#belgravia gallery

[burningtacozombie]

‘Hotel Cocaine’ First Look: Danny Pino Runs Miami’s Infamous Mutiny Hotel in MGM+ Crime Thriller (PHOTOS) The story of Miami’s most notorious hotel comes to life in Hotel Cocaine, an eight-episode drama premiering this summer on MGM+. Mayans M.C. star Danny Pino leads the series as Roman Compte, the man behind the Mutiny Hotel, with co-stars Yul Vazquez, Michael Chiklis, Mark Feuerstein, and Laura Gordon. TV Insider has the exclusive first look into the series in the photos below. Hotel Cocaine comes from Godfather of Harlem and Narcos visionary Chris Brancato. It tells the story of Roman Compte, a Cuban exile and general manager of the Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The Mutiny Hotel was Casablanca on cocaine; a glitzy nightclub, restaurant, and hotel frequented by Florida businessmen and politicians, international narcos, CIA and FBI agents, models, sports stars, and musicians. At the center of it all was Compte, who was doing his best to keep it all going and fulfill his own American Dream. Mrs. Dunn Plays Matchmaker for Embarrassed Emily & James in 'Belgravia' Sneak Peek Related Mrs. Dunn Plays Matchmaker for Embarrassed Emily & James in 'Belgravia' Sneak Peek Vazquez plays Nestor Cabal, Chiklis is Agent Zulio, Feuerstein is Burton Greenberg, and Gordon is Janice Nichols in the crime thriller. Additional stars include Tania Watson and Corina Bradley, with recurring stars Mayra Hermosillo, Juan Pablo Raba, Erniel Baez, Nick Barkla, Cale Ambrozic, Camila Valero, and Maggie Lacey. Guest stars include John Ventimiglia as prolific writer Hunter Thompson and Larry Powell as singer Rick James. Brancanto created the series and serves as executive producer and showrunner. Guillermo Navarro executive produces the series and directed the pilot episode. Michael Panes and Alfredo Barrios Jr. also serve as executive producers. The series is created by MGM+ Studios, in partnership with MGM Television, and filmed in the Dominican Republic. Hotel Cocaine, Series Premiere, Summer 2024, MGM+ Get an exclusive first look at Hotel Cocaine in the gallery.

[therobertfrasergang]

Robert Fraser in the Evening Standard, June 8 1967

Modern art: The currency between the financier and his son

This article appeared in the Evening Standard on June 8, 1967. It was part of a series on fathers and sons. Part 4 profiled the Fraser family, focusing on Lionel Fraser and Robert Fraser.

The entire article is transcribed below the cut.

A Name to Live Up To, by Tom Pocock

Modern art: The currency between the financier and his son

The rebel son being so essential a stock figure in family lore it would seem that Robert Fraser has all the qualifications of a particularly fine specimen. Seldom can the worlds of father and son have been in such stunning contrast and seldom can father and son have seemed, to outsiders, such opposites.

Robert Fraser is the son of the later Lionel Fraser.

At 29, Robert Fraser is founder and proprietor of the Robert Fraser Gallery in Mayfair, the most avant garde, far-out art gallery in London.

Currently, he is awaiting an exhibition by Mr. Andy Warhol, the American experimental artist, which, it can safely be forecast, will be unlike anything yet seen in an art gallery, or, possibly, anywhere else.

Mr. Fraser has suffered a lot of publicity recently having been fined £20 under the Vagrancy Act of 1838 for exhibiting “obscene” drawings and collages by the American artist Jim Dine, whose work is represented at the Tate.

Mr. Fraser was duly credited in Time magazine’s memorable discovery of swinging London. Mr. Fraser’s scene is one to make British squares close their ranks. His father, who died two years ago, was a man for whom the inescapable adjective was “distinguished.” Tycoon was too vulgar a word for Lionel Fraser. A financier, who made money-making seem like high diplomacy, he ranked high among the City’s royalty.

A self-made man (his father was butler to Gordon Selfridge, the department store emperor) Lionel Fraser carried himself as if born to wealth and position.

His influence in banking, investment trusts, insurance and industry came primarily through Helbert Wagg, the merchant bankers, Thomas Tilling, the industrial holding company and Babcock and Wilcox, the engineers, but his photograph—a dignified face, white hair and an immaculate bow tie—often appeared on City pages in connection with anything from publishing to cars, take-overs to mergers.

Tragedy

The Fraser family was, and is, conventional in a prosperous and intelligent way. Living In Belgravia and, like a surprising number of their like, Christian Scientists, the Frasers lived a contented life until touched by tragedy.

Ten years ago the only daughter, Janet, a beautiful, vivid girl, who, at the age of 21, had been secretary to Sir William Haley, then editor of The Times, was killed with her fiancé in a road accident. Then at 69, Lionel Fraser died.

Robert Fraser's mother and his brother, a stockbroker, continue to lead the lives to which they were accustomed. But not Robert Fraser.

Robert Fraser's quick, delicate person is so different from his father’s stately presence; his accent, Anglo-American; his conversation, stream-of-consciousness.

“Did I rebel? I never thought of that. I just do what I like doing. That's what everyone tries to do. I try to avoid doing things that I don’t like. Did my father influence me? I don't think that parents do have influences—the best parents don’t have influences. I might be influenced by ideas but not by parents. I never thought heredity plays a great part except that you react against it. It’s environment that matters.”

Robert Fraser was first sent to a Christian Science school but “could not get attuned to it. I feel religious but not interested in religion.”

Then to Eton, “which is better than anywhere else because it is eccentric. But English boarding schools are insane. Education is teaching but you are not taught. In 15 years learning Latin I never heard anyone stop and say: ‘This is a beautiful poem.’ I'm glad I was educated, but it would have been nice to have been taught."

But, by what Robert Fraser would put down as environment, his father did influence him. Lionel Fraser was a patron of modern art and, as a trustee of the Tate Gallery did, in his son’s view “much to improve that stale atmosphere. Many American cities have better collections and Americans who hear about the Tate go there and ask: ‘What’s it all about?’

The dust

“My father wanted the Tate to shake off the dust and tried to align it with the present. But this is not so much an indictment of the Tate as of England. In England it takes time to change things.”

After Eton, Robert Fraser went to New York and joined the art scene. Five years ago, he returned to London and, with his father's encouragement, opened the gallery in Duke Street. Then, says Robert Fraser: “London was very boring. Suddenly, around 1964, it was all happening. An eruption, you know. A social revolution.

“What the Beatles call The Beautiful People. These people—these young artists, writers and musicians—these people are the privileged class now. They used to have no voice. Now they are blowing off the dust.

“All this youth paraphernalia came from here. These people are original. These ideas are mainly coming from England. New York is sterile, uncreative, l mean, you go to the States— they have a fantastic industry for everything: machine-guns, cosmetics, Lichtenstein paintings. It’s an industrial thing. The English give them the idea and they make a thing of it.”

Robert Fraser thinks that his father would have understood and enjoyed 1967 scene. “He was a Victorian but the best of the Victorians were like really important business people today: they had imagination. My father's mixed with some very conventional people but he never belonged to them. He would never do things because they had been done before. The Victorians were like that before the calcification began. My father was one of the few people in this country who liked new things. Most people distrust new things.”

Balance

The obvious differences between father and son seemed less important. And as Robert Fraser talked he sounded less like an arbiter of the arts but more like an adventurous tycoon. “Art dealing the way l do it needs a fine balance of judgement. Most dealers buy something because they know they can sell it at a profit. I back my own taste. I show what I like.”

Robert Fraser refuses to have what he likes labelled “because people love to be able to pigeonhole things. I like to keep people on edge. Anything new is uncomfortable. I like people coming into the gallery to feel uneasy. A picture that makes you happy now may have made people acutely uncomfortable when it was first painted.'” Currently he is thinking of forms of art-dealing outside the gallery, something that he cannot yet define but obviously something of which Mr. Warhol would approve.

“As art widens its scope,” he says, “so must galleries.” The next move is the Warhol exhibition. After that, perhaps films. The Fraser imaginatlon roams farther and farther out.

The son of the discreet financier then reveals another of his father’s traits. “Some people who meet me say that they didn't know there was a person called Robert Fraser. But they still came to the Robert Fraser Gallery because they knew they'd find a certain kind of thing. I liked that.”

I suspect Lionel Fraser would have liked that, too. It is called reputation.

