Favourite Places

Wandsworth Common; not the most romantically named place on earth, but a huge and beautiful city park nevertheless. Click the heading for a walk across the Common to the river and back

Old Wykehamist Reception at Lincoln's Inn

The Old Wykehamist Sports Reception was held in the Old Hall, Lincoln's Inn on 13th May 2010. The Warden, David Clementi, introduced the presentation of Winchester's sporting achievement by the likes of Douglas Jardine, the Nawab of Pataudi(who managed to play test cricket with only one eye), Hubert Doggart (who was a Cambridge Blue in five different sports and captain in four) and Howard Angus by David Fellowes, the Director of the Winchester College Society. About 100 people attended and all were amazed at the depth of talent that was exhibited, most of which proved the old truth that a healthy mind produces a healthy body, in that the sporting 'greats' were mostly also highly gifted academically as well.

Tate Modern's 10th Anniversary

Part of the Tate Modern's attraction is the approach to it from St Paul's over the Millennium Bridge


A favourite Bacon triptych. Click the heading for a selection of other works.

I was interviewed about the Tate Modern by the BBC. Fortunately I didn't see the news programme on which it was shown, but I've had people contact me from as far as Australia to say that they saw it!

Henri Matisse

Matisse - The Red Studio at the Museum of Modern Art

A superb series on the modern artists by Alastair Sooke opens one's eyes to Matisse's originality. His work has influenced artists such as Rothko and many designers including Tricia Guild and Paul Smith. See some of Matisse's paintings in the Musee Matisse by clicking the heading, although much of his best work is in the Hermitage, as well as in New York and Paris.

A Child From Everywhere

On 6th May 2010 Caroline Irby held an exhibition at the V&A Bethnal Green (The Museum of Childhood) of her 'A Child From Everywhere' project in which she photographed children from 185 different countries currently living in the UK.

Also at the exhibition was Alanna Clear, who's own project (with her husband) travelling 20,000 miles by motorcycle and sidecar from Alaska to the tip of Patagonia and interviewing people on the way about the secrets of long-lasting love looks to be even more interesting. It's called 'Going the Distance' and will be edited and published later this year.

The Lord Mayor's Lunch

The Lord Mayor, Nick Anstee, held a lunch at the Guildhall in aid of the Army Benevolent Fund, supported by Prince Charles. It was very well attended and the money raised by the silent auction and raffle exceeded £100,000. Click the heading for some more photos.

Farewell Robert Le Pirate

Charles Viale, dit Robert le Pirate, vient de mourir à 88 ans. Et avec lui, c'est la plus belle époque de la vie nocturne azuréenne qui disparaît

C'était sans doute le dernier des Mohicans, quoique plus flibustier qu'indien. Les soirées dans son restaurant du Cap-Martin ont fait le régal des journaux people du monde entier. À une époque où people voulait encore dire quelque chose.

Sa réputation est d'ailleurs venue d'outre-Atlantique où Franck Sinatra, alors au sommet de son art, ne jurait que par lui. Dans les années soixante, Onassis y amenait la Callas, Alain Delon y dînait tous les soirs avec Jane Fonda lorsqu'ils tournaient « Le Félin », BB y a peut-être dit « oui » à Gunter Sachs. Le Prince Rainier s'y rendait accompagné de Grace Kelly.

De ce haut lieu de la nuit, Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Grégory Peck, Nat King Cole, Gina Lollobrigida, Kirk Douglas, le « Johnny » national, Bébel, Claude François, Tino Rossi, Serge Gainsbourg, Catherine Deneuve, Jean Cocteau, Jacques Brel, le roi Hussein de Jordanie, le prince Charles, Jacques Chirac, Dario Moreno, et Ursula Andress, pour ne citer qu'eux, gardent tous, pour ceux qui sont encore en vie, des souvenirs souvent impérissables... mais pas toujours avouables. Seuls quelques happy few ont pu parfois assister à ces soirées d'anthologie.

Mais pourquoi autant de stars ont-elles hanté les nuits du Cap-Martin ? Tout simplement parce que le pirate était un hôte inimitable. Le mélange de son style fantasque et de l'insouciance de ces années dorées a permis aux quelques mètres carrés de son restaurant de devenir le lieu le plus branché de la Côte. Il fallait réserver des mois à l'avance pour avoir la chance de s'asseoir à la table de Robert le pirate.

Lui était toujours torse nu. Tirait en l'air en plein restaurant. Tant et si bien que les seaux accrochés au plafond quand il pleuvait faisaient partie intégrante du décor.

Inimitable

La musique, toujours, accompagnait les frasques du pirate qui n'hésitait pas à jeter de l'huile sur le feu de son immense barbecue avant d'embrocher de son sabre la viande à cuire. Un véritable show man. Au Pirate, on cassait les assiettes, les ânes s'invitaient à la table en fin de soirée et l'on apportait avec la petite barque son café à Dino De Laurentis qui « garait » son Riva devant le restaurant.

