Farnborough

En route back to Kent took a detour to recce the John Betjeman memorial window in Farnborough church, Bucks - we finally discovered the church on the rhs of the road despite the AA directing us to the lhs - anyway, well worth the detour, because the window is beautiful, vibrant. Although I had seen images in books the window in the flesh was astounding and gave me a happy feeling all the way home!

Stowe

I had to drive down to the West Country for my f-in-l's 90th birthday celebration so decided to take in Stowe on route as a recce. Astounding landscaping but not to my liking really, too full of self-aggrandisement, too contrived and manicured despite the fact it was meant to look natural. Huge swathes of countryside were manipulated in the name of art - huge swathes are now manipulated in the name of money by farmers - but is the latter any worse? I visited the follies etc which Piper sketched and have worked out a route by which, hopefully, if we attain a 4 minute mile average, we can capture all in the minimum time since the National Trust charge so much per hour and we are working on a set budget - any fees come out of Charles's pocket!
Gothic Folly illustrated above.

Narborough Hall

Early departure from Kent to Film Farm, thence Charles drives us to Narborough Hall in Norfolk, an exceptional, dreamy country house with a superb and developing garden and Victorian kitchen garden. Anyway, the main point of the visit was to see the Piper exhibition put on by owner Robert Sandelson - some exceptional pieces we hadn't come across previously including a wonderful vibrant tapestry of plants and sunflowers. The Perfect Spot cafe, run by his pre-teenage daughters, Fennel and Mermaid, and wife (in that order apparently) was just delightful, wonderful home made scones with jam and cream, good pot of tea, and all in aid of charity. How good can it get. See www.narborough-hall.co.uk for more information.

Brighton Recce

Took the train down to Brighton to compare the present buildings with those illustrated in Piper's Brighton Aquatints - more trees these days, and Piper had used artistic license in squishing buildings together, but doesn't look too difficult to film - or find convenient parking space nearby. Not that I was car bound today - far from it - I took the train and consequently walked for 3hrs 40 mins from the station, along the front to Hove, back to Arundel Terrace at the east end of Brighton and then a return through Kemp Town. Slightly weary of limb by the close.
A lady sat next to me Eastbourne to Brighton and commented on the drawings I was perusing (inwardly digesting Piper in Brighton) - aha, she had heard of Piper, mainly because she receives catalogues from a gallery in Leicestershire (actually Rutland but many make the mistake) - but that must be the Goldmark Gallery I retort - and sure enough it was - she praised the quality of the catalogues and the individual approach and I told her about Mike's philanthropic vision re the art DVDs being given freely to schools to inspire current students in arts and crafts. Spread the good word!
Meanwhile Charles is busy downloading all the rushes to date and putting them on to the new Piper hard drive, ready for editing; plus dealing with the usual pack of visitors, the garden, the remaining hen, Charlotte Bach and Phil Rogers.

The tragic West Pier above, Pavilion rooftops below

PP5

An early start today to get to the Tate Library and Archives by 9am where we are to film some of the Piper sketchbooks. Unfortunately communications had broken down somewhere along the internal line and although Chris Webster was there to greet us, the Archives staff had turned up missing, back from holidays, delayed by punctures etc. Anyway, we finally got going, I think I made some semblance of sense despite having had a sleepless night, and we managed to finish just before the public were due in at 11am.
And after a breather we're off again, this time to interview Martin Harrison who regards Piper as something of a mentor, and is an authority on stained glass (and more recently Bacon - not the frizzled variety). Great interview with unexpected twists and turns - who would expect less of Martin?!

Great train journeys of the world

Now Charles may be rather an anorak when it comes to trains, besotted is another word which comes to mind - but today was the grand-daddy of all train journeys. We travelled from the joys of Baker Street to the nether reaches of the Diccapilly line, the final outpost - Cockfosters. The train was empty when we arrived, the final survivors having left at Arnos Grove. From the station we then marched to MoDA (Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture) to see the exhibition, titled The Shell Guides: Surrealism, Modernism, Tourism (Piper and Betjeman both having edited the Guides) - and excellent it was too - we were at first rather daunted by all the explanations but soon fell under the spell and came away envigorated and inspired. See www.moda.mdx.ac.uk/shell%20guides. Thence the marathon walk and train ride back to civilisation (the train was empty when we departed Cockfosters but people began to trickle on post Arnos Grove).

Romney Recce

Having fed about 100 faces in the last few days c/o the joint 90th birthdays, I felt an indulgence was allowed and took my mother and aunt to visit Romney churches as a recce. Delightful, mainly because said edifices escaped the wrath of the Victorians and Vatican 2. Despite not being of that generation and both schoolmistresses and therefore prone to correct English, on walking into Old Romney, both squealed 'WOW!'. And WOW it certainly is, with beautiful old box pews, an idiosyncratic layout, a chancel wall which virtually obliterates sight of the sanctuary from the parishioners - but just wonderful! This just begs to be part of the Piper film.

BSMGP

The stained glass lecture seemed to go down OK, but since it's Brangwyn related have put my reflections in that blog (http://frankbrangwyn.blogspot.com)