A week of inspiration - Calder, Fookes and Hall

No this isn't a blog about a firm of estate agents or solicitors (though we've had dealings with both this week!) . Rather it's a testimony to the power of art, music and creative social and political thought from three masters of their genres. Sadly only one is still living , but all three are still inspiring . 

An afternoon work assignment drew me to London on Tuesday and provided the opportunity to visit the Alexander Calder exhibition at Tate Modern, first.  

                                      

                                          Goldfish bowl 

I've long admired Calder's work , since I first saw some of his mobiles and 

his stunning silver bed head at the Peggy Guggenheim gallery in Venice, years ago. 

Calder (1898-1976) was a wonderful artist combining art and engineering in the most glorious mobiles. This exhibition gives a rich insight into his creativity and is a total delight. 

                                     

                                          Blue panel 1936

                                      

                                      

                                         A Universe 1934

  

                                     

                                          Black widow 1948

Ultimately his work is a celebration of our universe and a reminder of our small place in it . His ability to combine creative colourful art with engineering, playing with the impact of space , air and movement  is inspiring , refreshing , and feels so modern. 

Less inspiring on my way back through the West End , were the lights of Regent Street - not a patch on The ClockTower lights in Brighton or indeed Hackney'sTown  Hall square.  

                                        

                                            Regent Street

Mind they served as a reminder of austerity , if one were needed , in the week of the Autumn statement and the next 3-year Comprehensive Spending Review. This week we learned of a welcome reprieve for policing but a continued reduction in Government investment in local public services for which Local Government is accountable. 

It is not inspiring to see support for the wellbeing of citizens who require support in the face of joblessness, homelessness, domestic and child abuse , mental Illness, learning disability,older age and infirmity, deprioritised in the name of balancing the books in quick order. 

And it's not inspiring to hear the debate reigniting about the need to go again to war. But the moon shone bright that night over London and lifted our spirits. 

     

And on Thursday evening the source of inspiration was some fabulous jazz. The accomplished saxophonist, Jo Fookes , fresh from dealing with the impact of Bell's Palsy, treated us to an uplifting evening. Supported by the talented creative Smalls houseband ( Mark Edwards piano, Piers Clarke guitar , Steve Thompson,double bass ) and her husband Buster on drums, the evening swung! 

   

  

                                       

   Jo Fookes and Steve Thompson 

And not only were the musicians inspiring as they moved between swing classics and Disney tunes that flew, so too is the impresario Dennis Simpson , who brings together such talented line-ups every fortnight in the jazz season . Come to the Caxton Arms soon for uplifting jazz!

It's a labour of love for Dennis and Liz , and it certainly achieves a great sense of wellbeing in all the attendees! 

    Launch of the Stuart Hall Foundation at the British Film Institute

Finally,  Saturday 28/11/15 ,saw an eclectic gathering at the British Film Institute, of many of the family, friends, pupils and admirers of the sadly lamented Professior Stuart Hall who died in February 2014. In his memory, a Foundation has been established " to support new generations of creative thinkers to challenge the status quo and provide original thinking ,debate and research ,illuminating connections between politics, culture and society." What a fitting mission for our times .

It was an honour to be invited by my friend Maria who is Programme  Manager for the Foundation and who played a  vital part in the organisation of this triumph of an event. 

       

          Gary Younge and Jon Snow 

And what a treat to be hosted by one of my favourite broadcast journalists,Jon Snow, and to hear the keynote speech of one of my favourite newspaper journalists,Gary Younge. His was a fantastic critique of our times, enriched by his recent return from living in the US ,in order to give a better quality of life and opportunity to his children. "US has proved a black man can reach the White House ; yet to prove a young black man can walk the street without being shot..." 

   Gary Younge 

We were treated to some extracts of a yet to be published memoir , read by Catherine Hall , Stuart's widow , and the author Andrea Levy . The writing is extraordinary and the readings were moving. 

   Catherine Hall and Andrea Levy 

Stuart's daughter, Becky encouraged us to give to the Foundation and enable the first two scholarships already awarded to be built on.  Becky recalled her father entreating her at the end of his life to "bring back the big beasts, Beckster" and the Foundation is a means to do this. 

It was an inspiring afternoon. Sadly,I had to leave before tea, to return to my caring responsibilities ; I left a pledge and departed with a spring in in my step. Do look at the foundation website where Gary's 

Paper should soon be available. 