Et que dire de cette scène restée gravée dans la mémoire d'un serveur : « Le Saint en personne est entré. Tout le monde s'est tu devant tant d'allure. Et avec son accent très british, Roger Moore, a demandé de la « leng oust ». Le pirate a mis son couteau entre les dents et a plongé pour remonter le crustacé. Bien sûr, il avait un vivier au fond de l'eau ».

Roger Moore était bien d'ailleurs l'un des seuls à pouvoir commander. Parce que chez le Pirate, c'était le Pirate en personne qui vous disait ce que vous mangiez au gré de ses humeurs.

Ses humeurs définissaient aussi le prix à payer pour ces folles soirées. Le Pirate se transformait souvent en Robin des bois. Et il n'était pas rare de voir un riche industriel italien payer sans le savoir pour des Roquebrunois désargentés attablés quelques mètres plus loin.

Des Roquebrunois et des Mentonnais pour qui Robert le pirate était une véritable légende. Pour cette génération, approchant désormais la soixantaine, le restaurant du Pirate, c'était aussi un muret où les gamins s'entassaient pour apercevoir les superbes filles qui arrivaient très apprêtées dans de grosses voitures américaines et repartaient... soutenues par les serveurs, incapables de tenir debout. Le champagne, du Don Pérignon évidemment, coulait à flot chez Robert. Lui-même avait d'ailleurs la réputation de commencer sa journée, vers 11 heures, en avalant une flûte avec un peu de cassis. Avant de prendre un bain dans sa chère Méditerranée, comme tous les jours de l'année.

Mais ce que tous ces gamins attendaient, c'était surtout les Strangers in the night.

Le moment où les lumières s'éteignaient. Quand les lanternes s'allumaient et que la chanson de Sinatra débutait. Le Pirate prenait alors la tête de son équipage de stars et traversait la rue pour aller aux « Frères de la Côte », sa boîte de nuit. Les « Strangers in the night » ont disparu désormais. La Côte est devenue plus sérieuse. Peut-être plus triste. Surtout depuis que son pirate de la nuit s'en est allé...

opoisson@nicematin.fr
From Nice-Matin March 2010

The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry

The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in the centre of Coventry, next to the Cathedral, held two most successful events on 31st March and 1st April, growing their visitor total well past 500,000 since reopening in the autumn 2008 after a major refurbishment and has just received the 2010  Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award. In addition, this year The Herbert is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its first opening in 1960.

The Herbert's The History of the World in 100 Objects exhibited a number of significant pieces related to Warwickshire. The event was introduced by Annie Othen of BBC Coventry, a representative from the British Museum and Ludo Keston, The Herbert's chief executive

JK Starley's Safety Bicycle

Fascinating local objects included a 500,000 year old hand axe, the JK Starley Safety Bicycle (from which all modern bicycles derive), Shakespeare's signet ring, Frank Whittle's 1943 jet engine, William Lyons's E-Type Jaguar and one of the earliest rugby balls.

The Coventry Open Arts Competition held on 1st April included a number of fine pieces, the overall winner being Marinos Thoma. Some photos of the event and exhibits can be seen here.

The Herbert has also relaunched its Friends scheme, with Margaret Rylatt as President and Peter Walters as chairman.

The Lucky Parrot

Ginny at the Luck Parrot in 2005.


Ginny Moore, the owner of the Lucky Parrot on Bellevue Road, bordering Wandsworth Common, has died after a long illness. Ginny made her shop a treasure trove for children and their parents for 30 years.

A memorial service was held for her at St Mary Magdalene Church, Trinity Road on 9th April 2010. Click the heading for some photos of The Lucky Parrot and the crowd at her memorial service and here for video of a choir singing 'Once In Royal David's City' outside in the winter of 2006.

Thoughts on Facebook and Skype

Click the heading for some discussion about Facebook and the internet generally. Contrary to what many people still think, it’s not a ‘zero-sum’ game, but instead adds exponentially to the ease with which we can interact with each other.

I was at lunch with a much older friend the other day and he asked me about Facebook. Needless to say, he didn't like the idea at all; few people of even of my age are comfortable with it but I tried to explain it to him as being like a series of postcards that you exchange with your friends – and only your friends – the additional factor being that most of your friends can see the postcards and comment on them if they wish. He still didn't like it. Oh well; despite that fact that I do still send a lot of real-lfe postcards, I wonder if he'll be proved right and I'll be seen as a shallow fellow, over-ready to adopt modern systems of self-gratification. One of my friends  Skypes me a lot and I find that takes too much of my time. I would prefer short messages on FB and longer conversations on the telephone. Unlike the phone, one is a little self-conscious on Skype (particularly as others can hear both sides of the conversation) and one can also be distracted by the keyboard and screen and liable to start footling around on the internet rather than concentrating on the conversation. On the other hand, self-consciousness diminishes on FB and one finds one's voice - mocking, ironic, literary or whatever - so that others become comfortable with your particular output and you theirs. 


I still think that FB adds a considerable amount to the sum of human happiness and detracts but a little.