Asiatica

I just had to show one more set of items from the
collection from Indonesia
I hope to be meeting visitors from Jakarta soon

The President is currently in London for G20
Indonesia is pleased to be one of the Nations at these sessions with other major countries

Indonesian arts

Many years ago, I was guest in Park Lane, of the
Indonesia Ambassador in London
He gave to me a traditional figure
from his country
which has graced the sitting rooms of my homes........
so it is with great familiarity
that I saw these items in the Asiatica Museum collection

Victoria signing into M Postel's collection

It was a great pleasure to meet M Postel and for us to spend time discussing his
collection from Asia..my own years there have enabled me to
appreciate the fine carvings and craft work, many examples on show in his own Museum

Asiatica Museum Biarritz

from the collection of M Postel which he talked about
when I visited Biarritz this month

Asiatica Museum

I could not return to Biarritz
without making a special visit to meet
the
Founder of the Asiatic Museum

After seeing
some of the exhibition items which I find
also in my home,
gift from the Ambassador of Indonesia some years ago

M Postal invited me for coffee
when he told me of his many years in Asia and the founding
of this unique,
personal collection of
Asian arts



He is seen here with President Sarkozy

Napoleon's Palace sits on the Grande Plage

Now the Palais Hotel......... the Palace of Napoleon and his Empress Eugenie
stares out at a wild Atlantic ocean............ and back from the
Grande Plage nearby............... is the Russian church........ and the
small streets of Saint Charles
where I enjoyed quiet walks after the busy promenade,
already bustling ready for summer

Saint Charles .....Patrice

Patrice has a most elegant front to his combined
Restaurant and shop ............
he makes, also, an excellent host ........

the interior, which he designed ....certainly lives up to the exterior
a most delightful place to have a quiet dinner
in the small residential district which is Saint Charles
centre piece of which is the
Square...and the small shoppng area

Les Collones Biarritz

This time I took photographs having made drawings
previously from the windows of Les Collones
Jean took photographs
of his bar
and of me also
in front of the indoors restaurant which spills........
in the most delightful way
across the paveements.........
so that the beautiful views are seen as one sits

Anglet LaConcha

I was driven away from centre Biarritz along the sunny coastline to Anglet
where we stopped at La Concha..............
the name says it all
a restaurant specialising in the best local seafood
in a rustic style
and at the rear most surprisingly
a large ice skating rink
I suppose that even in this -area some like to relax
in icy occupations..we did not..........

Saint Charles Biarritz

Biarritz has its own special tiny squares........ and small streets .............away from the
Grande Plage...............I especially liked this one
in Saint Charles...a delightful street full of small shops with fresh fruit,
fish, and all that one requires for an excellent meal .........
including of course a perfect place where one can stop to talk,
enjoying, for me, the first warm sunshine of the year

Biarritz

Biarritz

The Malaysia Dinner in London...was most enjoyable ........
and afterwards I returned to Biarritz... to continue with my writing, drawing, and taking photographs
of this delightful resort which I took to my heart on my first
sight in January ..Even in cold days and rain..
it manages to have
a unique charm.. at The Royalty which was the subject for a drawing
on the first visit .. I made another drawing, then was photographed having coffee........

My GKN book for Russia in Russian

At The GKN GROUP, I was, for five years, Executive responsible for domestic and international marketing,
of a large part of the Group, for publications, books, Exhibitions, Seminars, product launches, visiting television programmes,
meeting with overseas Heads of State
in Denmark, Finland, Portugal and other countries, and when Lord Brookes, the Chairman
of this international Steel and engineering Group
GKN
was to visit the Heads of State of the USSR,
he asked me to produce a book for him to present
to the Heads of State of the Russian Government to show exactly what the GKN Group
was capable of doing to design, manufacture and produce for the motor industry
The Group designed factories, paint shops, production lines,
the GKN Unimate robot systems, and a vaste range of componentry
from screws to overdrive systems, wheels, engines, conrods, bolts, etc., etc.,
for systems for, at that time, approximately 80% of the European motor industry
It was a fascinating
concept to encompass the work of this worldwide Group
in one book
which I simply entitled
GKN
Raymond Brookes went, with my book, to Moscow, with 6 or so Chairmen
of each of the major British Car producers
as the major supplier to them all,
as well as their European and Scandinavian competitors
Just a few copies remain which I, very rarely, show in
my Exhibitions and Talks

My speech at my Malaysia Dinner

Seated at my right Sir Patrick, on left The First Secretary Embassy of Indonesia Saleh
opposite, AG Kader, Publisher of my two latest books
A trip to Paris and Labuan
Martin Barrow, Director Malaysia Airlines, my former Client

S K Lingam President ASEAN-UK Business
and Simon Barrow
The meal and room were both Malaysia style as provided by
The Malaysia Government Organisations

My special guest at my Malaysia Dinner

My Malaysia Dinner
was held at

















The Civil ServiceClub
on 11th March
My special guest was
Sir Patrick Cormack FSA MP who, with me, launched my book
A trip to Paris last year
I had around 35 guests from a number of countries and spoke to them of my work as
New Zealand Government Consultant to Tonga
before being invited to be
New Zealand Malaysia Government Bilateral Aid Advisor
I gave each guest a copy of my latest book

LABUAN..................................................