[amphtaminedreams]

JULY 2019->OCTOBER 2022: Photo Dump No.20

DATE SAVED, L-R BY ROW:

1. 20th March 2022 [”Big Brother is Watching No.11112016″, Odilia Fu], 15th August 2021 [Elle Fanning BTS on the set of The Great, Season 1 Episode 10: “The Beaver’s Nose”, aired June 2020], 20th March 2022 [source: instagram account @oshthoughts], 31st July 2022, 30th August 2022, 28th August 2022, 25th September 2021 [Chanel Haute Couture F/W21], 30th August 2022 [Bournemouth Town Centre, Dorset], 25th August 2022

2. 24th August 2022, 8th August 2022, 11th August 2022, 24th April 2022 [Redchurch Street, Shoreditch], 23rd October 2021 [Emma Roberts BTS on the set of Wild Child, dir. Nick Moore, release date August 2008), 11th July 2022 [Kehlani for Quem magazine, Feb 2022 issue], 12th July 2019 [source unknown], 15th June 2022 [source unknown], 23rd August 2022

3. 24th August 2022, 14th August 2022 [Zimmerman RTW S/S15], 25th August 2022, 24th July 2022 [Kate Moss photographed by Ellen von Unwerth for US Vogue, October 1995 issue], 13th July 2022, 25th September 2021 [Fendi Haute Couture F/W21], 27th June 2022 [EPCOT, Walt Disney World Florida], 23rd August 2022 [Millbank, Westminster], , 22nd May 2022 [Buckingham Palace Road, Belgravia]

4. Wednesday 5th October 2022, 6th July 2021 [print by Gloria Gorni, source: instagram account @gloriecoeur], 29th September 2022, 15th October 2021 [source: instagram account @thepulpgirls], 11th August 2022, 20th December 2020 [background: St.Catherine's Hill, Christchurch, graphic: instagram account @sun_keep], 30th September 2022, 29th March 2021 [Lady Gaga wearing Valentino @ the 75th Venice Film Festival Premiere for A Star is Born, September 2018], 4th October 2022 [Bermondsey Gardens Cale, Southwark]

5. 24th October 2022, 20th October 2022, 16th October 2022, 21st September 2022 [The Attico RTW F/W22], 7th October 2022, 14th September 2021 [LaQuan Smith RTW F/W20], 3rd May 2021 [Candice Swanepoel BTS @ The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, November 2013], 24th September 2022 [Flat Iron Square, Southwark Street], 25th October 2022

6. 23rd January 2022 [Tate Britain, Millbank], 5th September 2022, 21st January 2022 [Dua Lipa in Versace RTW S/S22, October 2021], 20th August 2022 [the "Twirl' skirt, onrushw23fh S/S22, custom made for Rina Sawayama], 15th October 2021 [source: instagram account @thepulpgirls], 5th September 2022, 13th August 2021 [Bimini Bon Boulash wearing custom DykeSport, shot by Ali Pirzadeh, June 2021], 1st September 2022 [Overcliff Drive, Bournemouth], 7th September 2022 [Mr.Mulligan's Adventure Golf, Bournemouth]

7. 29th August 2022, 11th October 2022, 7th October 2022, 12th October 2022 [Frith Street, Soho], 10th October 2022, 10th October 2022 (Eost Street, Southwark], 27th September 2021 [Dsquared2 RTW F/W21], 5th December 2021 [Rihanna photographed out in NYC, December 2021], 3rd February 2022 [the Sophie Tea Art Gallery, Camaby Street]

8. 2nd October 2021 [Loewe RTW S/S22], 17th September 2022, 29th August 2021 [source: twitter account @wholesomememes], 1st September 2022, 18th April 2021 [Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Friends, Season 6 Episode 4, "The One Where Joey Loses his Insurance”, aired October 1999], 1st March 2021 [Nicola Coughlan wearing Molly Goddard S/S21 @ the 2021 Golden Globes, March 2021], 8th August 2021 [Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, still from Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, dir. Cathy Yan, released January 2020], 12th September 2022, 17th September 2022

9. 20th November 2021 [Marc Jacobs RTW F/W17], 14th October 2022, 10th October 2021 [Hayward Gallery, Southbank], 25th July 2022 [Cleo jacquard knit & leather bag, Prada RTW F/W22], 24th May 2021 [Duckie Thot via twitter account @duckiethot, May 2021], 16th October 2022, 17th October 2022, 24th September 2022, 29th August 2021 [source: instagram account @girlscangossip]

10. 24th September 2022 [Elephant & Castle, Southwark], 27th December 2020 [source unknown], 26th March 2022 ["Let's Start Again”, Laure Prouvost @ Testament, Goldsmiths CCA], 20th March 2022 [source: Twitter account @thekindset], 29th November 2021 [Elle Fanning BTS filming for Entertainment Weekly, November 2021), 26th September 2022, 31st July 2022, 22nd September 2022 [Bermondsey Street, Southwark], 14th December 2020 [Sugar Thrillz Divine Lush Opulence Corset Dress, FW20 drop]

[coffeedrgn87]

December 17th Drarry Drabble: "Christmas Sweater"

Read the first part here (it won't make much sense otherwise).

Tags: Is Malfoy up to something?, Harry is quite possibly having a meltdown over Malfoy, the annoying mistletoe is still there, but Malfoy is full of surprises, and Harry has no words, no angst, and some UST; this is also apparently the part of this December drabble journey where this whole idea of writing unrelated standalone drabbles does right out of the window...

Knightsbridge was the epitome of luxury. It didn’t surprise Harry that Malfoy lived in nearby Belgravia with its terraced stucco townhouses, private garden squares, international embassies, upmarket hotels, antique shops, chic furniture stores, trendy art galleries, and designer fashion and jewellery boutiques. It was home to fine-dining restaurants, posh delis, and sophisticated cafes — a place for the rich and famous to unload their cash. The area was predominantly Muggle, which surprised Harry but not enough to think much of it. After all, London did not have an exclusive wizarding district for the well-to-do.

Number 22 Wilton Place was a six-storey Regency townhouse within walking distance of several tube stations (not that Malfoy seemed to be the type of person who got on the tube), and Hyde Park was only a stone’s throw away. Serpentine’s Stephen Waterfall was the closest public apparition point, and it was heavily glamoured with a potent Repelling Charm that deterred Muggles from going near it.

However, the standard apparition wasn’t an option, given Harry’s current mistletoe predicament. He suspected Malfoy’s London home had private apparition coordinates, but Harry hadn’t bothered to ask. After all, there was such a thing as ‘too intimate’, and in Harry’s book, knowing Malfoy’s private apparition coordinates fell into that category.

He didn’t know whether Malfoy agreed with him on that point, but he’d quietly accepted Malfoy’s floo address which Malfoy had kindly noted for him. And, of course, Malfoy’s penmanship was impeccable because why would it not be? The git appeared to excel at everything Harry didn’t. He wrote swiftly and with an exquisite flourish that nettled Harry terribly.

So, on top of sitting on his hands during Kingsley’s two-hour reprimand (Harry was still surprised he’d managed not to fall asleep), he also ground his teeth together to avoid accidentally making a snarky remark. Everything about Malfoy screamed elegance and perfection and starkly contrasted with Kingsley’s elaborate and overly detailed rebuke.

Apparently, Harry had been well within his rights (Malfoy had boredly confirmed that with a lot of avant-garde legalese) to levitate Cormac into the Fountain of Magical Brethren and defend himself during the duel that had followed. (Naturally, Harry already knew that though he’d resisted telling Kingsley that.) Even the Auror team’s arrest had been by the book.

The only problem was that Cormac was no longer a British citizen, and his parents (with MACUSA’s help) were trying to create an international incident a week before Christmas…blah, blah, blah. By the time Kingsley finally stopped talking about MACUSA’s ridiculous complaint (as though American citizens were suddenly exempt from prosecution under British Wizarding Law when they attempted to commit crimes on British soil) and started to focus on Harry’s ‘inconvenience’ (the mistletoe), Harry’s jaw was positively aching from clenching it so much. Restraining himself had never been Harry’s strong suit, but ten years in the public eye had allowed him to get intimately acquainted with the useless political move of ‘keeping one’s gob shut’.

Still, the worst part of the entire experience was when Malfoy insisted on a home visit to help Harry fix his annoying mistletoe problem. After half an hour of unsuccessfully trying to weasel his way out of visiting Malfoy’s private residence for a curse removal consult, Harry eventually gave up. Partly because he was tired but also because Kingsley looked like he was about to suggest that Harry’s other option was a stint in Azkaban so he could come to his senses.

In Harry’s opinion, the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo’s seemed a far more reasonable option, but Harry wisely refrained from making that observation. He had no desire to spend Christmas in the hospital (lest Kingsley, in his infinite wisdom as Minister for Magic, decided to teach him a lesson). Over the years, there’d been too many instances where Harry’s impulsivity in the field had led to several highly uncomfortable overnight stays at Mungo’s, and he had no interest in baiting Kingsley into adding another one to the list.

But now Harry was here, in Malfoy’s home. It differed vastly from what Harry remembered about Malfoy Manor. There was nothing gloomy about the place. It was bright, open, spacious, and exceptionally welcoming, with no lack of plants (magical and non-magical alike), hand-picked furniture, and a wealth of art.

Upon stepping out of the gigantic fireplace in the reception room, a wisecrack of a house elf (dressed in what appeared to be a tailored butler’s uniform) greeted him with a bow so deep that the elf’s nose touched the carpeted ground. It made Harry terribly uncomfortable, though he forced himself to keep his opinions to himself. The last thing he was interested in was having it out with an elf, a Malfoy elf no less, while a pertinent mistletoe bobbed above his head.

