My Tiffany's

In the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holly Golightly spoke about having the mean reds.  These were days that were worse than just having the “blues”.  As she explained to Paul, “the blues are because you're getting fat or because it's been raining too long. You're just sad, that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of...”

When Holly had the mean reds she went to Tiffany’s, because she said the quietness and proud look of the place calmed her down.  “Nothing very bad could ever happen to you there”, she said.  It was her safe place. 

Well, when in London one of my “Tiffany’s” has to be the National Gallery, and today, with a couple of hours to spare, I meandered down Charing Cross Road to Trafalgar Square and climbed the stone steps up to the Gallery.  I already knew what I wanted to see.  Amongst the hundreds of important paintings housed in the building are two so similar and so dissimilar, but which I adore and find so much comfort in.

The first is Mr and Mrs Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough (around 1750).  Now you just have to love Mr and Mrs Andrews.  Even if it’s to go up to one of the wardens in the gallery and say, “I’m looking for Mr and Mrs Andrews, where are they?”  In this painting the couple are newly married, but not yet with children.  In fact if you look closely you can see Gainsborough left Mrs Andrews’s lap unfinished, perhaps to paint in a child at a later time.  I wonder if that child ever came.  And they look so English, and so aristocratic.  Mr Andrews has just been shooting, and his dog looks up at him so faithfully.  They seem so solid, and so certain of their place, with their level gaze, and acres of land in the background.  I love the trees, the landscape and the clouds – all of which Gainsborough represented with such energy and presence, yet never seem to take over the main subject.

'Mr and Mrs Andrews' by Thomas Gainsborough

The second is The Baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca (around 1450s).  Now, I know these can hardly be linked and of course in a way they can’t.  But look at the compositions.  Both balance towards the left-hand third by an imposing tree which in turn frames the main subjects.  But this work gives a different sense of calm and purpose.  The Italian hills in the background.  The dove above Christ which floats like one of the clouds.  The stream which ends at Christ’s feet.  This is all held in check by the geometry and perspective in the piece, of which Piero was a master.  Understanding and portraying such perspective and proportion was such a recent thing, and a key element in the works of the early Renaissance.

'The Baptism of Christ' by Piero della Francesca

I wonder if the National Gallery could start “Breakfasts” for when I wake up with the mean reds!

Deal

I visited Deal today, which is a small seaside town near Ramsgate.  Bit of a mission to get there, but thankfully decided to catch the train this time which required two changes.  It is quite odd visiting seaside towns in the freezing cold!  Today's temperature is 6 deg C, and in the wind it is cripplingly cold, so cold in fact that when the train got delayed back through Ramsgate - everyone on the platform had a go at the poor station master.  Then we stood around, in true English style, discussing the wearing of woolly hats in April!

Deal waterfront - I love the Union Jack!  Copyright Rebecca Appleby

Very cold!  Copyright Rebecca Appleby

Pretty street in Deal  Copyright Rebecca Appleby

Boiled sweets in all shapes, sizes, colours and flavours  Copyright Rebecca Appleby

Beautiful fishing boats - red, white and blue!  Copyright Rebecca Appleby

More boats...  Copyright Rebecca Appleby 

Fishing nets Copyright Rebecca Appleby

When I asked the fishmonger if I could take a photo in this smelly but colourful fish shop, his response was, "It's a bloody mess now!  You should've been here at 5 o'clock!"

And the local produce Copyright Rebecca Appleby

Motorways

Today I freaked out on the motorway.  Not something I enjoy doing, as I'm normally well prepared for my expeditions with maps, and memorised routes.  I had planned to take the A2 to Chatham - a road I knew well, as I'd taken this route to collect my rental car.  But, quel horreur, halfway there were signs saying 'road closed from Station Road due to gas repair work'.  I continued on in optimism (well, the signs were accompanied by pictures of heavy vehicles, so I thought my little i20 might sneak through).  Alas, not!  The man at the road closure sign helpfully told me what the signs already said, and suggested I take the M2 to Chatham which would be "a lot easier."  Ha ha.  Once I'd found the M2 (in a state of stress, as I had not memorised this route in my mind), I found myself amongst container trucks and speeding God knows what (didn't have time to see the car model - if it was a car, could've been a motorcyclist!)  Anyway, nightmare of nightmares, along comes a big roundabout (a roundabout on the M2, I thought?).  Turns out I wasn't on the M2, I was approaching the M2 from some other road, and I now had to make a decision.  On the big blue sign it read London (M2) on one side, and Channel Tunnel (M2) on the other.  I had fleeting visions of both negotiating Piccadilly Circus and sitting on a train in my i20 in under the channel.  Trying to work out which was worse, I eventually caved in, went right round the roundabout, avoided the M2, went back on the funny road home again.

Sheerness-on-Sea

Sheerness-on-Sea is a little town south east of London.  Today, was sunny but the wind blistering cold on my fingers as I stood on the sea wall and took this photo.  In its hey day, it was a magical little English seaside town, full of all the quaintness of candy floss and strange fair ground rides ... and the Tantra Nightclub!

The seafront  Copyright Rebecca Appleby

Tantra Nightclub!  Copyright Rebecca Appleby