A day dedicated to friends old and new… First, a lovely lunch in Camden Town with ex-pat Canadian Yvette Ray who was such an important part of my days with cub. Then we hop a train for Twickenham to meet the dynamic Sue Palmer for a magical trip to Eel Pie Island, a former hotbed for a myriad of music scenes (ballroom dancing, jazz sessions, R&B hootenannies, the Rolling Stones’ first shows, psychedelic freakouts…) and now a collection of cottages, artist studios, a shipbuilding shed and home of the Richmond Yacht Club (thanks for the tour, Doug!) where a portrait of Phil Collins hangs proudly above the proscenium (he learned to play drums here).
After a walk along the Thames, past manors built for mistresses and former palaces, we end up at Sue and David’s cozy house for tea and talk about Dartington College, gluten-free meringues, Gibellina, witch hazel and all kinds of other wonderful things…
