FFFF 8 bags Wednesday

Expressive or what? Brian Clarke and the ever youthful Martin Harrison

We always knew this would be the killer day and so it proved.

Early starts are not on Charles' agenda but I had to bang down his door at 6.30 so that we could pack and be at the Royal Academy by 8am. No breakfast but at least the pre-ordered taxi was prompt - 8 bags checked in. We were in the RA Library again, a beautiful room, looking at sketchbooks FB had left to the RA which included sketches for St Andre's monastery outside Bruges, and also photographing a large study for the Northampton window. We succeeded in finishing before the 10am deadline and somehow struggled with our 8 bags to the nearest coffee bar for a much needed shot of caffeine and croissants.

8 bags - check, and the next taxi which took us to Martin Harrison's house near Sussex Gardens where we set up the green screen and interviewed Martin (an art historian and authority on Victorian stained glass) and Brian Clarke (an artist and stained glass designer of renown). As you can see from the images, both sessions were lively events as well as the gentlemen being very erudite and good speakers.

8 bags - check. Martin kindly helped us lug them to Sussex Gardens where we flagged down a taxi to take us to Imperial College where there is a cartoon for the Youth and Age window FB designed for Tiffany. Last time I went to see this work I waltzed in happily through the Prince Consort Road entrance. Now however they have installed security devices making it impossible to enter. A guard finally took pity on us and led me to the office of my contact. He wasn't there of course so then we went looking for the Prof but he wasn't there either. Then we went to the Common Room and luckily spotted the contact en route so raced after him. It transpired that he knew nothing about our visit but, having read my email confirmation, kindly let Charles into the building and helped us carry 8 bags to the room in question. We had only been there a matter of minutes when a rather flustered lady marched in and demanded to know what we were doing, announcing that she had millions of hopeful students about to descend on the room. We smiled graciously and made due obeiscance and I waved the magic email once more. Slightly mollified she allowed us to remain for the 20 minutes it took for CM to set up and photograph said cartoon. Then - 8 bags - check and a slow and tired walk through the college to Exhibition Road and another taxi ride, this time to Temple Lodge, Hammersmith, Brangwyn's home from 1900 to the mid 1930s.

CM was by this time 'faint for lack of nourishment' so we popped into The Gate, the vegetarian restaurant in what used to be Brangwyn's studio. We each had a fabulous fruity/veggie drink and CM had a morsel to fill his hollow legs. Then some filming of the front and back of FB's house and the river for the bio section. I'd hoped to be able to leave London by 4pm but this turned out not to be the case. For one thing, trying to hail a taxi in Hammersmith proved impossible, so we finally had to ring for one. 8 bags - check, back to the multi-storey car park where China had stayed overnight - the charge wasn't quite as horrifying as anticipated luckily. 8 bags into the car, and off we head for Chieveley.

We had promised ourselves a really good meal for this evening at The Crab at Chieveley and had booked a taxi from the B&B. Unfortunately by this time it was rush hour and we just crawled out of London. Then there was a hold up on the M4, we tried diverting via Slough (also busy), and we anticipated having to give up our repast. However we did finally arrive with sufficient time to spare for a wash and brush up and a change of clothes.

And it was all worthwhile because the meal was EXCELLENT (if expensive). Strange company though - one lady managed to pour a glass of red wine all over the white tabelcloth and her dress, and at the next table a couple spent the entire meal consulting their matching laptops! I think if I had been the management I'd have told said offending couple that if they didn't appreciate my food sufficiently to eat it, observing the niceties, then they could take their trade elsewhere!

View through Brangwyn's front door - wonderful streaky yellow glass!