Project Kate

In all her glory

"Lifeless," "disappointing," "ordinary," "dull" and "old" are some of the words being hurled at the first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge, by artist Paul Emsley. I must admit ive only had a few fleeting glances at the painting and am no art critic but as the old saying goes, I know what I like and I like this painting. Why all the fuss? In my humble opinion Kate Middleton is an average looking young woman who I think Emsley has captured perfectly. Due to Kate's penchant for dressing 'soberly' she looks more like 41 than 31 and 'ordinary' is exactly the word I would use to describe her. (And I no I am not suggesting she dress like Jodie Marsh.)
The British public become far too precious and picky when it comes to the Royal family, especially the younger female ones (remember saint Diana?) almost to the point that speaking of them in anything other than praise is heresy. Its a bit of a nonsense really.
Mr Jakes raises a glass to the artist for capturing the Duchess in all her glory, however plain that glory is. And if next you hear that im in the Tower of London you'll know why.

Victorian Postage (Christmas Black)

I have had a very old fashioned Christmas, almost Victorian by some standards. Indeed were it not for spinning around the globe via the teh interwebz and tapping out pretty words on my new laptop, it could have been 1850 in my household. Christmas television? I didn't watch it (even missed my usual Corrie). Films? I watched the original King Kong on Christmas day and that was it as far as movies went. I didn't pull a cracker, or stuff my face with mince pies and neither was I eating turkey sandwiches for four days straight after the event. (We have goose as I cannot abide turkey, a dreadfully bland meat if ever there was one).
To be honest I have not felt festive at all, and were it not for family the decorations would have remained in the boxes. I realise I sound like a terrible damp feather but this is how its been this year. Its not been totally 'oubliette fever' of course but the magic spark that used to set me off and get my enthusiasm going has dimmed a wee bit. Might be that I could attribute some of that to losing the person who put me on this earth and who always made Christmas so special, and there is that but I also feel like I have outgrown it too.