like the textured shade. But once I fitted the 5 bulbs it requires and turned it on, I absolutely love it. Best thing I've accidentally bought in ages.

Ruby Reads

My extraordinary little daughter Ruby has suddenly, in the past two weeks, had a sudden development spurt. She can now crawl confidently and rapidly (although commando style), she can sit up and right herself from a lying down position and she's on the verge of pulling herself up, into a standing position and has just learnt how to wave and clap her hands.
Her new found mobility means she can spot things she likes, go and get them and entertain herself, as you'll see in this little film, as she sees one her favourite pop-up books, in her room, this morning.

Anish Kapoor

During our 2 days off togther; Ruby, Ibolya and I went to see the Anish Kapoor show at the Royal Academy. It was good fun and entertaining but far from being a significant retrospective or career survey, this show made his work appear frivolous and decorative.
These pictures were taken covertly (I'm always in trouble with gallery staff) on my iPhone so they're a bit dodgy.

Dinners

I know I'm a bit obsessive about food and this blog has a tendency to resemble a menu rather than a journal at times but the past 5 days have been an embarrassment of good meals, cooked by friends and family, that I can't let pass without it's own post. So in reverse order, here's what we've been immensely fortunate to eat in the past 5 days.

Becky was in last night so Ibolya and I seized the opportunity to pop down the road, to our old manor, in North Kensington, and have dinner at the best Thai restaurant in West London, The Numeber One Cafe. And it was especially good.

On Sunday, we dined with the Agbo family (Kwami, Marlene, Jean-Charles and Agnel) who made us Togolese cuisine, consisting of delicious fried plantain and succulent fish.

Saturday, we were at my sister Jane's for a big family dinner and Matthew H cooked beautifully roasted leg of lamb, with roast potatoes and vegetables. Followed by a magnificent cheese board and Jane's home-made cheese and chocolate cake.

Friday night, we were at Kate and Dan's, for a tender, rare, roast beef, with Chantenay carrots, dauphinoise potatoes and beans. Followed by Ibolya's Hungarian hoviragpuding 'snowdropps pudding'.

and finally, we started our 5 days of glutinous indulgence, with a wonderful Italian meal, prepared by Vittoriano and shared with Lorena, Claire and Martin. Prima course was omelet, stuffed pittas and cold meats and Secondi; tomato and basil pasta.