I was back in Oxford last weekend catching up with family before heading off to Canada. After seeing my aunt Anne and uncle Christopher, plus cousins Miranda and Trio, I headed down to Modern Art Oxford to see what was cooking.

Acting on a tip-off (thanks Ellie!) I had reason to believe there was a Callum Innes exhibition in town. My sources were right and it's absolutely brilliant. It was the most comprehensive exhibition of his work I'd ever seen and as he is far and away my favourite painter I was in raptures. It's easy to say all his stuff looks the same but for me there isn't another artist in Britain today who can match him for visually and emotionally engaging work. His work is contemplative, not outrageous, and that's probably why he's not bigger news. If you are in the Oxford area before April 15th, go see.

I was then planning on going home, but acting on another tip-off (thanks Trio) I hung around till the evening to catch Luminox. I'm very glad I did because it was the most amazing sight.


Apparently 2007 marks 1000 years of Oxfordshire.* Broad Street, infamous for fiery events in the past, hosted a modern celebration via the medium of fire, a spectacle devised by French spectacliers (c. J Johnston 2007) Carabosse. It was the sort of randomly fabulous public event that I find it hard to believe that nobody in the Council didn't ban. I wandered round with Trio and a friend of hers and even had the great good fortune of bumping into my former neighbour Cyrus Mower. Magical is a hackneyed phrase but the crowds, music and firelight created a wonderful atmosphere that was gone as you moved back into the world of electric lighting. That's magic.



* Hmmm - seems like a rather made-up excuse for a party but lets not quibble.