Dimbola Lodge, Isle of Wight

A dismal wet day on the island. We holidayed here a couple of times with the children when they were small and I remember it always being wet -- and very difficult to keep three children entertained. But they were always good. Amusing themselves with crayons or books or card games -- whilst their dad quietly raged at the gods who had rained on his one week off from work.

After yesterday`s lack of food and then indulging in a biscuit the wheat intolerance really kicked me where it hurts today and I hobbled round, bent over like an old man. "You are an old man..." My wife constantly reminds me...

This evening we went back to Dimbola Lodge for the photographic exhibition preview. Charles Everest photographed my band in the 60s and 70s and invited us to the preview. He also asked me to officially open it so I had to say a few words. The room was packed, so was a bit nervous but as always with these things once you get started the nerves vanish.

Chales presented me with his great photo of me on stage on 28th August 1970. We chatted with Bob Aylott and his wife, Jayne, most of the evening and a few other guests. Drank wine and Buck`s Fizz. Huge amount of food got left. Don`t like to see that.

The long drive back in the dark revealed foxes and badgers busy about their night duties. Wonderful to see but so many of the poor souls get run over on the roads.

Collapsed in bed. Four sleeping tablets to prevent a repeat of last night`s four hours sleep that left me like a zombie all day.

** Today`s Blip is of a photograph in the exhibition. Dimbola Lodge was the home of the pioneering Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. She produced beautiful portraits of her friends and local people. They all have a PreRaphaelite look about them. Dimbola was the centre of a thriving artistic salon. Anyone who was anyone came here in the late 1800s.


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