However, since his arrival, things had become exponentially worse for Harry. Malfoy’s elf had led him into what appeared to be Malfoy’s private living room, and Harry felt perfectly out of place. He didn’t think he was supposed to be here, in Malfoy’s inner sanctum (so to speak), but Malfoy’s elf had vanished, and Harry wasn’t about to explore Malfoy’s townhouse in search of a place that made him feel less unpleasant. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder whether Malfoy made a habit of welcoming his guests in his private living room.

Didn’t he have a proper drawing room? A study even, or an office? Recency townhouses had libraries; surely Malfoy’s elf could have accommodated him there? Perhaps it was yet another attempt at trying to make him uncomfortable? After all, Malfoy was a grade-A git. Sure, he’d paid his reparations, uttered his apologies, and worked hard to become an upstanding member of Britain’s Wizarding Society, and while Harry didn’t hold a grudge (he’d testified at Malfoy’s trial), there was something about Malfoy that perpetually rubbed Harry up the wrong way.

He supposed it was only natural. Malfoy and he had spent most of their time at Hogwarts despising each other. The handful of times they’d bumped into each other at functions hadn’t been enough to establish any meaningful connection. And so, they lived in each other’s orbit, Harry acutely aware of Malfoy’s presence, however fleeting (and Malfoy likely scowling at his very existence and cursing him to the centre of hell) without ever trying to create a relationship.

Piqued by his intrusive thoughts and unable to properly distract himself, Harry moved closer to the grand fireplace, where large flames crackled and danced, licking at the thick stone walling. The parquet flooring creaked a little under Harry’s heavy Auror-issues Dragonhide boots. The edge of the broad mantlepiece was beautifully decorated with a real fir garland. Its scent (damp moss, rain, wet tree trunks and needle-covered paths) reminded Harry of a green forest, serenity, peace and quiet. Small twigs of holly and snowberry adorned the many coniferous branches. Harry caught his reflection in one of the tiny silver baubles but groaned when he also noted his companion, the mistletoe.

Turning his attention to several silver photo frames on display on top of the mantlepiece, Harry looked at them curiously. He recognised Blaise Zabini, who shared a photograph with Malfoy. The two were laughing, hugging and toasting the photographer with champagne flutes. Harry was at once interested, though what intrigued him most wasn’t the intimacy of the moment captured but Malfoy’s laugh.

It looked bright and genuine, and the way his silvery-grey eyes sparkled made Harry feel a little dizzy. He glanced at the next photo. It showed Malfoy sprawled all over an armchair with Pansy Parkinson in his lap. She appeared to laugh at something while Malfoy looked at her with an expression akin to admiration. Harry’s stomach flipped unexpectedly, and he moved his gaze to the following photograph and the next.

Many of the captured moments showed Malfoy with his friends. One showed him with Astoria Greengrass, and another was a candid image of Malfoy’s mother surrounded by well-tended rose bushes. Another showed Malfoy with a man Harry didn’t know, but the formal robes indicated that the picture had been taken at a black-tie function or a wedding. A strange sort of sensation, akin to jealousy, took residence in Harry’s chest, and he felt his stomach harden.

Thankfully, Malfoy clearing his throat at precisely that moment gave Harry the perfect excuse to turn his back on the personal photographs. Except, the second he turned around, he did a double take. He blinked several times, just about stopped his jaw from dropping, and with his arms loosely hanging at his sides, Harry furrowed his brows and wondered whether he’d mixed up his dates or arrived at the wrong time. A sense of panic enveloped him, and it took every effort for Harry to stop himself from hyperventilating. His quick and shallow breathing made him feel dizzy, and he briefly squeezed his eyes shut.

Reopening them did not reset the scene. Malfoy was dressed in a pair of black Muggle jeans that hugged his legs perfectly that Harry had to rub at his throat just to remind himself how to swallow. Malfoy wasn’t wearing shoes, only socks, and while those blasted jeans made it hard for Harry to stop his gaze from exploring, the absolute icing on the cake was the sweater Malfoy wore. Dark green in colour and with exquisite silver snowflakes stitched into the wool, it was quite possibly the most elegant Christmas sweater Harry had ever seen in his lifetime. Inexplicably, his fingers itched with the nearly unquenchable desire to touch, and in a desperate attempt to dull the feeling, Harry shoved his hands deep into his chino pockets.

“Er, hi,” he croaked.

Malfoy’s grin was a wild thing that made Harry breathe faster. He felt his skin flush and heat. Opening his mouth, Harry was about to lick his lips, then decided against it and swallowed hard instead. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

“Hello, Potter. Apologies for the wait, unexpected firecall from my mother.”

Harry nodded in silent acknowledgement, and when Malfoy motioned at the sofa, offering him a seat, he shuffled forward, then stopped. Malfoy gave him a dramatic eye roll (it screamed ‘you insufferable, mannerless brat’, but Harry ignored it), shrugged, then sat down and elegantly folded one leg over the other. He clasped his hands together and placed them in his lap.

“So, Potter, before we take care of your shrubby little problem, would you like some tea?”

[laura-elizabeth91]

Philip May's face was almost as inscrutable as his wife's as he watched Britain's Government suffer the biggest parliamentary defeat in history from the public gallery.

By avoiding eye contact throughout the exchange in the House of Commons, which saw Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement beaten by an unprecedented 230-vote majority, many assumed the Prime Minister might have broken down had she exchanged glances with the man she calls her "rock".

In fact, as a Downing Street insider later revealed, quite the opposite was true. Inadvertently giving a telling insight into her 38-year marriage, the source said the real reason she couldn't bear to look up at Philip was not because he would spark tears - that's not the way they operate. It was more a case that he'd give her that "look" and she'd start a fit of nervous laughter.

While she shies away from discussing her private life, Mrs May has always been candid in discussing her relationship with the man she met at a Conservative dinner dance when they were at Oxford.

Speaking about the death of her parents, she told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that she had "huge support in my husband and that was very important for me". She added: "He was a real rock for me - he has been all the time we've been married, but particularly then, of course, being faced with the loss of both parents within a relatively short space of time."

Yet with reports that the mild-mannered financier has caused a rift at Number 10 by thwarting the idea of winning Labour support for a customs union, just how much power does Philip May actually wield?

Although Downing Street has dismissed as "utter bunkum" claims that Mr May's actions have sparked a row with Gavin Barwell, Mrs May's chief of staff, the rumours do raise intriguing questions about who really wears the trousers in Downing Street.

Of course, this is nothing new. One Cabinet minister once pointed to Samantha Cameron, saying she was the driving force behind many policy decisions. Known for her socially liberal views, ministers joked that Samantha was such a strong influence on her husband David that she "will have a more liberalising impact on Cameron than Nick Clegg". According to Tim Montgomerie, the political columnist, Samantha also had a "huge influence" on the decision to soften the Government's hard-line approach on the Syrian refugee crisis.

And one can't imagine Cherie Blair ever holding back in Tony's self-styled "kitchen cabinet" meetings. Denis Thatcher famously said the role of a political consort should be "always present, never there" and, according to insiders - that's precisely how Philip, 61, plays it.

One former aide described his "ninja like" ability to be ever present without anyone taking "the blindest bit of notice". "Philip wields power, but only when the PM wants him to. He's always there but never in your face. I've never once seen him angry.

"He's cool, he's calm, he's clear - he never waffles. Everything he comes out with is useful and worth listening to. I remember at conference once he was running around making everyone tea. As a consequence, he hears everything that's going on. That way, when everyone has left the room, the PM can turn to him and say: 'Well, what do you think?'"

Although he has worked as a relationship manager for the financial group Capital International for more than a decade, Philip has become an ever more visible presence at Number 10. When his wife took office, his employer issued a statement insisting: "He is not involved with, and doesn't manage, money, and is not a portfolio manager. His job is to ensure the clients are happy with the service and that we understand their goals."

Indeed, workers based near his London Belgravia office had grown used to the sight of the Prime Minister's husband popping into the local Pret a Manger for a sandwich. But not as much since the last general election - a political move, incidentally, that Philip was vehemently opposed to.

According to one impeccably placed source: "In the early days, when Theresa May had Nick and Fi [her former joint chiefs of staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill], you hardly saw Philip. He wasn't really needed. But since the snap election he's been on the scene a lot more, especially since Nick and Fi left. He goes on foreign trips now because she doesn't want to do them without him. It's ironic really because he was fiercely opposed to the idea of having another election. He literally said to Theresa: 'We've only just got here, we've only just unpacked the furniture, why are you doing this?'."

Having served as chairman of the local Conservative Party Association in Wimbledon, it was Philip who was tipped to go into politics. He took a step back when Mrs May, 62, was elected as the MP for Maidenhead in 1997, but has remained committed to the Tory cause.

Hence that rumoured Number 10 intervention last week. By reportedly siding with party chairman Brandon Lewis and Chief Whip Julian Smith in encouraging his wife to reach out to the Brexiteers in her own party - rather than the Opposition - the alleged ruckus serves as a reminder that Philip's allegiances lie to the party as much as the woman running the country.

