In the Produce Tent
Now that I’m back to painting I’m doing about 8 or 9 hours a day and have nearly finished the Station Master picture. It’s taking me a bit longer than it should because I stupidly have realised that I’m painting it on the back of the watercolour board! When I started the paining it was impossible to tell which side was the prepared side and which was the back, and it was only when I got into the very fine detail in the face that I realised the paint was not flowing as it should have done. In the past the back of watercolour board was a definite colour – now it’s as white as the front – and there is no indication as to which is which.
Our local theatre – the Kenton – is 200 years old and is the 4th oldest theatre in England. We all love it and I go there often. But it needs money to keep it going. On Sunday they organised a sumptuous luncheon at the magnificent home of Alan and Carol Pontin just across the river. Expecting about 150 people (it was, after all, £75 a head) they were delighted to finally end up with 280 guests. Members of the Henley Operatic Society dressed up in colourful costumes and wandered around the gardens. A male group of semi-ancient hippies (they won’t like my description!) called the Yukons played on their ukuleles some lively ditties, and another group called ‘Lend me a Tenor’ (now that’s a good name) sang some great original songs. I took little videos on my new Flip video camera but, as yet, don’t know how to transfer them to my blog. About twenty amazing classic cars were parked on a grassy corner (one of the auction prizes was a day a month for one year driving any of the cars - but not the Maserati!) Biggins did the auction and Vince Hill sang a very clever grace at the start of the lunch to the tune of Edelweiss. Paul Daniels wittily hosted the ‘hands on head or hands on bottoms’ game. A lot of money must have been raised that day as some of the auction prizes went for up to £20,000. My two friends picked me up on the way to the lunch and we sat on the same table together with Vince and Annie and a pair of very attractive women who successfully bid for items such as a complete firework display. I gave a framed print of ‘SwanUppers at Marsh Lock’ for the silent auction which went for, I think, £741.
Party Scene
Alan Turing – the famous code-breaker of World War Two - was stationed at Bletchley Park and was responsible for deciphering the German Enigma machine, which shortened the war by, it is estimated, about two years. He also built abstract models of today’s computers and is credited with the invention of the computer. After his prosecution in the fifties he became so depressed that he eventually committed suicide, by taking a bite out of a cyanide-laced apple. The reason I mention this is that I heard just this week that the Apple Mac Computer’s logo (an apple with a bite taken out of it) reflects this event and so honours Alan Turing. I hope it’s true.