Well, here we are in London. It was bright, sunny and warm for the ENTIRE time we were there. People were friendly and helpful, and we met up with lots of relatives and friends; some expected and some total surprises (they knew they were in London, but we didn't). So it was different in most ways from our previous visit together to the UK in 1986!
We did meet up with relatives then too, and they were VERY hospitable, I hasten to add.
Bas (to go into the third person for a moment) spent much of this part of the trip at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery showing special people/collectors around, visiting the British Museum to see his friend (and Curator of Modern Prints) Stephen Coppel and going across London (bravely) on the tube to see his former printer Matthew Ablitt, who's now working at Pauper's Press in Shoreditch ("when I get rich...sing the bells of Shoreditch")
The exhibition went well, and the numbers were boosted by Mum's first cousin Shirley and her husband, Alex and Peter (also cousins), Matthew and his fiancee, the Slaters (Julie is a relative by marriage to the Morrisseys) and Lissant Bolton, a friend of many years ago in Burgmann College at ANU. She's now Curator of Oceanic Collection at the BM.
On the following night, Rebecca had another opening, this time downstairs in her three level gallery, for Jamie Boyd. It was his 60th birthday party and was well-attended. It was opened by the Australian High Commissioner, John Dauth, who, as it happens, was also at Burgmann with us in 1974, and who remarked on the fact during his opening words. Australian artist Christopher Croft was also in attendance with his wife Claudia. I (to go back to the first person) hadn't seen Chris and Claudia since we went to the Venice Biennale together in 1995, so it was a great co-incidence, since they are passing through Darwin in December and were about to contact us.
To complete the co-incidences, Rebecca herself went to Geelong Grammar just after Bas and continued on to ANU...in Burgmann College! Sounds like I'm working the old boy network. If only I was that clever!