Something lovely happened After nursing Avis through her last four months, Ken has attended all of our friend, Maiko Mori’s recitals in London this year. At the first he could attend on June 27th, Maiko & Liubov, a celllst played their programme & for an encore, played a moving piece by Amy Beach, “in memory of Avis.”

Liubov Ulybysheva & Maiko Mori

The Claremont Project We went to the Friday afternoon concerts as before. Ken has offered our Lecture programmes & we await a verdict from the new organiser Phoebe, Kiri having left.

The U3A in London

Ken thought he had completed the full series of European History talks with Talk 259, “Last Things”, which takes history up to September 3rd 1939. However, he has been pressured to continue the series through the Second World War, after which, there was much social change. Revision continues on earlier talks, as new information is pouring out. .

In the U3A Summer Programme Ken gave four talks: One called “Life after Reuters” originally prepared for the Reuter Society, a club for ex-members of the news agency but all about his & Avis’ thrilling lives, appropriate for the year of her death; “The History of Printing” the third significant technology invented by humans, after speaking & writing.
Lastly, two talks on the History of Scotland, with four more to follow in next year’s Summer Programme.

All Ken & Avis' talks are available to any club in London that wants them.

However, the talks will all obviously be given by Ken but in any case, he prepared them.
It was his knowledge of Modern Art that nailed their relationship together 42 years ago,
a tale oft told. (See Ken’s eulogy on Avis’ funeral page)

Ken’s reading list of books for the year

“Shutdown - How Covid Shook the World’s Economy” by Orlando Figes. by Adam Tooze. Formidable analysis of what happened,
particularly in the dysfunctional financial system.
“Love, Revenge and Buttered Scones” by Bobbie Darbyshire. Scottish adventure, which changes plot every other page.
Ken sussed the 1st surprise before it sprang but not the others.
“The Country of Mothers” by A.M. Homes. A psychiatrist goes completely off-piste, thinking a client is her illegitimate daughter, given up for adoption. Ends lamely.
“Eurotrash” by Christian Kracht. Allegedly, the tale of a mother & son drive through Switzerland, the author being the son. Intriguingly weird.
“Companion piece” by Ali Smith. Quite complicated to work out her intention in writing it.
“The Seventh Son” by Sebastian Fawkes. A remarkable tale of a Neanderthal/Sapiens hybrid, thoroughly researched.
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë. Never read before, a nightmare. Very powerful but not enjoyable.
“Under Ken Wood” by Neil Titley. Delightful stories about “charaters” in the Hampstead area..
“Brooklyn” by Colm Toibin. Amazing that a Gay could write so penetratingly about a young woman.
“Dark Like Under” by Alice Chadwick. A remarkable insight into the modern teenage mind.
“Assembly” by Natasha Brown. Ferocious tales about being black under the White Gaze.
“An Ordinary Youth” by Walter Kempinsky. Not ordinary - from the late 1930s to 1945 in Germany & taking NAZIdom for granted.
“The Sexual Life of Catherine M” by Catherine Millet. Remarkable memoir by an art critic. Found in Avis’ bedside cupboard.
“Name” by Constance Debré. Feminist/lesbian rant by the grand-daughter of the former French Prime Minister.
“All Fours” by Miranda July. Menopause novel, hard for a man to understand, even when he has a menopausal Deputy Wife.
“Aftermath” by Rachel Cusk. How she got over the divorce she initiated. Beautiful writing.
“Intermezzo” by Sally Rooney. Amazing tale of two brothers, very different, grieving for their Father. Ends happily, just.
“Long Island” by Colm Toibin. Follow up to ‘Brooklyn’ 20 year’s later. End leaves one to work it out.
“Gliff” by Ali Smith. Strange but compelling. A Magic Realist “State-of-the-Nation” book.
“Ornamentalism” by David Cannadine. The attitude of the British to their empire. An entertaining read.
“Union Street” by Pat Barker. Her first & very impressive picture of poverty.