Robert Fripp's Diary

Chateau Slinky Chiswick T has

Chateau Slinky, Chiswick.

T has a day off, and actually allowed herself to be quiet. I set off to the West End, for an adventure: to begin enjoying my main Christmas present from T – a year’s membership of the London Library.

The day’s adventuring began with a strike on the Underground, aka the Tube (or subway in American-speak). Fortunately, this didn’t delay my arrival at Leicester Square. A brief visit to Watkins en route to Restaurant El Posho et Fashionable (pronounced Fashun-ah-blur) on St. Martin’s Lane. Rare indeed that I sit with FT, coffee, a sumptuous & ace salad, while waiter persons act as-if serving me is the highspot of their day. Actually, the quality of service is usually more important to me than the quality of food.

Then, a short snapping-of-the-whipcords to 14, St. James Square and Heaven-on-Shelves…

http://webpac.londonlibrary.co.uk/

http://webpac.londonlibrary.co.uk/about/about.htm

So excited was I that an involuntary physiological response nearly caused severe embarrassment on this, my first visit. I didn’t recognise any of the researchers & readers, but this is a primo resource for professional writers. My own interests: fondling early bound volumes of Country Life & London Illustrated News, early Ronald Hutton volumes, various National Biography entries, and a wide range of current periodicals (most of which I was formerly unaware), before eventually settling in the Reading Room with two volumes of Cecil Beaton photograph books.

These included pics taken by Sir of various famous models at Reddish House, and one of Lord David Cecil (Red Lion House, Cranborne) taken in 1930 (when I believe he lived at Rockbourne, not far up the road from Cranborne Manor).

When T was on the Andrew Marr Sunday morning tv show recently (I was in Ann Arbor), Andrew suggested this as an appropriate present for her husband. Andrew was right, and T was generous.

The return journey was also an adventure, with major delays on the Piccadilly Line. A train came in, packed to the max before anyone else got onboard. But we did, and it carried me swiftly home to an evening slinking very quietly with my wonderful Wife, Tiny Willcox.