THE HOTEL MAJESTIC KUALA LUMPUR

 

The MAJESTIC HOTEL Kuala Lumpur

In my book MALAYSIA TERIMA KASIH..The Official book of Malaysia
I wrote about the times that I stayed
at the original MAJESTIC Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
which was an amazing vision of the old Malaysia
of the days when the grand houses in the city had a special
Malaysia architecture and ambiance....
Now the Yeoh Tiong Lay Group has renovated and rebuilt
this historical building in all its former glory.....
My good friend Soo Min Yeoh is Director of the Group
and I send my personal  good wishes and
CONGRATULATIONS for this revival of part of the old Kuala Lumpur
  

Indonesian costume and dance brought to London

 

Indonesia Exhibition and dance

dancers who had arrived from Indonesia
and the musicians gave a brilliant display

The Horniman Museum provided the backdrop
and settings for this music and  dance and also for
the Exhibition of arts crafts and jewellery for which
Indonesia is also famous...

London Jubilee Weekend

 Trafalgar Square always seems to me
to illustrate London so well..it appears to say it all..maybe because
my parents brought me here, as a child, to see London on our way
to Hastings.... where we used to spend some holidays..
Now the City buzzes with Celebrations....even those
who, sometimes, do not consider themselves
to be monarchists are planning to enjoy
the family feeling as many English people take
to the streets..
I have many invitations, from The Royal Academy to a special
Exhibition and lunch, to The Royal Commonwealth Society,
and to The Civil Service Club
all will welcome many visitors as
we do celebrate the years of comparate peace..
best wishes to you and I hope that the next
60 years for us all are
Happy and Prosperous
..............

Rockefeller Centre with a friend

One of my visits to New York
introduced me to this lady and partner
they found me drawing the Rockefeller Centre
for one of my books..love this walkway to the tower
in the winter the carols resound through the
centre#and in the summer as here...
the flowers brighten a sunny day  

Les Collonnes Biarritz

with Jean Michel the co owner..with his brother
of this most comfortable restaurant with a stupendous
view of the beautiful bay of Biarritz..
Each morning I collect my newspaper of the region
and take my seat in front of the restaurant
where a cup of strong black coffee greets me,
and everything in the world feels right..
Of such small things are great memories made..for me anyway..
I am now accepted by the locals who arrive a varying intervals
each morning and now all I wish is to return to my seat
as soon as the temperature moves upwards a little..

and so here I am worrying little about international trials
for a moment as I think of my return and the friends
who I will meet again......
Biarritz is there for me to enjoy
now that my enforced rest is almost over

Biarritz

I enjoyed so much my many visits to Biarritz, some of which
are recorded in drawings in my latest book
VICTORIA'S INTERNATIONAL ART... soon to be on sale here
in England ..I am hosting a Dinner at Le Cafe Grande in Dudley..
my home town ..for a few friends and people who I have met
through my books, Exhibitions and Talks..
Even though I have mostly recovered from the accident
I still find that I am able to do many things..but also find rest
as prescribed for me to be helpful
so dates are not yet final ..
hoping that as the sunshine greets us
I will be meeting old friends again 

ANZAC DAY

Greetings to those I know in New Zealand and Australia from
Victoria now in  England  

Saint George's Day in England

 

The photographs  of my Exhibition at Saint Augustine's Church,
my home Church ..one of many Churches, Abbeys,
and Cathedrals which I have painted drawn
and photographs from  here  in Dudley to Brisbane, Christchurch,
Wellington and Hong Kong.. 

The Saatchi Galleries in London

On a very cold snowy night I went to
the Exhibition organised by The Times..there I was photographed by
The Times photographer and I met a photographer who was developing his work in London..so that he could become fulltime//
this is from his
Collection of works...Giles Ashton is perhaps a name to look for..I told him that
he could look in The Photographer's Gallery for my book
'MALAYSIA TERIMA KASIH' which was submitted for

