Kind hearts and coronets

A number of interesting coincidences happened to me recently which brought the past into the present and, hopefully, the future.

 

Firstly the service at Westminster Abbey for the Queen and her husband organised by our dear friend Stuart Holmes who you will see in the photo later on with Jennifer, my wife. As always Stuart, and all those at Westminster Abbey, represent the finest English tradition, with pomp & ceremony in good order. I've known Stuart for at least 25 years and he just gets better and better. He recently returned from the Great Wall of China where he walked for charity to the impressive tune of ten thousand pounds. Luckily we were able to meet-up at Joe Allen's in Covent Garden, London. What a great time we had, followed by Chicago the musical which is now in its 10th year in London. That was a real show stopper - no wonder Stuart has seen it 8 times!

 

Then we stumbled across Antonio Carluccio standing in Neal Street looking at what used to be his pasta emporium; now sadly gone because greedy landlords have forced him out of the place where he first started and clearly still loves. The property is being given over to American Apparel: do you call that progress?

 

None of this is to do with what this blog is supposed to be about, namely my writing over the years. So I've looked through my archives and tried to find a piece that is more of a diary note than a poem or play. More appropriate for a blog.

 

As it happens it describes another great city: Prague:

 

Running through the dark cobbled streets we catch sight of the Kafka Cafe. The quick cuts of the shifting black rectangles: disturbed. We stopped. The sound of a violin echoed towards us. It was sweet but piercing. Haunting. The sound came from an unlit archway. Such beauty in such a place. The setting, the melody. Indescribable beauty and romance. We had hurried from an opera and now seemed to be a part of an opera.

 

Memories, quick cuts. Life in a collage. I hope yours is a wonderful kaleidoscope.