Patrick day 2

Arrived at Patrick's 10am and interviewed him in the garden about his family history - main problem being that trainee helicopters circled continuously overhead - John busy on the phone to persuade them to stop, meanwhile the recurrence made a fitting break to each section of Patrick's life, preventing endless stories.
Charlie Higson arrived 11am so we then moved into Library mode - unfortunately Charlie too pleasant a chap to stop Patrick mid flow so we were treated to the latter's endless irrelevant classical references when it was all meant to be art related, but have since chewed it over and decided it might actually work if we change the ideology of the whole Library sequence.

Charlie Higson and Patrick in the Library

After lunch a new addition - a visit to Alice Temperley's glorious Palladian villa and a quick interview since she is an old family friend. Young, enthusiastic, bubbly, quite at ease with the camera - could work well.

The delightful Alice

Back to Patrick's house and filmed the man himself and John looking through sketchbooks, and then Patrick sketching something with his tea-bags, Indian ink and Somerset reeds - magical. Followed by a trip to the Monument - a source of inspiration, a restorative walk and, when Anne was ill, a contemplative landscape.

The monument and tree, and John doing the 'Hockney' boy pose!

The Gallery restaurant in Chard was open so we dined there, very good but portions far beyond our capabilities.