The Harvard Club New York

This year I stayed at The Harvard Club, previously I was

resident at The University Club................

both are just off 5th Avenue.

The Harvard Club I find to be a real home for my stay in New York,

full of the history of the University but alive every day with new

affairs. ...in the time that I was there I met Alistair Cooke's son, who spoke about

himself..not only his famous father, who read his 'Letter from America'..for many years....

which it seemed everyone stayed to listen to on the BBC..........

and an excellent USA Government Official residing in the Middle Eas,t

who spoke about the difficulties and pleasures of life in that tumultuous region of the globe.

I always love my New York.. ...evenings for Exhibition at The Embassy to

The United Nations of the Phillipines,

and dinner at the Club meeting, among others, another Director of Morgan Stanley, I had met quite a few on this visit .................

which I will write about later

Dudley my Drawings Book and the future

I returned to England some years ago and, because
of the circumstances at the time, I decided to put together
a series of drawings which I had made during my life,
which reflected the places which I knew as a child.
Many of these are in Worcestershire, with a small digression into Shropshire, for Bridgnorth town
and one particular one features London, where I went quite regularly, as
holidays often were at Hastings, and my parents
made sure that we stopped off, so that I could learn about the capital
One special time, as they all were, I was placed on the wall of The Embankment,
so that, across the Thames, I could see The Houses of Parliament,
about which, even though I was quite young, I knew,
as my parents had many contacts in Government and politics,
and regular visitors at home were Members, and prospective Members of Parliament.

I wrote, to accompany these drawings, just a few words about my parents, my childhood,

and my book was complete.

A photograph taken at Himley Hall, my drawing of which I chose for the cover, by a busy Midlands based photographer

who I knew well, George Jenkins, and Dudley Print completed
the 'Local' presentation, which has been seen in many countries now,
courtesy of The British Council and The United Nations, Harrods, etc.,and many Exhibitions and Talks.
Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali repeated to me, the UN Director's request for this,
a second book of mine, to be in The UN New York,
when we met at Parliament in New Zealand, at the invitation of Don McKinnon, then Deputy Prime Minister, later Secretary-General of The Commonwealth,

and I said that next time we met, I would present it to him,
personally, as he had requested.
Some time later, in Oxford, at a private gathering, which included many Oxford Dons
I presented the Secretary -General of The United Nations with
'DRAWINGS OF MY CHILDHOOD PLACES'

The person who wanted to be the first to buy it, was Christopher Haviland, Deputy Managing Director Barclays Bank, who I knew quite well. I enjoyed his company and conversation,

and ... at a very interesting day at The Royal Commonwealth Society in London,I presented a copy of this special book, which I produced to honour my parents' memory, to Emeka,

Chief Emeka An Yaoku, then Secretary-General of The Commonwealth, now President WWF, who I am pleased to call a dear friend

This year I was finally able, at lunch in New York, to give a copy to a most important friend for many years, Frederick B Whittemore, former International President Pacific Basin Economic Council for which I had my book Malaysia Terima Kasih become the presentation book, he is Advisor Director Morgan Stanley....................................

I had always planned that this would have another book to accompany it to cover local aspects of my home town Dudley, and county,...................................................

I titled it 'DRAWINGS AND CHILDHOOD MEMORIES'

I have not completed this yet............................
but recently I asked an independent person, Director of UKTrade and Investment what he thought I should do next, and ...without knowing anything of the plans, which I had kept to myself, he said, another book with family and other local history, following your first English one,
and so, in the middle of all the travelling which I have made this year, to

New York, Kuala Lumpur, Biarritz, London...
and other parts of the United Kingdom...........................
I have had this in mind....I do not know the outcome yet......................................................

New York sights

One of my favourite things to do in New York
is to simply walk 5th Avenue...............
from the small Park past 44th Street to the
main Central Park which everyone knows, at The Plaza and The Pierre end
where the horse drawn carriages take visitors around the block
in style

along the walk are many famous landmarks for me to enjoy.........
The University Club on 54th where I stayed previously..Rockefeller Centre
in bloom, at this time of year...where I lunched on the 65th floor at The Rockefeller Club,
a favourite City lunchtime place with amazing views from Central Park to the Statue...
in the winter a fantastic icy skating scene..the Cathedral..Saint Regis Hotel..
until past the gleaming Trump building you can see the open spaces of the Park ahead..
and the Sherry Netherland at the right hand corner of that wonderful green space in the City

June 2009 was so eventful Biarritz again

We had lunch at the White House Hotel with the

statue opposite to the Victoria Surf apartments which face the beach and sea

An excellent day with a sunny aspect as it so often is

I have now an enlarging portfolio of drawings and

many photographs.........

some of me,

not just my look at others although that is interesting too

I decided this time, after my meetings with

M Michel Postel at his Musee Asiatica to become a tourist...........

and travel on the little bus which goes around town past the market

and even to ride the train from the beach around the headland through the town an back

this time with it seemed like a whole school of

spanish children and so I was able to practise spanish too

just one of the delights of this town

which has a fascinating history

The Harvard Club

MY HOME THIS TIME IN NEW YORK
The imposing front of The Harvard Club
gives way to the elegant interior,
with its extraordinary Hall, high ceilinged and dark panelled,
a wonderful place to enjoy morning coffee with The Wall Street Journal
I cannot ignore the banking sector, having been Consultant to two,
and as I read The New York Times each day, online, it is nice to have the
paper to unfold.
I find Clubs to be so comfortable, and welcoming,
however The Harvard Club is now my choice,
The University Club, where I stayed previously, is on 5th Avenue a short distance away

Victoria in New York

I always feel that I must visit the Rockefeller Centre
read the inscriptions,
and, as this time it was summer, sit outside to watch the
visitors from all parts of the world simply enjoying the
atmosphere which the whole plaza seems to encourage
This year, brilliant with flowers, a contrast to the
winter skaters who I have watched before,
it appears to be more relaxed than usual

Victoria's lazy Sunday afternoon in New York

New York Philippines Exhibition

Other paintings from the 5th Avenue
Embassy to the United Nations Exhibition
of the young Philippines artist