Oh my. Have just come back from a wonderful day course on 'Decadence, Dandies and Aesthetes'. Got to spend a whole day looking at beutiful images, reading excerts from fascinating books, watching film clips of 1953 Picture of Dorian Gray, Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Patience' and the 1970s BBC drama 'Lillie' about Lillie Langtry and discussing all manner of important things like peacock feathers, the Yellow Book and the partaking of absinthe.


Dolce Domum, Atkinson-Grimshaw

"To burn always with this hard gen-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life" Walter Pater


Count Robert de Montesquieu, Boldini

I am now firmly aware that I am of a decadent persuasion (without the languid figure however). Picked up a copy of 'A Rebours' by Huysmans from the library. About to put on silk pyjamas and slob on the bed to read it with a glass of port. Oh yeh.


The Death of Chatterton, Wallis

Great website about the Aesthetic and Decadent movements.

"For art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass and simply for those moment's sake..." Walter Pater

And in a nod to a bit of female dandyism...my boots finally arrived! Fluevogs - the model is 'Countess Olivia'. Do boots get any lovelier? The loveliest boy Dave has been very generous in giving me these as a birthday gift and went to such lengths to ensure I could have them this weekend. He is a love. What a lucky girl I am.



Just read 'The Rose and the Ring' by William Makepeace Thackery - a lovely and very funny victorian fairy tale.

I saw two plays this weekend, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and 'Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass'. Both rather weak performances but tied in rather well with the victorian theme of my week. Apparently Lewis Carroll may have got his inspiration for the Dormouse from Rosetti's house, which he had turned into a menagerie. His favourite pet, a wombat, used to sleep in a dish on the table.

So had Jo and Roj up to stay for the weekend which was fun. Jo gave me wonderful birthday presents of cake, hat, bejewlled handbag, scarf and a compilation of doowop and rockabilly music including loads of favourites from when we were but wee girls. Saw Jo perform on Friday night at the Counting House where she was sadly vastly out of the league of the rest of the variety performers. Still, I get to see her tomorrow on her home turf. Saturday night we went for dinner at Black Bo's which I've been meaning to go to forever, then went off to Lindsays to catch the end of the comedy and bid fairwell to Mike until the next festival. Sunday we made a trip to the seaside at Cramond, walked along the river, then dangled our legs over the harbour whilst eating icecream. Quick pint in the lovely Cramond inn then we went off for some Vaudeville Cabaret at the Bongo club for their final show.




Off to Manchester tomorrow to see Jo do her thang at the Slippery Belle and meet up with Roger. Life has been rather extravagent lately. September will have to be meagre (after paris of course).