As one source put it: "Philip would have been as capable a politician as Theresa. You could swap them out and he'd be just fine. He's very knowledgeable and committed to the party. He would disappear for a few hours during the election campaign, and when you'd ask him where he'd been he'd say: 'Just out canvassing'."

While it has long been said that Theresa May "doesn't have any friends" inside or outside politics, in fact the couple enjoy what one insider described as a "typically Tory social circle".

"They will meet other couples for dinner. They are quite close to Simon Dudley, the leader of the council in Windsor and Maidenhead, and his wife. It's all very old-school, blue-blooded Tory. You know, the sort of people who buy NZ$950 of raffle tickets and run supper clubs and enjoy cream teas. For them, the Conservative Party is their life. And they wouldn't have it any other way. They love going out and meeting people together."

Theresa also enjoys cooking for her husband - a small semblance of normality in her somewhat surreal world. As one aide revealed: "I remember the PM once delaying an important conference call because she had forgotten to make Philip his lunch. It was really rather touching, seeing how dedicated she is to him, even with everything else on her plate."

Another insider described how the "homely, cosy" decor at the Mays' home in Sonning provided an insight into their private suburban world, where they enjoy gardening, watching quiz shows like The Chase and Eggheads and listening to Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4.

Former grammar schoolboy Philip, who was brought up in Liverpool, also enjoys supporting the Reds - leading to another intriguing anecdote about the couple. Recalling a lunch she had arranged with the Prime Minister and her husband, the hostess went to great lengths to ensure Philip was sitting next to a Liverpool fan, revealing: "I told the guests, if you want the PM to enjoy the lunch, keep Philip happy. If Philip's happy, then the PM's happy - it really is as simple as that."

The Telegraph, London

from 2019

[londonbusinesstrave]

Right opposite the more famous Natural History Museum, and a few minutes walk from Belgravia, is the Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the most renowned cultural destinations in the world thanks to the over 5,000 years of artworks, artifacts, and relics exhibited inside. The array of the museum is excellent and includes such genres as the Renaissance, Oriental exquisite, and even some innovative modern design. To name but a few, its galleries present marvelous jewelry and fashion, as well as a history of textiles and ceramics. The architectural designs of the V&A are sublime, and the interiors, particularly in Victorian style, do justice to the museums' abundant exhibitions. 

[jaydeemedia]

[ad_1] Enjoy the rich cultural tapestry of this vibrant London community filled with quirky museums, a bustling market, and plenty in between with our guide to the best things to do in Notting Hill. LAST UPDATE: 16 Jan 2024 Anywhere We Roam is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support - Paul & Mark. Notting Hill has a vibrant and colourful past stretching back to the 1800s when it was first developed into a fashionable area for London’s upper classes. By the early 1900’s Notting Hill fell from grace and the rich moved to the more expensive Belgravia and Mayfair.   Following large-scale immigration to the UK in the 1950s, and a housing shortage, the grand properties in Notting Hill were converted into multi-occupancy dwellings and the area became significantly impoverished due in no small part to lawless landlords. Today, as gentrification has taken hold, Notting Hill is a vibrant neighbourhood with the Beckhams up one end and a rich cultural enclave at the other. As locals, we know the area well. Here’s our guide to our favourite things to do in Notting Hill. 1. SEE THE COLOURFUL HOUSES Following the gentrification of Notting Hill in the late 20th century, the homes that were previously multi-occupancy slums have steadily been transformed into colourful residences.   Lined up in charming rainbow-colored rows, the pastel-hued facades of Notting Hill are today one of the area’s star attractions. The most popular street is Lancaster Road, probably due to its proximity to Portobello Road. However, there is beautiful architecture all over Notting Hill. Elgin Crescent, Rosemead Road, and Lansdowne Road form an excellent circuit of colourful houses that you’ll often have completely to yourself. LANCASTER ROAD LANSDOWNE ROAD ELGIN CRESCENT 2. PORTOBELLO MARKET Portobello Road is the heart of Notting Hill and Portobello Market runs along its length. It’s one of the most popular things to do in Notting Hill and the buzz of the crowd creates a vibrant energy. The market is split into 4 sections, each with its own best day to visit. Vintage & Bric-a-brac Market: Friday, Saturday & Sunday Fashion Market: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday Fruit & Veg Market: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday Antiques market: Friday, Saturday In our opinion, the most interesting are the Vintage and Antiques Markets, making Friday and Saturday excellent times to visit. However, they are also the busiest days. Portobello Market Opening Hours: In summer the stalls are usually open from 8.30 am to 6 pm and in winter from 9.30 am to 5 pm. Thursday is half day operating from 9 am to 1 pm.  VINTAGE MARKET ALICES VINTAGE MARKET ANTIQUE’S MARKET 3. GRAFFIK GALLERY The Graffik Gallery on Portobello Road is an interesting space dedicated to street and urban art. They offer private graffiti masterclasses where you can learn the basic skills of spray paint with knowledgeable and friendly teachers. It’s a great activity for kids and they also take groups, making it a fun team-building exercise. You can purchase art from the store or visit one of the exhibitions they have throughout the year. All the details are on the Graffik Gallery website. GRAFFIK GALLERY, NOTTING HILL 4. ELECTRIC CINEMA The Electric Cinema is a stylish way to see a recent blockbuster or old-school classic movie by the people behind Soho House. It commenced operating in 1910 as one of the first motion picture house in Britain to be supplied with electricity. Despite a few intermittent shutdowns, it has been in almost continual use as a picture theatre since. The Edwardian Baroque interiors are decorated with sumptuous red velvet seats. You can select an armchair with a footstool, a front-row bed seat, or a back-row sofa. Food and beverages are provided by the onsite restaurant.   ELECTRIC CINEMA, NOTTING HILL 5. BRUNCH

Notting Hill is one of the best destinations in London for brunch. After strolling the market, there’s nothing better than sitting down to a quality breakfast and well-constructed coffee. Some of our brunch highlights in the Notting Hill area include the Electric Diner for their proper Ful English, Beam for their Middle Eastern-inspired plates, and Farm Girl for their healthy Aussie-inspired treats. Our full list is available on our guide: best brunch places in Notting Hill. 6. WESTBOURNE GROVE BOUTIQUES Notting Hill is a diverse area. Contrast the flea market feel of Portobello Road Market with the high-end boutiques on Westbourne Grove. The section of Westbourne Grove between Colville Road and Chepstow Road is packed with great reasons to visit. At the lower end towards Colville Road you’ll find designer shops including Soho Home Studio, Max Mara, Olebar Brown, Kooples, Toast, and Aesop. There are also some great dining options including Taquería, Wild Notting Hill, and Sumi. WESTBOURNE GROVE 7. BOOKSHOPS BOOKS FOR COOKS Books for Cooks is one of the most interesting things to do in Notting Hill. Shelves are crammed with every tasty title you could imagine, and well-worn sofas are wedged into corners for the benefit of cookbook junkies. The highlight though is the test kitchen sandwiched into the back of the store. Cooks try out unusual experiments from the books with a menu that changes daily based on what they can get their hands on from Portobello Market.   NOTTING HILL BOOKSHOP We’re sorry to say but the bookstore located at 13 Blenheim Crescent has been designed as a recreation of William Thackery’s bookshop from the Notting Hill movie, however, it’s not the one that was used in the film. If you can push past the crowds lining up for a photo, it’s still a lovely bookshop to visit. LUYTENS & RUBENSTEIN Luytens and Rubenstine is a small independent bookstore stocking selected titles across a broad range of genres. Operated by two literary agents, the focus is on excellent writing. Each book in the store has been hand-picked by someone who loves it. LUYTENS & RUBENSTEIN NOTTING HILL BOOKSHOP BOOKS FOR COOKS 8. MUSEUM OF BRANDS The Museum of Brands is a nostalgic journey through 200 years of consumer culture. Packed with memorabilia from Victorian times through to the modern day, the museum is stuffed with cultural markers. Find vintage prints, household products, old magazines, toys, and everything in between. The building was once the world’s largest centre for people living with HIV. Princess Dianna regularly visited patients in the memorial garden which is now part of the cafe. MUSEUM OF BRANDS 9. NOTTING HILL FILM LOCATIONS It’s hard to know whether the area has driven the recurring interest in the movie or visa versa. Either way, it’s left its mark on Notting Hill, not to mention it’s house prices. Here are some spots from the movie to collect on your visit. The Blue Door – The blue door to William’s flat is at 280 Westbourne Park Road. It’s easy to spot for the throng of people out front. Notting Hill Bookshop – As mentioned above, the bookstore located at 13 Blenheim Crescent is not the one that was used in the film. It is a faithful recreation so there’s no harm in grabbing a selfie out front. 142 Portobello Road – This is the location of the actual shop used for filming the bookstore scenes. During filming it was an antique shop, it’s now a souvenir store with the wrong sign. (In the film, it was called “The Travel Book Co” not “The Travel Book Store” which is what you see today. Coronet Theatre – This arts venue used to be a cinema and it was used when William and Spike were watching a film. Rosemead Gardens – This is the location of the private gardens where William and Anna climbed over the fence. ROSEMEAD GARDENS 280 WESTBOURNE PARK RD 142 PORTOBELLO ROAD 10. ACKLAM VILLAGE MARKET Opposite the Vintage Market, which you can visit on our Notting Hill walk,

