All rise for Dame Thora

A little respite today from the treadmill of constantly doing things. Woken by the splendidly thoughtful men with pneumatic drills who decided it was a jolly good day to dig up the solid concrete pavement in front of Chelsmore Apartments. As if we didn't have enough to contend with - the continuous sirens and bleeping horns - not to mention the solid metal plates they've considerately put down on 7th Avenue which go 'kerboom' every time a vehicle drives over them, which is approximately eight times a second.

Bleary eyed morning spent in the pursuit of domesticity - washing me smalls and hanging them up in the window. To dry of course.

Stumbled out into the early afternoon sunlight and took myself off to the plethora of galleries to be found in Chelsea. I spent the afternoon wandering in and out of private galleries, looking at works a diverse as Jane and Louise Wilson's video installation entitled 'Erewhon' of 1950s-style gymnasiums in New Zealand and Shimon Attie's wonderful photographs of projections onto old buildings in Rome. There's such a diversity of art on display and a smorgasbord of galleries - I've probably only seen about a fifth of them. Call me thrifty if you will but there's plenty more free entertainment there.

This morning's rude awakening by those workmen and their oversized powertools had left me feeling a little flakey, so some food and wine and an evening in to recharge the batteries was called for. When Dame Thora in 'The Last of the Summer Wine' came on the television we stood up and saluted good old Blighty. Next up the lovely Dame Judi with Geoffrey Palmer in 'As Time Goes By'...gor blimey it brings a tear to me eye. Oh I've got myself going now...cripes it's Donald Sinden!