Last week was a great week in London.
Lorna Luft, Judy Garland's daughter, started off my week with a launch for her new book "A Star is Born: Judy Garland and the Film That Got away." at Hatchers' Bookshop on Piccadilly.
Curzon Soho showed the documentary "A Mother Brings her son to be Shot." followed by a Q&A with the film's director Sinead O'Shea. Curzon cinemas always bring the best documentaries and art films to the screen and I am so grateful for that! The film follows a family from Derry and examines Post-Troubles life in Northern Ireland. The director mentioned the difficulties she was having getting the film to the screens, and I hope she does manage because in light of Brexit, Northern Ireland and the state of it's citizens is very important.
On Friday, I made a quick trip to the V&A to view the outstanding Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition. It is not as good as McQueen, but nothing ever will be. There is so much on view here and the show is a real example of the artistry needed to run a successful atelier. I love how they included the work of all of the creative directors since Dior. John Galliano, despite maybe not being a pleasant person, was a creative genius for Dior.
Seeing the Box Jacket dress, worn by Willy Maywald
in the most iconic fashion photograph ever, was a highlight for me.
The biopic 'A Private War' starring Rosamund Pike and Jamie Dornan fell a little short for me. Marie Colvin was such a brave and flawed woman it would have be very difficult to tell her story in a dramatised way.
Sticking to the theme of war and urban strife, I went off to the Tate Modern on Saturday to see the British photographer Don McCullin's exhibition.
Clearly my judgement had been impaired by the expired almond milk I drank for breakfast, because the exhibition was at the Tate Britain (about an hour closer to home) and not the Tate Modern.
I did enjoy the playful sculptures of the Franz West exhibition at the Tate Modern. There was no strife involved, except with my overall health, but enjoyable just the same.
Finally, I met up with my Family Friend, Nour, and went for a round of mini golf at the new Puttshack in Westfield, Shepherds Bush. The putt putt if very high tech; you place the ball on the green and it knows who you are, how many times you have hit the ball, and what your score is! This is a revolution akin to automatic score-keeping in bowling from all those years ago! The automation means that you can skip over holes (except the 9th) and avoid waiting for other golfers to finish. This in turn means that the games go very quickly, and you may feel you are not getting your money's worth.
Puttshack is very stylish with great decor, a bar and a restaurant. The holes even have a throw-back feel to them, even if they are very modern. Rather expensive for mini golf, but a lot of fun none the less.
I'm going to have to take it easy this week!
Comments