you’ll find Acklam Village Market, an excellent destination for live music and street food. The International Street Food Market on Acklam Road sells eclectic mix of street food from around the world. You’ll find everything from noodles to falafel, plus Thai, Chinese, and of course, a decent curry. The street food market is open Friday to Sunday. The Acklam Village Market Bar (Saturday’s) hidden inside an old sports hall, has some of the best live music in west London. They champion locally sourced spirits and craft beer with a seasonal cocktail menu. Enjoy a beer in a cool venue while catching a live act. Check what’s on via the Acklam Village website. ACKLAM VILLAGE 11. NOTTING HILL’S SECRET BANKSY Hidden beside the stalls of the Acklam Village food market is the Banksy mural “The Painter.” Thought to be Spanish painter Velazquez, a bow-tied artist holding an easel and brush hand paints the words BANKSY in red lettering. It’s one of the oldest Banksys in London, having first appeared in 2008. It was covered by building works for several years but reappeared in 2020. You’ll find it on the wall of the Grand Hotel on the corner of Portobello Road and Acklam Road, however, you can only see it when the Acklam Village Market is not operating. BANKSY NOTTING HILL 12. ROUGH TRADE Rough Trade West is the oldest and smallest of the Rough Trade stores. They sell a collector’s array of vinyl, but you can also pick up books, merchandise, and stereo equipment. It’s well worth popping in for a poke around but they also feature regular in-store performances from a talented bunch of artists. They have a focus on unplugged and acoustic sets, as well as talks with musicians. See what’s on at roughtrade.com. ROUGH TRADE 13. ST LUKE MEWS A mews is a small traffic-free street found behind extravagant 18th and 19th-century mansion houses. They were used to stable horses of the wealthy and to provide accommodation for servants. They are a common feature of Notting Hill and today they have been converted into charming houses. St Luke Mews is one of the prettiest mews streets to visit in Notting Hill and it was the one featured in Love Actually. Colville Mews is often mentioned as a good mews to visit. However, this is probably because of the famous Union Jack covering one of the buildings which has now been removed. It’s very much a residential street and probably a good idea for visitors to give them their privacy back. ST LUKE’S MEWS 14. FARMERS’ MARKET As locals, the Notting Hill Farmers’ Market is one of our favourite things to do. Even if you’re visiting the area, it’s worth popping in for a look. They stock organic produce from local farmers including the freshest fruit and veg, amazing wild mushrooms, the best goat’s cheese you’ll find anywhere as well as fresh pasta, meat, fish and much more.   Apart from the quality produce the area is a great part of Notting Hill to visit. Nearby you’ll find Kuro, one of our favourite cafes in Notting Hill, as well as Greek restaurants Suzi Tros and Mazi. The Farmer’s Market is in the Fox Primary School on Edge Street W8 7PP. 15. NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL The Notting Hill Carnival is a celebration of the Caribbean Community, taking place on the August bank holiday weekend every year. The carnival was forged out of the Notting Hill race riots in the 1950’s and by 1976 it had a distinctly Caribbean flavour. Today, you can expect to be celebrating with around 2 million people making it the largest street festival in Europe. Stay up to date on the official Notting Hill Carnival website. NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL MORE LONDON GUIDES [ad_2] Source link

[londranotizie24]

Leconfield lecture: l’amore per l’Italia incontra la nuova National Portrait Gallery

Di Tommaso Corno @ItalyinLDN @ICCIUK @ItalyinUk @inigoinLND L’annuale Leconfield lecture della British Italian Society ha ospitato il direttore della National Portrait Gallery Nicholas Cullinan. La National Portrait Gallery, un gioiello inglese che ama l’Italia raccontato alla Leconfield lecture della British Italian Society Se ci fossero stati ancora oggi dubbi sul fatto che l’apprezzamento della cultura italiana trascenda ogni frontiera, la Lenconfield lecture organizzata la scorsa settimana dalla British Italian Society li ha spazzati via tutti. Quello che si è respirato all’Istituto Italiano di Cultura, che ha ospitato l’evento più importante dell’anno per la Bis nella sua sede di Belgravia, è un vero e proprio amore per il Bel Paese condiviso da italiani ed inglesi così come dagli ospiti di ogni nazionalità. Sicuramente il tema della serata, l’ormai prossima riapertura della National Portrait Gallery e l’influenza italiana su quella importante istituzione britannica, ha aiutato a percepire questa passione condivisa. Già dal breve discorso di benvenuto offerto da Katia Pizzi, direttrice dell’Iic di Londra, e dall’introduzione del chairman della Bis Richard Northern, è traspirata la sensazione che l’avvicinarsi della riapertura della Gallery rappresentasse un momento speciale condiviso fra gli amanti dell’arte italiana nel mondo. A guidare i presenti attraverso l’evoluzione dell’iconico museo londinese è stato il suo direttore, Nicholas Cullinan, grande e appassionato conoscitore di arte ed architettura Italiana. Il percorso scelto da Cullinan nel condividere il nuovo design e la nuova (seppur fedele al l’originale) identità della National Portrait Gallery è partito dall’architettura del museo. Oltre a preservare l’influenza italiana sulla facciata principale della Gallery, che riprende l’Oratorio di Santo Spirito di Bologna e Palazzo Medici Riccardi a Firenze, sono molte le novità ancora segrete che gli spazi riscoperti dello storico edificio di Trafalgar Square offriranno ai visitatori che torneranno a riempire le gallerie nella prima metà del 2023. Le novità della National Portrait Gallery: spazi più ampi per apprezzare l’arte del ritratto Sebbene la National Portrait Gallery stia tenendo ben nascosti dagli occhi del pubblico i dettagli del nuovo progetto, la Leconfield lecture ha svelato i concetti chiave che hanno guidato il processo di ristrutturazione delle gallerie. ... Continua a leggere su www. Read the full article

[dionsalvadorlloyd]

Dion Salvador Lloyd

Opus 2017

35cm x 35cm oil on gesso panel

[carolinesiede]

Reflecting on 2020

The strangest thing about 2020 was how familiar much of it felt: Working from home, extended periods of isolation, weeks and months blending together. To a much lesser degree, those are things I experience each year as a freelancer. And while I suspect it will take awhile before the full extent of the trauma we’ve all lived through this year fully sets in, right now I’m mostly focused on gratitude. I’m grateful for the health of my loved ones. Grateful I already had a work-from-home routine to maintain during the pandemic. And grateful that I was able to quarantine with my family for much of the year—which had its challenges but also its rewards too.

In my 2019 year-end post I wrote about feeling like my career was finally on an upward trajectory after several years of plateauing. This year obviously offered some new wrinkles in that regard. I made significantly less money and felt familiar fears about how sustainable this career actually is. But having less work also gave me more time to focus on the actual craft of writing. I feel like I reached a new level in terms of voice, clarity, and the ability to self-edit. I'm the sort of person who constantly (arguably, obsessively) strives to be better, and it’s rewarding to feel like that hard work is finally slowly starting to pay off.

In addition to devoting my quarantine time to mastering a favorite curry recipe, getting really into the Enneagram, finally learning to French braid hair, and rewatching all of New Girl, I also had some really cool opportunities scattered throughout the year. I interviewed John Barrowman about his surprise return to Doctor Who, which felt like a real milestone for me. I also contributed to the Los Angeles Times’ list of TV shows to binge-watch during quarantine, which appeared both online and in print. And thanks to everything going virtual this year, I was able to attend a press panel for the fifth season of This Is Us, which is the sort of thing I’m not usually able to do as a Chicago-based critic. 

My career is always a juggling act between film and TV, and this year made me appreciate how valuable it is to be able to move seamlessly between both worlds. I took on new TV assignments covering the first season of Stargirl and the second season of The Umbrella Academy, both of which were a blast to write about. And while I didn’t watch quite as many films as I did in my insane catch-up year last year, I did fill in some more major blindspots. I also contributed to The A.V. Club’s list of the best films of 2000 and shared my own ballot over on Letterboxd. Oh, and I set up a Letterboxd this year too!

Elsewhere, I made my debut on Bustle and The Takeout, and ended the year with a Polygon article about “Kind Movies” that pretty much sums up my entire ethos on storytelling. I was also named a Top Critic by Rotten Tomatoes, which was a real honor. But the pride and joy of my career remains my rom-com column, When Romance Met Comedy. I devoted a whopping 49,000 words to analyzing 25 different romantic comedies this year. And I’m really pleased with how the column has grown and with the positive feedback I’ve received.

