Sculpture by Sir Anthony Caro in Bourbourg, France

From London it is possible to make a long day trip to Bourbourg, near Calais in France, to see some extraordinary sculpture by Sir Anthony Caro in the Choeur de Lumiere at the church of St Jean Baptiste.

Caro described himself as a surprising choice for the restoration of this war-damaged church, and one can only imagine the controversy his work must have caused in this tiny town. But I can't think of a more effective and successful juxtaposition of ancient and modern; this is a very powerful visual account of Creation, by one of Britain's foremost sculptors, in the Choir of a medieval church.

Harry Potter Film Locations

The locations used by the Harry Potter films continue to be popular with children - late March found me in Lacock village to see where Harry's parents had been killed, Lacock Abbey, Gloucester Cathedral and Oxford where many of the Hogwarts scenes are set, and Chepstow Castle, imagining a game of Quidditch

Spring in the Cotswolds

These photos are of daffodils in the Cotswolds and an attractive pink tree at Batsford Arboretum.

Irving Penn exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London

An exhibition of the work of photographer Irving Penn opens at the National Portrait Gallery on 18^th February. The gallery has chosen to assemble a collection of portraits of the great & the good in the 20^th century arts world, photos that are a visual treat, often elegant and striking.

Interestingly, this selection gives the impression of a photographer who chose to impose his own style upon a portrait rather than to analyse the character of his sitter. For someone like me who was not already familiar with Penn’s work, it was good to be able to look as well at the books on offer in the shop, to see the rich variety of his work not represented here.

Well worth a visit, and of course there is so much else to see in this wonderful gallery.

Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park

February is the month for snowdrops. There are many gardens within reach of London that feature these lovely Spring flowers, including Colesbourne Park.In 1874 Henry John Elwes discovered the snowdrop that bears his name, Galanthus elwesii, in the mountains of Turkey. Since then, his family have developed one of the finest snowdrop gardens in the country.