Our Christmas Decorations

One of my favourite things to do at Christmas is to decorate our tree. For many years now, Deborah and I have been collecting Christmas decorations from all over the world. We have two trees, one in Abbotsford and another in Ballarat. This one is our tree in Abbotsford. It's just under a metre tall, but when it has a been decked out its Christmas glory it looks great. Here are some of our decorations. We usually have our trees out for nearly two months, and sometimes I wish they could left on permanent display!

Maitland Regional Art Gallery Acquisitions

 Existential Self Portrait, 2006, charcoal on paper, 136 x 92 cm

Dance in Delirium, 2014, pencil, pastel and ink on paper, 71 x 22 cm

The Maitland Regional Art Gallery has just added these two drawings to their collection. The top drawing was in an exhibition at the Maroondah Art Gallery in 2011 called WHO AM I? Self Portraits in the Contemporary World. The bottom drawing is to be in an exhibition inspired by a Tom Waites song called The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me), 1977. The exhibition will run from 24 April - 21 June 2015. But I'll give more details closer to the date.

Miriam Margolyes in I'll Eat You Last

Miriam Margolyes as Sue Mengers

It was recently that Deborah and I went to see Miriam Margolyes in the John Logan play I'll Eat You Last. It was about Holywood agent Sue Mengers, a dynamic personality with a passion for movies and the stars who shone on the screen. Mengers represented many important actors throughout the 60s, 70s and early 80s, eventually losing many of her stars to a changing Hollywood that was very different to the one she knew. To learn more about Sue Mengers click SUE

Margolyes' performance was a powerhouse achievement, seemingly at ease with her character, and her American accent was faultless. She is certainly the complete actor, being able to transform herself into the person she is portraying, and someone who regards every detail with loving attention. I don't think I would have recognised her if I didn't already know she was the performer.

This play would have to be one of my favourite theatre going experiences.

The real Miriam Margolyes

The real Sue Mengers