I have to admit, I sometimes worry that year-end highlight reels like this one can make my life seem easy or glamorous in a way that doesn’t reflect what it’s like to actually live through it. I'm tremendously lucky to get to do what I do, but I also struggle a lot—both with the logistics of this career and with bigger questions about what value it brings to the world. My goal is to approach 2021 with a greater sense of intentionality. I want to be more thoughtful in my career choices, more purposeful in how I use social media, and more active in my activism and politics. I’d also like to do 20 push-ups a day everyday for the whole year, but we’ll see how long that resolution actually lasts.

Finally, on a sadder note, one other defining experience of the year was the loss of my dear internet friend Seb Patrick, who I’ve known for years through the Cinematic Universe podcast. Seb created a wonderfully positive nerd space online, and was a big part of my early quarantine experience thanks to the Avengers watchalongs I did with the CU gang in the spring. I’m so grateful for all the fun pop culture chats we got to have throughout the years, several of which are linked below. Seb is tremendously missed, and there’s a fund for his family here.

As we head into 2021, I’ll leave you with wishes for a Happy New Year and a roundup of all the major writing and podcasts I did in 2020. If you enjoyed my work, you can support me on Kofi or PayPal. Or you can just share some of your favorite pieces with your friends! That really means a lot.

My 15 favorite films of 2020

My 15 favorite TV shows of 2020

Op-eds, Features, and Interviews

Women Pioneered The Film Industry 100 Years Ago. Why Aren’t We Talking About Them? [Bustle]

2020 is the year of the Kind Movie — and it couldn’t have come at a better time [Polygon]

Make a grocery store game plan for stress-free shopping [The Takeout]

What’s Going On: A primer on the call to defund the police [Medium]

Doctor Who’s John Barrowman on the return of Captain Jack Harkness [The A.V. Club]

Episodic TV Coverage

Doctor Who S12

This Is Us S4 and S5

Supergirl S5

Stargirl S1

The Umbrella Academy S2

The Crown S4

NBC’s Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!

When Romance Met Comedy

Is The Ugly Truth the worst romantic comedy ever made?

Working Girl’s message is timeless, even if the hair and the shoulder pads aren’t

You’ve Got Mail and the power of the written (well, typed) word

Love & Basketball was a romantic slam dunk

How did My Big Fat Greek Wedding make so much money?

America eased into the ’60s with the bedroom comedies of Doris Day and Rock Hudson

I can’t stop watching Made Of Honor

Notting Hill brought two rom-com titans together

It’s time to rediscover one of Denzel Washington’s loveliest and most under-seen romances

Something’s Gotta Give is the ultimate quarantine rom-com

20 years ago, But I’m A Cheerleader reclaimed camp for queer women

On its 60th anniversary, Billy Wilder’s The Apartment looks like an indictment of toxic masculinity

The Wedding Planner made rom-com stars out of Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey

After 25 years, Clueless is still our cleverest Jane Austen adaptation

William Shakespeare invented every romantic comedy trope we love today

Edward Norton made his directorial debut by walking a priest, a rabbi, and a Dharma into a Y2K rom-com

The forgotten 1970s romantic comedy that raged against our broken, racist system

His Girl Friday redefined the screwball comedy at 240 words per minute

Before Wonder Woman soared into theaters, the hacky My Super Ex-Girlfriend plummeted to Earth

Dirty Dancing spoke its conscience with its hips

The rise of Practical Magic as a spooky season classic

In a dire decade for the genre, Queen Latifah became a new kind of rom-com star

Years before Elsa and Anna, Tangled reinvigorated the Disney princess tradition

Palm Springs is the definitive 2020 rom-com

Celebrate Christmas with the subversive 1940s rom-com that turned gender roles on their head

The A.V. Club Film & TV Reviews

Netflix’s To All The Boys sequel charms, though not quite as much as the original

The Photograph only occasionally snaps into focus

Jane Austen's Emma gets an oddball, sumptuous, and smart new adaptation

Pete Davidson delivers small-time charms in Big Time Adolescence

Council Of Dads crams a season of schmaltzy storytelling into its premiere

In Belgravia, Downton Abbey’s creator emulates Dickens to limited success

Netflix’s Love Wedding Repeat adds some cringe to the rom-com

Netflix takes another shot at Cyrano de Bergerac with queer love triangle The Half Of It

We Are Freestyle Love Supreme is a feel-good origin story for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first troupe

Sara Bareilles’ melodic Apple TV+ series Little Voice is still finding itself

Netflix’s sexist rom-com sensation gets a minor upgrade in The Kissing Booth 2

With Howard, Disney+ movingly honors the lyricist who gave the Little Mermaid her voice

The Broken Hearts Gallery tries to find catharsis in heartbreak

Netflix’s ghostly musical series Julie And The Phantoms hits some charming tween high notes

After We Collided slides toward R-rated camp—but not far enough

Holidate is a bawdy start to Netflix’s holiday rom-com slate

Kristen Stewart celebrates the Happiest Season in a pioneering queer Christmas rom-com

Isla Fisher gets her own Enchanted in the Disney Plus fairy tale Godmothered

Podcast Appearances

Debating Doctor Who: “Orphan 55”

It Pod To Be You: The Wedding Singer

Reality Bomb: Defending Doctor Who’s “Closing Time”

The Televerse: Spotlight on Doctor Who Season 12

You Should See The Other Guy: The Ugly Truth

Only Stupid Answers: Stargirl’s season finale

Motherfoclóir: Ireland and the Hollywood Rom-Com

Called in to Nerdette’s Clueless retrospective episode

Cinematic Universe Appearances

Cinematic Universe: Superman IV: The Quest For Peace

Cinematic Universe: Birds of Prey

Cinematic Universe: Infinity War watchalong

Cinematic Universe: Endgame watchalong

Cinematic Universe: Terminator 2

Cinematic Universe: Josie and the Pussycats

Cinematic Universe: The Cuppies 2020 (Cuppies of Cuppies)

And here are similar year-end wrap-ups I did in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

[muslimaltag]

John William Godward

1861 - 1922

PREPARING FOR THE BATH

signed J.W. Godward. and dated 1900. (lower right)

oil on canvas

63 1/2 by 30 1/2 in.

161 by 77 cm

We would like to thank Dr. Vern G. Swanson for his contribution to the entry for this lot, which will be included in his forthcoming revised and expanded edition of the John William Godward catalogue raisonné.

PROVENANCE:

Thomas McLean, London (acquired directly from the artist)

Edgar Williamson, Esq. (and sold, by his executors, Christie’s, London, June 22, 1934, lot 18)

Nathan Mitchell, London (acquired at the above sale)

Richard Green, London

Sale: Sotheby’s, Belgravia, July 15, 1982, lot 39

Fine Art Society, London, 1983

Sale: Christie’s, London, June 3, 1994, lot 154, illustrated

Acquired at the above sale and sold, Sotheby's, London, December 10, 2014, lot 34, illustrated

Acquired at the above sale

EXHIBITED:

London, New Gallery, 1900, no. 225

LITERATURE:

Athenaeum, London, 1900, p. 534

Vern Swanson, John William Godward- The Eclipse of Classicism, Suffolk, 1997, pp. 63, 203-4, no. 1900.14, illustrated p. 67, pl. 40

CATALOGUE NOTE:

John William Godward’s large-scale and sensual painting, Preparing for the Bath, was painted only a year after Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s celebrated Thermae Antoninianae (fig. 1, 1899, Collection of Lord Lloyd Webber), depicting the Roman baths of the Emperor Caracalla. The subject of the bathhouse held an obvious attraction for Alma-Tadema, who used them as the setting for some of his most carnal paintings, including In the Tepidarium (1881, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight), The Frigidarium (1890, Private Collection) and A Favourite Custom (1909, Tate Britain, London). Similarly, Godward found such settings irresistible, as they allowed him to indulge his passion for Greco-Roman architecture and decoration, as well as erotically-charged depictions of the female figure.

The present work depicts a scene similar to Venus Binding her Hair (1897, Private Collection) in which a disrobed model in profile is seen wrapping a ribbon around her head. A sketch for Preparing for the Bath suggests that Godward had initially intended to depict this model in the nude, but he later added the diaphanous gown which is tied and draped, caressing her body. As Vern Swanson describes: “One of Godward’s most impressive oils… She pays no mind to anything but her task of primping for the fast approaching lover’s tryst. We see in the drapery that Godward has fully painted the nude form of the woman, then sensitively added what he was best at, the subliminal bluish coa vestis tunic” (Swanson, p. 63). Godward also highlights his appreciation and knowledge of Antique architecture. The excavation of Pompeii in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries captivated the popular imagination, and Godward has emblazoned his model against a red ground that would be typical of the walls in a Pompeiian villa. The arched recesses used as shelves for the bather’s clothes and possessions are divided by telamones sculpted in porphyry into the figures of Atlas supporting the universe on his shoulders, referencing those in the tepidarium at the thermae in Pompeii.

