The French for twilight is crépuscule, a word which conjures up that gleaming, twinkling time of day which is neither light nor dark, when the Goddess Nyx starts her magic dance. And Garsington Opera puts on a witching hour like no other with the thrilling sound of music and song from its pastoral outpost in…
Must-see London exhibitions this October
You might be tempted to start hibernating this autumn, but don’t you dare! London is buzzing this October, from Opera, Passion, Power and Politics at the V & A, to the surreal Gerald Scarfe designs for stage and screen at the House of Illustration, to Reflections at the National Gallery and Spanish masterpieces at the…
Rein Supreme: The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace
If cars, carriages and horses went to heaven, The Royal Mews is where they would go. Tucked away behind Buckingham Palace, this is the ultimate stable for regal steeds and stately wheels. And I’m sure Cinderella wouldn’t say neigh to trotting off in a Royal Carriage for her amorous rendez-vous with Prince Charming. Royal Mewsings…
A Midsummer Dream: A day out at Garsington Opera
The Chiltern hills in Wormsley are alive with the sound of music. This Buckinghamshire haven, where Garsington Opera has its home, is England at its most seductive, the sort of place where pastoral dreams are made. And the vocal fireworks that burst from Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia last Thursday were spectacular as well. Yes,…
Summer 2017 for the Little Darlings
It’s that most wonderful time of the year: the summer holidays. The school hands your little whippersnappers over to you, and your heart sinks as you wonder what on earth you are going to do with them for the next eight weeks. There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist as there are…
Art Review: Echoes Across the Century
The Guildhall Art Gallery has been on my cultural radar for a long time. After all, it’s home to some very impressive pre-Raphaelite paintings, and its belly houses the remains of a Roman amphitheatre no less, discovered in 1988 when the gallery was carrying out renovation works. But my reason for heading over to the…
A smashing, positively dashing day!
I know nothing about horses, gambling or how to wear a hat, but I can be hedonistic, and I enjoy a glass or two, maybe even three, of a certain French drink with bubbles. My lovely friend Hilary invited me into her private “Winning Post” enclosure again, so Mark and I draped ourselves in Best…