(Extraordinary Everyday: The Art and Design of Eric Ravilious @ The Arc, Winchester)

I’ve never seen the 1980s Bonds all the way through — until now, but they say that Bond movies reflect the era that they’re made in. And this one certainly does — in terms of gender, ethnicity and Anglo-American relations. Christopher Walken makes a superb villain — even in the grapple for life, suspended over Golden Gate Bridge, we wonder (as the audience) if it will be his movie and he will survive. His confidence is effortless — as is his immaculate hair.

Giles Teresa’s debut stage play, which he co-directs with Tom Morris (and acts in it too), truly restores the dignity black and brown women so often lose in art and drama, and that of black and brown men too. For such a gut-wrenching subject, it is life and people affirming, celebrating black and brown historical figures fight to be seen as fully human and to free enslaved people. This nuanced play explores the lives of enslaved people during the Atlantic Trade of the 18th century through the court case of the Zong, as well as those seeking to end the slave trade and those very much involved in keeping it going, and everyone else inbetween.

It really shouldn’t be that hard. I find myself, this Sunday, in a big city. I’m in the centre, I’ve walked past several church buildings, I’ve been able to check the service times on one. But I find myself church homeless this Sunday. How can this be? The church nearest…

Lockdowns. Online lectures. James Wright. Castles. Archaeology! Erudite. Entertaining. Passionate. Team Promoting. Fun. With occasional diversions into tiny son, gig, cat or cider territory. As part of Triskele Heritage, buildings archeologist Dr James Wright has been delivering wonderful online lectures on all aspects of archaeology since the first UK Lockdown and beyond. He’s even developed a ground roots fanbase Facebook group!

A searing but very funny and thoughtful play about city planning, what makes a community and how two individuals are both trying to improve their communities in diametrically opposed ways. Although sold as a star vehicle for Ralph Fiennes, David Hare’s work is, uniquely in these times, an ensemble piece. Robert Moses wants to counter poverty and challenging the wealthy monopoly of access to ease of travel by building a network of roads to open up and recreate New York, starting with Long Island and joining all the lines together at last for freedom of movement and personal ease and…

Imagine MacBeth, King Lear and Donald Trump mashed up in one blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter to you and I) drama where the White House is the new Trump Towers and the media the new battleground. All the world’s truly a stage here, with dashes of Trump breaking the fourth wall Richard III- style. The 47th imagines the next election race between Biden and Cruz in 2024 — only really it’s between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, with the Trump progeny lurking in the background. The real-life characters are beautifully realised by the cast. Trump as played by Bertie Carvel is part Richard III…

This exhibition at the National Gallery was woefully under-advertised, but so mesmerising and gripping if you can find this free exhibition. So glad a friend told me to go! and I did! Inspirational, romantic, epic, vat canvases and yet hidden in plain sight (like David) less romantic subjects — the life threatening perils of travelling by boat to a better life, or of being a black or brown person in a cold, frozen, hostile? white landscape.

Most of all I can’t believe the atmosphere of trust in this gallery setting — there are no barriers or alarms — you can (within reason) stick your face right into a Van Gogh and see all the colours and textures — which is amazing! It’s at the new and shinily improved Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House….Enjoy *that* staircase and the beauty of Somerset House piazza too! Such in one of the straw hats!