This canvas is among Godward’s most ambitious in scale, joining a group from this period that includes Campaspe (1896, sold, Sotheby’s London, December 14, 2006, lot 127), Circe (1898, unlocated), The Delphic Oracle (1899, Private Collection) and Venus at the Bath (1901, Private Collection). In the same period, he also exploited the erotic suggestion of pale skin just visible through transparent tunica, in pictures such as Julia (1914, sold in these rooms, May 24, 2017, lot 8), The New Perfume (1914, Private Collection) and Mischief and Repose (1895, J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, Malibu), which also includes the expertly rendered tigerskin. It is likely that Preparing for the Bath depicts Ethel Maud Warwick, a professional model who posed for Godward around the turn of the century (fig. 2). Ethel was a student of painting and acting who funded her studies by posing for artists, including Herbert Draper, Philip Wilson Steer, and James McNeill Whistler, before becoming a stage actress in 1900.

[estilonanny]

Para tomar el té... Londres, una primavera lujosa

Es primavera la mejor época para conocer Londres, su temperatura agradable permite que disfrutes de una caminata,  ya que la ciudad se llena de hermosas flores que engalanan sus espacios y los hace propicios para todas las actividades al aire libre que se presentan.

El lujo y confort, desde el  hospedaje hasta el ocio.

Ubicado entre los lujosos barrios de Knightsbridge y Belgravia con las mejores vistas de Hyde Park, nos encontramos con The Lanesborough, el hotel más lujoso de Londres. Después de 18 meses en remodelación reabrió  sus puertas en el 2015 invitándonos a hospedarnos en este edificio que data de 1828, con amplias estancias decoradas al estilo renacentista, te sumerge en la historia y la tradición del imperio británico. 

Este será el punto de partida para disfrutar la primavera en Londres, ya que desde acá podrás ir caminando a todas partes, ideal para que realices tus compras. 

En tan solo 10 minutos estarás en Harrods, que alberga desde alta costura hasta tiendas de mascotas, todo esto en un ambiente de lujo;  Harvey Nichols o Sloane Street, lugares donde podrás conseguir desde Chloé hasta Tory Burch  con estilo y glamour, disfrutando de un auténtico día de shopping cinco estrellas.

Complace al paladar, diferentes opciones, un mismo techo.  

Debes visitar el restaurant de moda en Londres, Sketch, ubicado en un antiguo  y gran edificio de Mayfair, el barrio más elegante de la ciudad, caracterizado por albergar varios restaurants bajo su techo.  

The Gallery, concebido como una galería, donde las obras de arte cubren las paredes, y sus platos son un deleite al paladar; The Lecture Room, con 2 estrellas Michelin, es otro de sus restaurants, en el cual están prohibidos los shorts y los zapatos deportivos y el saco no es opcional, pero lo más importante es la calidad de sus platos; The Parlour, con una mezcla de colores muy atrevida, diferentes estilos de muebles, telas y materiales, el resultado obtenido es maravilloso y podrás comer el mejor desayuno de Londres ; The Glade, es un salón que mezcla diversos estilos, en el que sirven desayunos  deliciosos, además del afternoon tea y cócteles en la tarde – noche; por último The East Bar, un bar ultramoderno  e íntimo abierto de 6:30 p.m. hasta las 2:30 a.m.

¿Que brinda la ciudad en Primavera?

Celebrando la llegada de  la primavera Londres ofrece múltiples eventos y actuaciones al aire libre, que pueden ser disfrutados por toda la familia, sus parques y jardines se convierten en originales teatros, donde las flores y los picnics amenizan el ambiente.

Dos de los principales eventos que se llevan a cabo cada año en esta época son el Chelsea Flower Show y el Open Air Theater an Regent´s Park, que ofrece desde comedias hasta musicales; gracias a estos espectáculos la primavera es el mejor momento para visitar Londres, ya que te permite combinar los tours de compras, las visitas a museos y castillos con el encanto del teatro y la belleza de sus espacios verdes.  

[raycastelo]

I was invited by Nick Knight to Illustrate London Fashion Week by Showstudio. Some pieces will be exhibited at the Belgravia Gallery. My illustration study of London Womenswear A/W 20 will be able for purchase at

shop.showstudio.com

You can follow the posts in real time by me at SHOWstudio’s tumblr and find behind the scenes and catwalk imagery of the shows here:

showstudio.com/collections

There is a list of the brands I chose to work with.

Regards.

[marymccartneyphotos]

The McCartney Family Album

April 6, 2008 -- The Guardian

To mark the 10th anniversary of Linda McCartney's death, Paul and daughter Mary have selected the best of her photographs for a revealing exhibition. Here, Mary tells Sean O'Hagan why the pictures are so special to her.

When I ask Mary McCartney to describe her mother's photographic style, she thinks for a long moment and says: 'She approached photography the way she approached everything else - with quiet confidence.' You can see that in the photographs spread out before us on the table of the west London members' club where McCartney has met me to talk about a forthcoming exhibition of her mother's work. The show, which opens at the James Hyman Gallery on 25 April, is the first major retrospective of Linda McCartney's photography, and has been timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of her death from breast cancer. The photographs have been selected by Paul and Mary McCartney, with input from Hyman, from 4,000-odd contact sheets.

'It's an incredible archive,' says Mary, herself a respected fashion and portrait photographer. 'Mum never stopped taking photographs, though it may have seemed that way to the public. It's about 30 years' worth of work. The only gap is around the time when Stella and I were born when, as she said, she was up to her neck in nappies. Otherwise she always seemed to have a camera in her hand.'

To many people Linda McCartney was known, first and foremost, as the wife of a Beatle, and then as a vegetarian-cum-animal rights campaigner. Yet it is her career as a photographer, which waned as she embraced motherhood, music and activism, that is her lasting legacy.

'She was an instinctive photographer and always unobtrusive,' continues Mary. 'She wasn't that interested in straight portraiture or art photography - the images she caught were nearly always intimate, relaxed and oddly revealing.'

You can see that intimacy in her shot of John Lennon and Paul McCartney working on lyrics in the corner of a recording studio. Both are immersed in the task, but obviously having a good time. McCartney, his biro poised over a sheet of paper, may just have amended the lyrics. Lennon obviously approves. They seem almost conspiratorial and to have the intimacy of a long-term couple. Which, in a way, they were.

With the Beatles, Linda's access was assured. Before she met Paul, though, she had worked with many of the icons of the Sixties pop scene, including Jimi Hendrix, whom she famously captured mid-yawn. He didn't seem to mind.

'It was a different time,' says Mary, 'before PRs and image makers took over. Back then, she told me, the manager would often be a friend of the band. If you were cool and they liked you, you could friend hang out.'

Mary's younger sister Stella, now a celebrated fashion designer, is in one of the most intriguing family snapshots. It was taken at Paul McCartney's cottage in Scotland, near the Mull of Kintyre, which he famously hymned on one of Wings's more mawkish songs. Paul balances on a fence in dressing gown and slippers. He is watching with some concern his young son James, who has just leapt off the bonnet of the family Land Rover. Immune to the drama, Stella is kneeling on the grass in the foreground, immersed in some private reverie.

'That's Poppy, our family dog,' says Mary, pointing at a pooch in the background. There is also a sack of logs, or maybe potatoes, in the foreground near Stella. It is a detailed photograph but intricately composed: the dark, looming cottage on the right of the image, the fence that arcs away to the horizon, the tall figure of Paul echoed by what appears to be a ring of standing stones in the background on the left.

It is also a perfectly rendered moment, a deceptively casual portrait of a family caught up in one of the small dramas of the everyday. The age is given added resonance by the fact that it is a glimpse into the private life of the McCartney family at a time in the early Seventies when Paul had fled the media-fuelled madness that attended the Beatles, and by the fact that Linda is the invisible, guiding presence.

'I love that photograph,' says Mary. 'It's so weird - the dog, my brother jumping into the air, and Stella in a world of her own. I could look at it for ages. It's not set up at all; it's all about watching and timing. I bet she didn't even change the lens to take it, just used the same old 50mm lens she always did. That's what I mean about instinctive. There's a faith that it will be alright and it is. She just gets it.'

She stares at it some more, and the photographer in her gives way to the loving daughter. 'We used to walk that fence all the time to see how far we could go before we fell off. So it has all those memories, too. Our lives are mapped out in our mum's photographs. I found out her and Dad's story just by looking through the contact sheets: her rock'n'roll stuff, then her photographs of the Beatles, then her meeting Dad. It's like her diary, really, a record of her life.'

Linda Louise Eastman began her career as a photographer almost by accident. While working as a receptionist for Town & Country magazine in Manhattan in the mid-Sixties, she picked up an invite for a press party on a boat on the Hudson. It was for the Rolling Stones, newly arrived in America. She charmed the bad boys of rock as she later charmed Hendrix and Jim Morrison.

Soon afterwards, she forsook the genteel concerns of Town & Country for the more earthy delights of the Fillmore East, a celebrated but grungy New York rock venue, where she became the house photographer, capturing live images of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, the Doors and the Who. Before Annie Leibovitz became Rolling Stone magazine's favourite snapper, Linda was the first woman photographer to have her work on the cover - a portrait of Eric Clapton.

'Mum liked doing music work when it was all free and easy,' Mary says, 'but when the lawyers and the accountants took over, she lost interest. She was independent always. She did it on her own terms or not at all. Plus, she had children. Children take over your life.'