                                       

                                           Becky Hall 

Leading edge

The sadness and shock of Friday 13th November with the atrocities of attacks on contemporary modern life in Paris, which was in truth an attack on the freedom, equality and fraternity off us all , has not gone away. This week we have learned the heart wrenching stories of bravery and bad luck. This week we have seen the football world sing the Marseillaise  and virtually every monumental building in every major city has been lit up in the red, white and blue of the Tricoleur .

    The Guardian showed us Brazil and these other examples. http://trib.al/OpeDH6E. 

My week has been one of hard graft and few pictures. For much of the week I was closeted away with 

twenty three other assessors and a similar number of senior police officers who had entered themselves into the Senior Police National Assessment Centre . Passing Senior PNAC,as it is known, is tough , involving a rigorous multi-tasked assessment centre , and is the only route to the High Command course which is in itself a gateway to eligibility for Chief Officer posts. 

I was impressed by the dedication and skill of assessors and candidates alike , and continue to believe that it is the rigour of assessment and the commitment to quality and training that gives us the high calibre senior command that lead our Police forces today. And in the face of austerity and the heightened threat to national security it's vital that we have superb leadership from the top , enjoying the confidence of the communities they serve. I'm pleased to be able to bring my long experience of public service and executive leadership and my independent views to contribute to the process of assessment. But I couldn't take those long intense days every day! 

After all that, I was exhausted,  and it was great to get home on Friday night, and uplifting to be driven  from the station by a taxi driver originally from Afghanistan, brought up in the Midlands, who like us all was utterly shocked and appalled by the events of Paris, Mali and the rest.  We bonded over our short drive.

And then I was able to unwind to Graham Norton hosting Adele, in a programme of beautiful music , openness and much genuine laughter . If you haven't seen it, do watch on catch up. 

And after all that intense work amidst lashing rains and dark skies, it has been a delight this weekend to enjoy the big skies , long beaches and sunshine of Hove and to enjoy time and food with friends and family . 

                                       

     

                                     

                               

                                  

      

                 And today , Sunday lunch at The Better Half followed by the Open House at 9a Hove Place and the purchase of a loaf from Sugardough , topped off a fabulous Hove Sunday afternoon in late November !         

Friday ,13th November 2015

Fireworks last weekend were beautiful , rhythmically illustrating the music in Hove's display, orchestrated by John Kennett. These are the only explosions we expect to experience at this time of year . And yet last night, after an afternoon and evening of art and conversation and shared food ,

I was shocked to return to the news about horrific terrorist attacks on Paris, killing innocent citizens and visitors, and striking horror into the heart of Europe and the world. 

      

      

There is a profound sense of shock at the worst terrorist attack on France in modern history , with the slaughter of innocent people ...." Carnage" "Horror in the city of light" .... Are just some of the reactions.

Really this underlines the importance of us supporting the Police in keeping citizens safe - sharing important information and remaining vigilant. We cannot let this defeat our democratic civil society . 

      

     This international news could cause me to stop there. If I did , then the opportunity to reflect on my week would be being sacrificed to the terrorists. I won't accede to them and forego the chance to highlight the glories of Diana Athill , still writing and delighting a literary  audience at 95 , last Monday . 

       

Damien Barr's final Literary Salon of the year at the fabulous  Mondrian on the Thames below Blackfriars, was again a wonderful night with an eclectic line up of Sloane Crossley, Nick Frost and Diana Athill. A birthday treat for my daughter and boyfriend , it gave us beauty , deliciousness and intellectual stimulation .... and most of all , wonder at the human spirit . Diana Athill is a beacon of hope and a model of action for those contemplating great old age, and indeed independent,yet supported communal living. No longer is "Somewhere towards the end" her final book; she read to us from the soon to be published "Alive ,alive Oh: And other things that matter" . She especially focussed on life after the Second World War when  "life returned to what it ought to be". And she told a wonderful and improbable story about the joys of an early ClubMed holiday!                       

Diana's an inspiration and her example  provided comfort to me as I continued to explore with my father this week how to assist him in finding more independence yet within a safe and supported environment. We think we may have found it ! More in future. In the meantime, home selling and form filling is underway. 

