Propping up the Bar

Design contre Design:catbar, originally uploaded by rhino75.

Wandering round the Grand Palais last night, clutching an empty champagne flute and in search of a bar, I came across this beauty. JUST the thing for Rhino75 Towers this Christmas, don'tcha think, dear reader? And Kitty would love it. There was also this rather saucy chair and a bed in the form of a uterus - you don't get many of those in the Ikea catalogue methinks. They're all part of a small exhibition called "Design Contre Design" which I wasn't expecting to see at all but was actually rather fun. I was there, naturally, for the big guns Courbet show. Have you noticed that no sooner do I mention that I love Courbet on this blog than the Grand Palais comes up with this exhibition - it's almost (my italics) spooky. I was familiar with many of the portraits but had never seen his landscapes before - a revelation, particularly the seascapes (check out La Vague) - or the hunting scenes. Such a wide range and yet you could see all the signs, particularly in the landscapes, of the Impressionists to come. Loved it. And I got to stand next to Bernard Tapie. While eating a bite-sized risotto. But I digress. Off to Brighton AGAIN this weekend to help sis celebrate her birthday and watch a bit more X-Factor. Hurrah!!

Doppelganger

So there I was, sipping my double vodka and tonic at the gay street party and eyeing up the (plentiful) talent when a cute Spanish guy came up and asked if he could take a photo of me because "you're the spitting image of my friend Tim." Cue the start of a very drunken afternoon with a lovely bunch of people, including said Tim and friends. We met so many wonderful guys 'n' gals this year at Brighton Pride, thanks in no small part to my two best wingwomen Sis and Jo - it must surely qualify as BPE (Best Pride Ever). Lovely too to have shared part of it with Petite Anglaise who gamely came along to the Lines & Bears line dancing tent and debated buying a Monkey Spanker. Back to Paris tomorrow afternoon, but still on holiday for a while. Hope you've had a FAB weekend too. Bons baisers de Brighton.

Notorious JLB

So this weekend, I hopped on the Eurostar to Brighton to watch my sis, Notorious JLB, spinning some choons at Stick It On. What a FANTASTIC night!! After kicking off with some pink fizz at home and a few drinks at the kitchissime Regency Tavern, it was off to Komedia to throw some top moves. Ok, ok, there was a slight moment of panic when the organizer told Sis: "Yeah, just turn up with your records and..." - we hadn't actually considered that you might have to bring the choons along with you. But the girls brought the house down, the crowd went mad for them. Don't take my word for it: watch them in action here and see the posse getting down here. They were even interviewed afterwards for Radio Reverb. Boy, did we drink though. Novelty of the night: I had my first ever shot of tuaca, which wasn't at all bad - I may be laying in some stores at Christmas. We rounded off the night with a full English breakfast and tea at Buddies, and even managed to fit in that British Saturday night staple "argument with some random lairy bloke" before stumbling home at 5 a.m. All this and deelish Sunday lunch at the wonderful Food For Friends too. All in all, an excellent weekend.

The Mother of All Prides

I always say there's no better way to start the day than with a celeb, so I knew things were off to a good start when I spotted former Star Academy pupil Morgane (Season 3, the best in my opinion) in the queue for the Eurostar. I didn't see her in first class, though, poor love. But you know, it was two years ago now and fame is fleeting - no-one knows that better than a *showbiz* casualty veteran like myself. Anyway, enough about her. No sooner had I got off the train in Brighton, than Sis had laid out a wonderful champagne breakfast with bagels, biccies and all manner of goodies. The weather was glorious and wearing flower garlands and carrying a large pink Union Jack we made our way to Preston Park, which was positively teeming with people - including Eastenders' very own Peggy Mitchell, Col, Monica, Pete 'n' Paul. A lot of drinking ensued. And Pride wouldn't, after all, be Pride without a visit to "The Bulldog" - where we met the very drunk Paul and his mates. Sunday's highlight was a delicious, and I mean delicious, long lunch here. An introduction to The Kooks. Oh, I could tell you more but what's the point? All you need to know is that it was a fabulous summer weekend and I wish you'd all been there (though of course, some of you were). AND it's nearly time for my proper summer holiday. Stand by for "Now That's What I Call a Vacation: Volume 120"...

I'm back!!

...and I had a FAB time, as always. With more than 120,000 people attending, Brighton has got to be THE best Pride in the U.K. Still haven't had time to upload all the pics etc. But here's a little taster for ya. I hope you've been good, as per instructions? ;D P.S. Was it my imagination, or were there a LOT more cowboys this year? - it has to be TBE (the Brokeback Effect).

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

...which is exactly where I am at the moment :). Having a wonderful time with sis, lots of yummy food, lovely people and the best accommodation in town. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to take part in "Gay Idol" (a three-day karaoke extravaganza at "The Bulldog"), but we did manage to see the movie "Crash" (fab!) and rather a lot of the inside of the Atlas Lounge and the Western Front pub. Out tonight with Col (of Rhino's Road Trip fame!) and then off to London for a few days. Travelling gripe: by the time I've packed all the adaptors, connectors, chargers etc. for my myriad electronic devices, there's actually no room left in my case for any clothes. How do Kylie and Madonna cope? Actually, that question is slightly rhetorical as I had the good fortune to catch a 1-hour Destiny's Child special, including all-important backstage footage of the "Destiny Fulfilled" tour. The solution, obvious enough when you think about it, is to travel by private jet - simple. I draw the line at letting Mum be my stylist though. P.S. If you want to see some more of my Brighton holiday, click here.