Contrary to received wisdom, Linda Eastman was not an heir to the Eastman Kodak empire, but she did come from wealthy American stock. Her father Lee was a music-business attorney, while her mother, Louise Sara Lindner, inherited the Lindner department-store fortune. She died in an aeroplane crash in 1962, when Linda was just 20, precipitating in her daughter a lifelong aversion to flying.

'I think Mum and Dad were close because they both lost their mothers when they were young,' says Mary. 'It was one of the things that bonded them. You could glimpse it when certain songs came on the radio, and they'd both be suddenly sad at the same time. I also think it's what made them so family-oriented.'

Family life, one suspects, is also what grounded Paul McCartney after the craziness of the Beatles years - though blissful domesticity also seemed to soften his musical brain. For a long time Linda stopped being a professional photographer to become a musician of sorts with Wings, and had to contend with the wrath of Beatles fans who blamed her and Yoko Ono - but mostly Yoko - for the fall in quality in both Paul and John's solo work. She later admitted that she sometimes sang out of tune on early Wings songs.

Paul met Linda in the famed Bag O'Nails club in London in May 1967, where the new rock aristocracy hung out, and where she was taking shots of Georgie Fame for a feature on Swinging London. That same week, they met again when the Beatles unveiled their Sergeant Pepper album at a party in their manager Brian Epstein's Belgravia pad. In September 1968 Paul asked Linda to fly to London for a date. They married six months later. Mary was born in August 1969. On the back of her father's first solo album, McCartney, she is the curious infant peeking out of her father's jacket straight at her mother's lens.

'It's a beautiful moment, isn't it?' Mary says. Does she remember much about her childhood in Scotland? 'Oh God, yeah! I remember we'd go off exploring a lot, Stella and me, and we didn't have to be watched all the time.' It's a revealing memory, a reminder that they were still the children of one of the most famous pop stars in the world and had to be protected accordingly.

How big an influence is her mother on her own photographic style? 'I'm not sure. It was more her attitude I admired. She was feisty in her own way, but not in a big, in-your-face way. I suppose she was quietly persuasive. It took me a long time to even get to that point. I used to be so green when I started, almost apologetic. I'm more like her in the way I approach my personal projects: just me and the camera and a few rolls of film. She gave me loads of advice all the time and I really miss that, chatting and arguing over the contact sheets. I remember when I used to moan about missing a great moment, a great photograph, she'd say: "Oh, don't worry, it's in your soul camera." I think she really believed that.'

Was it hard to be the child not just of famous parents, but parents who were seen as alternative types - hippies, vegetarians, animal rights activists? 'Well, my friend Josie used to call us hippy convoy kids,' she laughs. 'We were tomboys, that was down to Mum. She was a bit anti-authority, a bit rebellious. At the local comprehensive in Rye I tried to blend in but Mum and Dad would turn up in the Land Rover with the rainbow-stripe fabric on the seats. The rock hippy parents! I did the whole thing of being embarrassed as a teenager. I'd look at her odd stripy socks and go: "You're not going out dressed like that, Mum!" Now I think it's beautiful. Like the way she cut her own hair. It's quite cool, really.'

There is a powerful self-portrait of Linda towards the end of her life in Francis Bacon's studio. I ask Mary if this was the last image taken of her mother before she died. 'No,' she says haltingly. 'I think I took the last photographs of her. I was working on the press pictures for her cookbook. I think the very last one was a close-up where she is looking deep into the lens. Really intimate and poignant. The thing is,' she says, tears welling up, 'I don't think she ever saw it.'

As she composes herself, she sorts through the images. 'That's the thing about photographs,' she says. 'They are wonderful reminders of things, but they also carry memories, sadness.'

It must have been an emotional experience to sort through her mother's archive for the show. 'In one way it was, but in another it was satisfying. Me and Dad have a proper grown-up relationship now. I feel I was a kid for so long, but now we have both been through a lot. We're both divorcés, for a start,' she says, laughing mischievously.

Though I had been warned that the words Heather Mills were not to be even mentioned, it seemed an opportune moment to utter them. Did you, I ask, gritting my teeth, ever do a portrait of her? 'No,' she says, looking perplexed at the very thought. 'No. Not really. I didn't.' Funny that, I say, but she does not respond. The silence, though, says enough. In more ways than one, she is her mother's daughter.

Linda McCartney's photographs will be at the James Hyman Gallery, 5 Savile Row, London W1 (020 7494 3857) from 25 April to 19 July

[timofejnh5y606-blog]

Following London’s Blue Plaques Through Musical History

LONDON — Visitors to London will invariably notice ceramic blue plaques dotting facades of houses and buildings in honor of famous former residents. There are more than 900 of them around the capital, managed by the English Heritage trust.

Some plaques bear the names of illustrious figures in music, including Chopin, Mozart and Bartok. Instant Cash Loans For a deeper dive into musical history, here are some composers, performers and conductors whose names may be new to you, along with the addresses of their individual plaques.

Credit.. Spectrum.net .Erich Auerbach/Getty ImagesEugene Goossens (1893-1962)

70 Edith Road, West Kensington

Eugene Goossens was born into a musical family: His father and grandfather were both conductors. So it’s no surprise that, after studying at institutions including the Royal College of Music, he picked up the baton himself. He formed an orchestra under his own name, and from the early 1920s he embarked on an international career that included leading orchestras in Rochester; Ohio; and New South Wales in Australia. He also became known as a composer, writing chamber music, operas, a ballet and symphonies. He was knighted in 1955, but his career was cut short by scandal a year later on account of his affair with the Australian artist Rosaleen Norton, who was known in the press as the Witch of Kings Cross for her beliefs in the occult and her penchant for erotica.

Credit...Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis, via Getty ImagesMyra Hess (1890-1965)

48 Wildwood Road, Hampstead Garden Suburb

Myra Hess was born in north London and started playing piano at age 5. Seven years later, she was securing a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, and by the age of 17, putting on her first public performance at the Queen’s Hall in London. She had a flourishing career between the world wars, making her United States concert debut in 1922 and becoming one of the finest pianists of her day. But it is for her services during World War II that she is most remembered: She organized and often performed in daily chamber music concerts at the National Gallery to raise the spirits of Londoners enduring frequent aerial bombardment. It is in recognition of those performances that she was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1941.

Credit...Keystone/Getty ImagesPercy Grainger (1882-1961)

31 King’s Road, Chelsea

Percy Grainger was an Australian-born composer, arranger, pianist and conductor. His musical talents were so exceptional that he gave his first piano performance at the age of 10 and moved to Frankfurt to enroll at the conservatory three years later. He arrived in London at age 19 and lived there for the next 13 years, establishing himself as a successful concert pianist and making the acquaintance of such musical luminaries as Edvard Grieg. It is Grieg who gave him a taste for folk music. Grainger began collecting and recording English folk music, and later arranging it; he is best known for his arrangement of the folk tune “Country Gardens” (though he quickly tired of it). Grainger moved to the United States in 1914 at the start of World War I, joined an Army band, performed during the war and became a citizen four years later. Toward the end of his life, he invented a “free music machine” that is considered the precursor of the electronic synthesizer.

Credit...Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesCredit...Histed/Getty Images Henry Wood (1869-1944)

4 Elsworthy Road, Belsize Park

Henry Wood was a prominent British conductor who guest-conducted the Berlin and New York Philharmonic Orchestras and led world premieres of orchestral pieces by Britten, Delius and Elgar. Yet he made his most lasting mark on British musical life as the founder of the Proms (now the BBC Proms, starting this year on July 13), an annual season of promenade concerts that rank today as one of the world’s biggest classical-music festivals. It all started in 1894, when Wood organized a set of concerts at the Queen’s Hall. Eager to open up classical music to a broader audience, he then started a season of nightly promenade concerts there in 1895 and met with immediate success. He initially offered an accessible repertoire of favorites and gradually modernized the slate to include such composers as Debussy and Schönberg. The Proms moved to the Royal Albert Hall in 1941 and are still performed there.

Credit...Popperfoto/Getty Images Michael Costa (1808-84)

Wilton Court, 59 Eccleston Square, Belgravia

Michael Costa was born in Naples, Italy, and carried out his musical studies there. A prolific composer, he wrote his first cantata at the age of 15 and penned many other works, including the opera “Don Carlos” (it predated Verdi’s, the premiere of which Costa conducted) and the ballet “Sir Huon” (written for the ballet dancer Marie Taglioni). His compositions were not to everyone’s liking: When Costa sent Rossini his oratorio “Eli” in 1855, Rossini wrote: “The good Costa has sent me an oratorio score and a Stilton cheese. The cheese was very good.”

Costa might have spent his life in Italy had it not been for a conducting engagement in Birmingham, England, in 1829; he decided to settle in Britain, and arrived in London the next year. He was the opera conductor at Her Majesty’s Theatre until 1846, when he moved to the Covent Garden Theatre. Today, he is best known for his orchestral arrangement of “God Save the Queen.”