Favourite paintings - Ayako by Theo Ramos

Ayako by Theo Ramos (1992)

Why I Prefer Pubs to Restaurants

The Thomas Lord, West Meon

Now that the smoke has gone, pubs - whether in towns or villages or tucked into a beautiful landscape - are again the centre of life in England; warm and cosy in winter and wonderfully welcoming on a summer's evening. The food in many of them has improved immeasurably. They take their produce from the surrounding countryside and support local farmers, butchers and fisherman. Many have interesting - mostly New World - wine lists and serve ruggedly independent beers. They are usually old and full of charm, don't turn up their noses at muddy boots, welcome dogs and are full of interesting characters - including the locals who increasingly eschew the cities, finding that most 'townies' no longer know anything of country life. Being cheaper than restaurants and full of atmosphere, they are a far better choice for lunch or dinner - and if the mood takes you, you can log onto their free wi-fi and stay all day.

Vogue's Book of Houses, Gardens, People

A unique book, written by Valentine Lawford and photographed by his long-time friend Horst, with whom he lived on Long Island after leaving the diplomatic service in 1950. The book was published in 1968 and is long out of print. I had a copy from my parents which was unaccountably lost. This copy was obtained from a bookesller in New York, at considerable cost. Click on the heading for some illustrations from the book, with one page of Valentine's writing.

Favourite Wines - the Reds

Chard Farm, Gibston, Nr Queenstown

I posted a note about one of my favourite white wines last summer - the spectacular Napa Valley Far Niente. Now that beautiful white wine has been joined by another of great quality - Devil's Lair from the Margaret River area of Australia (where others that I love, such as Cullen and Vasse Felix, also live.)

But now that winter is upon us reds are more welcome, particularly my favourite New Zealand Pinot Noirs. It's difficult to chose between Cloudy Bay, Neudorf, Mt Difficulty and Villa Maria (who make the Wine Society's fine Exhibition Pinot Noir), with Chard Farm's Viper coming in close behind, but who cares? They are all delicious!

Favourite Views - Stocks Farm

Views of Stocks Farm from Old Winchester Hill in summer and winter


I can't claim credit for these fabulous photos. I found them on Flickr. The first one is taken by a chap called Michael. I hope he doesn't mind me posting it here. It's of our farm Stocks and the cottages on the down, taken in early summer. The other is taken by Treescaper in winter, with the barley showing and the other fields awaiting spring sowing. Both are taken from Old Winchester Hill. 

An earlier photo of the same view appears here

Chelsea

There is a reason why the family are always talking of moving to Chelsea; the 18th Century architecture is timeless and beautiful - even on a January day - and you can walk to the parks and shops and restaurants without ever needing to take the car. One day we may end up there.....

A Seriously Cool Phone

Barley is using the iPhone to watch Sydney's New Year's fireworks on the internet.....

The iPhone is truly astonishing! It's probably the most sophisticated piece of electronic kit ever made. Not only is it slim, sleek and gorgeous to look at, but it handles perfectly and has the most amazing bright and clear touch-screen. Innovative touches abound, such as all one's SMS conversations with any individual being shown colour-coded on a single screen, with a similar scrolling screen for voice-mail messages. It makes my now defunct N95 seem like a stone-age tool, apart from the slightly slower-speed 2G internet, acquired as the result of lower US internet technology standards.

It was a cinch to set up and was working within 15 minutes of getting it out of the box (which was itself delivered the morning after being ordered from the Apple website). It syncs seamlessly with Outlook and one's contacts are shown in full, not in a cut-down version as in the N95. It's a revelation - and I'm sure I have only discovered half of what it can do!

Favourite Arias

Inessa Galante singing the Caccini Ave Maria.

Click on the heading to hear a recording taken with my camera from the new Phillips Home Theatre system

Christmas in Seville

Those from northern climes take great joy from seeing the sun in winter: Sevilla is beautiful, with skies as bright as Australia and laden orange trees lining every street. The hotel is a wonderful old relic, once the finest in Spain and now a 'Westin'. Superbly ornate public areas and spacious bedrooms and bathrooms but the poor waiters now bring you 'American coffee' when you ask for 'café con leche' and there's a Starbucks right outside the gates (and two more within 200 yards of the cathedral…..).

The cathedral's a magnificent Gothic creation which started life as a mosque like Agia Sofia; the largest cathedral in Christendom (note that St Peter's is a 'basilica'), so huge that 'Notre Dame could walk the nave with her head bowed'. The reredos is the largest of any in the world. Nevertheless, midnight mass on Christmas Eve was a disappointment - too many priests and too few carols.

We spent many hours walking the city and gardens and loved the Alcazar Palace (thanks, Ian) of King Pedro the Cruel and his mistress Maria de Padilla who built it in the 1360's.


We didn't spot a single Don Juan aspirant despite expecting to defend Kei's honour… and couldn't stomach a bullfight and had Japanese food on Christmas Day to avoid a nine-course spread in the hotel. There is a separately owned Japanese restaurant - Kaede - in the hotel garden beside the swimming pool - a nice touch. Another welcome idea was a Martini-themed pavilion on the terrace outside the bar in which smoking was allowed and where 'le tout Sevilla' gatherered for tea and drinks in the afternoons. There we had the best Manhattans we had ever tasted and proper 'pan con tomate' - toasted bread rubbed with tomato.

Click on the heading to see what the girls descended to on Christmas Day...

The London Eye

The London Eye, the old GLC Building, Westminster Bridge and St Thomas' - near to sunset on a clear winter's evening

Seeing this reminded me of trips on the Eye.





Click the heading to see more photos of the Eye