 

                           

                               View of Blackfriars bridge from the Mondrian

Another cultural highlight, closer to home , came at Smalls Jazz in Brighton on Thursday. Organised by Dennis and Liz Simpson at the Caxton Arms, it's talented house band ( Piers Clark,acoustic guitar) Steve Thompson (double bass) and Mark Edwards ( piano) provided brilliant backing to two jazz trombonists ,Mark Bassey and Malcolm Earle Smith. We were treated to an uplifting evening of freshly arranged numbers from the 20s and 30s with brilliant improvisation and a joyous spirit . These fortnightly sessions are a real treat and a labour of love from Dennis and Liz . Check out the programme! 

 

      

          Smalls Jazz

This week of cultural creativity was topped off with a long planned and much anticipated visit to enjoy the current exhibitions at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester. This gem boasts one of the loveliest twentieth century collections,  and on top of that, consistently provides special exhibitions to delight and extend my art education. 

David Jones (1895-1974) was not known to me and yet his influences and influence are obvious from seeing his work. 

                                          

                                              The Garden enclosed 

                                          

                                              Self portrait 

And then the joy of discovering Evelyn Dunbar (1906-60) was terrific. The only salaried female war artist, this accomplished graduate of the Royal College of Art , was relatively unknown and unhung when her "Autumn and the Poet" was taken to the Antiques Roadshow in 2012. This led to the discovery of a "lost studio" of 500 works in a Kent attic, and ultimately to this exhibition, a book and new admirers .....not to mention glorious pictures of the women's land army and pictures on a gardening theme.

                           

                               Evelyn Dunbar - Autumn and the Poet (1948-60)

            

                            

                                Evelyn Dunbar - Self portrait c1930

                        

                             

                                 Evelyn Dunbar "Singling turnips" 1943 

And what better after that, than the wonder of sung Evensong at Chichester Cathedral . How lovely to revel in the beauty of the building , the marvels of its John Piper tapestry and the glorious singing of the Cathedral choir. What a good suggestion from my Polymath brother , who was cooking us a tasty meal with friends afterwards. (There is a lovely YouTube video on the making of the tapestry ) 

                

 

                             

                                 Chichester Cathedral Tapestry by John Piper 

  And after art and contemplation, a shared meal and conversation provided a great end to the week, enlivened by Audrey, the Polymath's  dog , who delights in company and attention. I leave her image with you , to cheer a day that will necessarily be dominated by the news of terror in France and soul searching for a road to stability, tolerance, respect and peace for all. Vive la France . 

 

                         

                             Piers Ottey "Audrey" 

A week in the life of a "Polymath"

A Polymath is how ZimmerStewart gallery of Arundel, West Sussex, describe my brother,Piers Ottey,  in their publicity for a current exhibition of his paintings "Raindrops on Roses".  They go on to define a Polymath as "a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas ". 

                                    

   They are right. Not only is he a wonderful painter of eclectic subjects, a much admired teacher of drawing and painting , he also takes apart and builds vintage Brough motorbikes, and has designed and built his studio and home. 

Here are some pictures from the exhibition. If you can get to Arundel before November 21st, you won't be disappointed! For more information check out www.zimmerstewart.co.uk or piersottey.co.uk

     

   Rome Evening

So it was with pride and some emotion that we attended the preview of his exhibition last Friday and took dad with us. It turned out that he had never been to his son's exhibition preview before! 

Piers with Ladies' Bridge (Waterloo) 

    Proud father, and son 

    A London night 

    John Zimmer & Piers Othey 

One of the delights of having dad living with us just now is the opportunity to do more together . For Merry the dog , it means more walks and cuddles . For Eartha the cat it provides another being to be disdainful towards! 

                                    

                            

       

                                  

                                      Hove beach and Merry 

                                      

In between walks and admiring Eartha sunning herself last Sunday, (a day of lovely weather ) we have been planning and preparing for dad relinquishing his home on the other side of the county, and moving closer into a more supported situation. This has meant a lot of cleaning and clearing, and that dad and I have spent many hours this week sifting through papers and keepsakes .  

And today this has meant Piers taking a break from art and leading an expedition ! At the crack of dawn the three of us set off along the twisting and turning roads of East Sussex with a tough mission before us.  After 4 hours labouring and 6 trips to the dump-it site for the Polymath and I, we have achieved the clear- out of dad's packed full garage .  I should have taken a before as well as an after picture . I didn't . So you just have to believe and imagine the transformation from choc full to a clean and tidy space.

                                       

                                           A virtually empty garage - result! 

So the Polymath has added being a "man with a van " and "home clearance" to his repertoire , and I only hope he is back in time and is washed and brushed up for hosting of friends at his exhibition later!