I went to get some fishcakes from the farmers’ market in Victoria Park. I have never seen the Regent’s Canal frozen:-
Ros Savill (1)
Talking of distinguished female museum directors, I am very upset to discover that Ros Savill, the former director of the Wallace Collection, died on December 27th. without me knowing she had even been ill.
She was the nicest possible person – always cheerful, always a good ally at meetings of the Museum Directors’ Conference in the 1990s. She renovated the Wallace Collection with great independence of mind, making it more lovely than it already was. And she produced scholarly museum catalogues. A grievous loss.
Ronald Blythe
Hearing Ian Collins read a poem by Lorca at Elizabeth Esteve-Coll’s memorial service reminded me that I never wrote a post to say how much I enjoyed and admired his recent biography of Ronald Blythe, Blithe Spirit. A model of its kind: a fascinating subject, born in humble circumstances, but a remarkable observer and writer. Collins says he wasn’t much interested in sex, but he seems to have sex with most of the people he meets. He manages to steer a clever path between friendship and a sense of perspective, not easy when writing about a friend. Maybe he should write Elizabeth’s biography next.
Norwich Cathedral
A beautiful sunny day in Norwich for Elizabeth Esteve-Coll’s memorial service. Not a Cathedral I know well, but impressively well preserved, with all the paraphernalia of shop and catering in a new building designed with great sensitivity right alongside the cloister by Michael and Patty Hopkins. I had not known how high Anglican Elizabeth was. Bach, Purcell and excellent readings and addresses. I did not know she played hockey at school. Born in Ripon (a Cathedral town). And her degree from Birkbeck was in history and history of art (for the record):-
Moel Eilio
My last Welsh post (for the time being) shows two views of Moel Eilio on January 2, morning and evening:-
January (1)
A beautiful January morning:-
There’s snow on the hills:-
We walked down to the river:-
Happy New Year
There is quite a bit to look forward to in 2025:-
January 21
There is a second screening at the Barbican of Stardust, the film about Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown.
February
Jonathan Conlin’s new book about the National Gallery is due.
April
The new Frick opens with a new wing at the back and the whole reconfigured by Annabelle Selldorf. It will be interesting to see how such a precious set of interiors has fared their renovation. The public spaces can only be an improvement.
May 10
The Sainsbury Wing will re-open.
May 31
One half of V&A East – the Storehouse – will open. It should be a revelation of what the V&A holds in store, freely accessible.
October
Modern British Cities will be published by Lund Humphries, a big volume of essays edited by Simon Gunn, Peter Mandler and Otto Saumarez Smith.
October 28
Holly Smith’s first book, Up in the Air: A History of High Rise Britain will be published by Verso.
November
My book on Vanbrugh will appear:
St. Nicholas, Ingrave
I forgot to mention St. Nicholas, Ingrave, an unexpected stop on yesterday’s church crawl: a strange, rugged, pure brick church of 1734, a most unlikely date for its style – but an argument in favour of Giles Worsley’s view that the eighteenth century should be viewed not in terms of linear stylistic development, but a more diverse aesthetic pluralism.
The church is thought to have been designed by Robert Petre, the local landowner. It’s possible. He would have been only twenty one, but had already been on the grand tour, got married in St. Paul’s, and taken over the management of his family’s house, Thorndon Hall, which he was busy replanning. His principal enthusiasm was for botany, growing rare species in the magnificent hothouses:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
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