I love writing these newsletters but just sometimes life gets in the way and they are hopelessly delayed. This has been the case. But there were reasons. The BIG one first of all…

How the year rushes to an end. My Christmas lilies have got the message and I think they may open just on Christmas Day. I have two baby kookaburras who seem to enjoy resting on my balustrade. They make a very unlovely call as they learn how to laugh. But they seem unafraid when I step outside and stay in place until I get too close…

Not sure how many of you have noticed my silence for the past two months. I apologise. One of the downsides is that the whirlwind of events and issues rush past at such a speed that there never seems time to sit and reflect upon them, even the most important things. And there have been many such moments…

I have just had a very short holiday in Bali to celebrate the 50^th birthday of a friend. A splendid choice for a short and exotic celebration. I was one of the half million visitors to Bali in April of 2024…

This opening image commemorates an important moment for me – the unveiling of a portrait commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and painted by the very talented Tsering Hannaford. I am very pleased with the portrait and found the experience of sitting for this work stimulating and fascinating. Such concentration before every brushstroke…