Wednesday evening 29/7 , Hove seafront
The i360 is growing at quite a rate and is now the tallest structure in Sussex on its way to being so for the whole country
And Pride at the weekend produced an atmosphere of fun and friendships and reunions.
It provided a chance for meet to meet up with old friends and colleagues and make a new friend in @c_haul who was playing at pride, and following that with a similar appearance at Leeds Pride.
Sunset on Monday marked the end of a very powerful and poignant day for me .
It was the day when I met with three extraordinary women , two of whom I had known 40 years ago when starting out on my public service career . They were sisters in care, whom I had the privilege of supporting for no more than two years before I went off to qualify as a Social Worker.
Though London children, they had been placed in East Sussex and it's interesting that we have all gravitated back to this part of the country. ( Though one of them has made her life in Ghana).
They have made huge successes of their lives , one of whom is a daughter who has just graduated from Sussex uni, and who joined us for this celebratory reunion. We talked, laughed, reminisced and marvelled at the time that has past . Their gift of flowers and cake was quite unnecessary, but lovely.
The experience of reconnecting with them reinforces my profound belief in the importance of personal impact - we remember how people make us feel , more than what they did. Amidst the glut of negative statistics, we underestimate tremendous successes and achievements of children in care at our peril.
I also made a cultural connection this week , when my eldest and I enjoyed our visit to
@pallantgallery in Chichester . We were there to see the Walter Sickert (1860-1942) in Dieppe exhibition. Sickert was a regular visitor to Dieppe for four decades and lived there from 1898- 1905. In particular it was marvellous to see a room of his paintings of L'Eglise St Jacques painted 100years ago; I was there last week!
As well as the dark pictures I expected from Sickert, I was surprised to find bright landscapes , interiors and a still life . And I learned about the artworld friendships he made ( Degas,Whistler, the Impressionists) and those he influenced .
As well as Sickert and the wonderful home collection, we enjoyed taking tea in the Courtyard surrounded by the lovely sculptures of Nek Chand - in the Rock Garden .
Sadly Nek Chand (1924-2015) died in June . He was a self taught Indian artist who created the sculpture park, "The Rock Garden of Chandigarh" with dozens of figurative concrete and mosaic works from found objects.
Pallant House Gallery is such a wonderful gem. It's home collection alone is worth the visit. I always love seeing the familiar Hepworth on the stairs, and a vibrant Howard Hodgkin ( whose birthday it was this week) and a number of the St Ives artists , to name just a few . Do visit . I feel so lucky to have this gallery near and to have been given membership for my birthday last year.
Finally, after a fortnight of travelling through and camping in France , Merry ( our little Cavapoo) was pleased to reconnect with the home beaches , with the "only in Hove "sights we see, and with my dad who has come for a bit of rest,relaxation and dog walking!
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