Blog Archive ~ December 2010
The countdown to Christmas
A busy night of Christmas events began with a drinks party given by Anthony and Georgina Andrews at the Ritz Club, which I didn't even know existed. You enter the Ritz, and a doorman in a long blue coat takes you through a secret door...
Today's the day
Big day today. This afternoon we will discover if England will be hosting the 2018 World Cup, and after another auction this evening, I'm hoping to be home in time to see us win the toss in Adelaide, as the Second Test against Australia begins at midnight.
Arise Sir David
£15m for one vote. Madness. I watched the English presentation to FIFA yesterday morning with admiration, and, like millions of others, thought, just for a moment, that we were in with a a chance, especially as Sepp Blatter had said, "Fantastic, brilliant," after the applause had died down.
Wildlife and wickets
Last night I went to BAFTA HQ in Piccadilly to conduct an auction on behalf of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Lee Durrell made an impassioned speech about her late husband's work and the importance of continuing to protect animals which are threatened with extinction.
Surprising Gauguin
This morning I went to the Tate Modern to view the Gauguin exhibition, which was worth every bit of the hype it's received. The curator, Christine Riding, told me that over half a million people have already visited the exhibition, and it's already the second most successful show they've ever put on.
Cricket predictions
The papers this morning are predicting that Alastair Cook will make the most runs during the Ashes. They're wrong. At present, Cook has 450 runs, and Mike Hussey of Australia has 340. The problem is, that Hussey will be batting twice in every match, whereas Cook probably won't. Think about it.
Two churches and a fancy dress charity day
At Tuesday evening's Celebration of Advent at St Michael's, Chester Square, I was fascinated by Iain Duncan Smith's original and thought-provoking address (he refused to describe it as a sermon), which had many senior theologians, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, deep in thought.
Global Angels
Last night I did my penultimate auction this year, for Global Angels, a charity whose main purpose is to bring clean, safe drinking water to communities in developing countries. The guest of honour and main speaker was Bear Grylls, the explorer and conqueror of Everest.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas
Just wrapping up the festive season. I've read lessons at two carol services, attended an Advent service and done four more auctions; 29 this year, raising £1,498,095 - down on last year, but hardly surprising in the circumstances. Off to Cambridge for Christmas, before going to Majorca to write volume two of The Clifton Chronicles.