Exhibition by Malaysia

My Christchurch book.... as yet incomplete in NZ UK NEWS

 I started this book in my right hand  long ago with much encouragement from good people who I knew. The Managing Director Saatchi & Satchi, two Director Partners of my Accountants Ernst & Young, the Director of Canterbury Manufacturers Association, Director The Chamber of Commerce and the Directors of NZ I Corporation..New Zealand Insurance..as I was its Consultant working from Christchurch......it was an unfortunate time in my life, after a few months my father died in England ..I returned home and 7 months later my mother died also..and I had no thoughts of going anywhere..eventually I did return, and in Auckland an old friend Michael Guy was publishing the book
The best of New Zealand ..I agreed to be his Consultant..and I illustrated his book...  now Christchurch also is in chaos.. and I hope that one day the many drawings, photographs & writing may help in its restoration as I have a little already
My  Cathedral drawing was used by myself and NZI as a Christmas card

Ng Yen Yen's London Dinner

 Ng, the Minister of Tourism,  and I have met previously, and of course I know her guest, we met at another Cabinet Minister's event in London..
............Jimmy Choo is famous far away from his Malaysia home..
and it was so nice to see him again ..At this Dinner no one was formal ..some even got up on to the stage for impromtu singing..great fun ..I really enjoyed this Malaysia evening..as I always do

Friends from TV and film worlds at lunch

 Lunch at Greswolde Hotel  in Knowle near Solihull
with Wendy Lloyd of BBC and Christopher Durden Camerman

Wendy came to interview me on film for The Express and Star newspaper. Christopher filmed me at  Dudley Exhibition, at my London Talk when Lord Cormack spoke at my Dinner  and at Birmingham Conservative Dinner when I was  after dinner speaker .............

The Royal Commonwealth Society LONDON

I have visited and stayed here many times ....
The RCS no longer has accommodation......A pity... as I used to enjoy staying here, now it is a place to come to hear Ministers and sometimes Heads of State of the Commonwealth....to discuss its affairs and prospects.....and sometimes to meet also

Heads of other Nations In recent years Emeka An Yaoku who I am pleased to call a friend..and I, have met here, Lord Malloch Brown and I talked about the UN, Dr Mahathir who I met many times in Malaysia, and who hosted me there...they and many others have brightened my London visits in their own way.....................

Dudley

 A lovely sunny day today.. I walked a little ..looked at the Castle..decided not to walk there..the hill is quite steep...............
when I was in New York,  now two years ago, I went to The Lincoln Centre to see..and listen to Stravinsky, Oedipus Rex, brilliantly conducted, as always, by Gergiev..I had seen him previously at the superb Symphony Hall in Birmingham..and as he is back here soon in April, I have just booked to listen to Wagner ..Parsival on the 6th next month..as soon after the New York Concert I was hit and injured by a car just off 5th Avenue, I shall take this as a celebration of my return to health....it has taken 2 years to get this far...............

Shugborough

 Shugborough again ..the front of the house..which was to be in my book on Patrick's house and local villages..but I stopped working on it when he died, and my enthusiasm has eluded me since, it is a delightful area, however I have not visited since we last met and talked about it...........

Shugborough

 I visited Patrick The Earl of Lichfield at his studio in London, and I spent many hours drawing his home in Staffordshire, Shugborough. This is the side of the building where he had a private entrance. He liked my drawings and books, collecting one or two, and we enjoyed talking about our mutual love of this part of England, although my home county is the one next door, Worcestershire, where I now spend most of my time..until travel calls again I expect

Birthday 2012 my bouquet

Basically I relaxed ..had a very nice lunch with

others..opened cards ... simple things which are so nice and important

..what a change for me now from the permanent travel around the world

...........and how very much I enjoy it............

Kuala Lumpur visit

When I stayed in Kuala Lumpur last time
there were so many new things which I had
not seen when I lived there..

.....one was to live out of town ..to go to small streetside
restaurants which were not so busy.....
unlike the ones in centre city which I was used to visiting...

I had the long commute out of the city...........
even London traffic did not feel to be so bad
after these journeys.............
however the destination a quiet secluded street..
peaceful evenings when I was at home..
seemed to compensate for the journeys..
this was such an evening
.............. with my hosts...........

Embassy of Indonesia

My last meeting with Yuri, Ambassador to Indonesia before he returned
to Jakarta..we talked about my new book, which I will start working
on again soon..the next time it will be with his replacement...
the new Ambassador, soon to be in residence in London....I enjoyed the Indonesia

Evening at Harrods earlier.... meeting old friends is always pleasant... and the Store

used to sell my Drawings books ..so I have a special interest there too