Edith Piaf

When we were kids my parents used to play this song, Milord and it made me want to learn French so I would know what it was all about.

Now I know lots of her songs but it is still one of my favourites. I find I can never sit down to listen to it, I have to stand up and swing my arms around a lot, a bit like she does.

I love this picture of her because she looks young and carefree and very 1940s with that hairdo and those little ankle boots.

The Draughtsman's Contract

This is the film that I was reminded of at Lytes Cary. It is a 17th century murder mystery. The frame in the photos is a device used by the Draughtsman to frame the scenes he wished to draw.

Lytes Cary part 2

Beautiful structure, softened by the prettiest planting. The perfect balance to my mind.

A garden of two parts, part 1

Last weekend we went to Lytes Cary Manor in Somerset.

It is one of my favourite gardens. It has the most amazing 'bone structure' with topiary and yew hedges carving out areas and creating views through the garden, which are then punctuated with statues or structures as focal points. It is a really cleverly planned garden.

The backdrop is a beautiful Tudor manor house, but on a tiny scale. Which is handy, as I love small buildings the best.

Tomorrow I'll show you a different side to this garden. 

In the meantime, maybe someone can help me? I am driving myself mad. This garden always makes me think of a film I saw twenty years ago, which I thought was called 'The Architect's Apprentice'. It is a film set in a garden like this. The story evolves during a Georgian or rococo garden party where the eponymous apprentice gets involved in some illicit romantic adventures. It is all powdered wigs, brocade sack dresses for ladies and knee length breeches for men. But I can't find anything on the internet about it. Can anyone help?

Bunting

Call it premature, optimistic, unrealistic, call it what you will. The fact is that the garden and patio still look like this because the builder has got held up at another job. And yet here I am, making bunting.

Sonia Delaunay

It's funny isn't it, how you rediscover artists at different times of your life? Sometimes you didn't 'get' them before and then you see a picture and you think 'Wow, yes, I remember you. And haven't you got good while I wasn't watching' (even though they are long time gone).
Sonia Delaunay I think I was always attracted to because of the colour. But I think I wanted there to be more to it than circles and shapes. Now I see things differently...

vintage florals

I took these pictures today, but with these colour combinations I think they look old, like hand painted photos. The colour palettes are far more sophisticated than anything I ever come up with.