South East Asia

The map which I painted for my book Malaysia Terima Kasih
I added also to the book published in 2008 about Labuan
the island where I was guest of The King Iskander The Prime Minister Mahathir
and others ..which became Federal Territory and a Tax Free Centre
it has now been developed as an
Offshore Financial Centre
since that time

Labuan book

I am preparing today for
MY MALAYSIA DINNER AT THE CIVIL SERVICE CLUB

which is being held on 11th March
I shall be Exhibiting a few Malaysia drawings, photographs and prints
which will illustrate my interest in the
colours of the country which are so dramatic..
the strong colours of the tropics which
make all others appear to be muted
I look forward to meeting my Guests
especially my special one
Sir Patrick Cormack FSA MP
who launched my book A trip to Paris last year

Indonesia Embassy Soiree

Which I attended with the ASEAN-UK
Deputy Chairman
Chloris Flint from the Phillipines
who is Group Tax Manager for Harrods which sold my book
DRAWINGS OF MY CHILDHOOD PLACES

VICTORIA AT INDONESIA EMBASSY SOIREE

Victoria and Chloris

Indonesia Embassy Soiree

I arranged to go to the INDONESIA EMBASSY as guest with
The ASEAN-UK Business Forum
Deputy Chairman Chloris Flint from the Phillipines
she is Group Tax Manager with Harrods
which sold my book
Drawings of my childhood places
The Ambassador H E Yuri Thamrin and I discussed the Country
which I enjoyed visiting very much
to which I have already been invited as Advisor previously.........
but was unable to accept each time.............. as I then had other committments overseas

Wolverhampton Chronicle

Matthew Viney of the Staffordshire newspaper The Wolverhampton Chronicle
part of the Express and Star newspaper group

interviewed me about various aspects of my life...................He asked for some photographs
and used the
recent ones of myself with The High Commissioner of Malaysia Datuk Aziz
presenting my MALAYSIA TERIMA KASIH book
to him
another from Sweden with a Director of GKN, the Group with which I was
Executive before I went to New Zealand......................
on the Naval vessel off LABUAN in the South China Sea ...the subject of my latest book
and with Rafidah Aziz when I met her here recently, at The Hilton London
when she was Minister for Trade and Industry

This has now been seen along with his colleague Wendy Lloyd's film
in many countries where I have lived and worked..and it is always nice to meet newspaper people
I have written for the media................................................ and we always become friends

Malaysia Dinner invitation rev0.doc - Google Viewer

Himley in the snow

My friends who I visit most days in the paddocks

Himley February snow

I could not resist being the first to enjoy walking in the snow
but of course the birds and rabbits had already been out

The view across the paddocks is always a delight
I walk through the orchard in the warmer days
enjoying the fruit there and also
taking apples to Pretty Woman and her friends
in the paddocks
every time I go to see them
they come to meet me
in the orchard and in the lane I have company

Indonesia book

Part of my interest in SOUTH EAST ASIA
............ASEAN ................
was first because of its beautiful flora and fauna
I was New Zealand Government Consultant to Tonga
a project which primarily focussed on developing the horticultural base
of the island so that the people could become more
self sufficient ............
I am always interested to read of programmes which contribute to
wellbeing of individuals and the environment
and here I am checking the work currently in Indonesia
of reforestation...
to return to the soil some of its nutrients
plant new trees
and provide an improved ecology
This shows some of that work
happening right now

INDONESIA gift

I travelled some years ago to INDONESIA. In Jakarta
I found much to fascinate me, then later in Bali ,......
who could resist the warm welcome from local people,
the superb food sometimes an Asian and Dutch mixture
often served outside on many dishes ,while
gentle music may play
For me Ubud ,the home of many crafts people
has a unique appeal, as many repeat designs
which have been handed down for centuries
............................................................................
In the background, at my cottage,
the Indonesia figure, a gift from the Ambassador to Indonesia when I was his
guest at a banquet..nothing else describes the meal.....held in a Park Lane Hotel as part of the World Travel Market
held each year in London which I used to attend regularly, when circumstances permitted
On the wall above.. my painting, done many years
ago which my parents enjoyed very much