Highgrove in Gloucestershire is the family home of The Prince of Wales, bought by the Duchy of Cornwall in1980. Now open to the public on certain days, and on a strictly invitation only basis, I joined a few friends and WI members on Friday morning as we wended our way through the countryside by coach […]

From time to time, over the past 20 years, I’ve been commissioned by a Far Eastern collector to paint miniatures for his Faberge frames. These frames are quite fantastic – some cost over £40,000. However I had an email the other day from Asia to tell me that fungus had appeared on at least six […]

The 3,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of the ancient map of the world is finally completed. It’s taken nearly 6 months (with the help of a young jigsaw puzzle enthusiast) to do, and as it’s taken up most of the space on my dining room table perhaps I’ll be able to host a dinner party there soon! […]

Riverside lunch parties are always special to me – and last Monday was no exception. It was Olive Bond’s birthday (which she had kept a secret from the guests) and about 30 of us enjoyed a wonderfully jolly time – Here’ a photograph showing the view from one of the tables on the verandah. Olive’s […]