Paul Tonkinson and the Wildlife Photography Exhibition.

This was a very enjoyable and varied day. Each year I take a friend and her youngest son to the Natural History Museum to see the Annual Wildlife Photography Exhibition. This is always a brilliant thing to see - there are always just utterly stunning photos on display. Its also great to be able to compare how young Tom grows up each year just in terms of the maturity of his comments.

Only catch is that at holidays the museum is full of young kids. Although getting there at opening time helps. And a beautiful morning it was too.




Then onto the V & A next door for a potter around especially the 20th century gallery, and the rather interesting Chinese art display in the courtyard. Its based on Chinese landscapes. (I had also visited here a couple of days earlier to catch two closing exhibitions - Chinese Painting and Pearls, plus a further one on 80s club fashion (nothing like anything I ever wore at the time!)

 The V & A also has a very fine, if very red, Christmas tree

We finished up with lunch and just a good old chat. I love catching up with folk. And I have to say there is something particularly satisfying at seeing how a youngster is growing up. And Tom is a terrific kid - just like his older brother with whom I went out in the evening along with my ex-trainee who is about to join my department as a qualified solicitor, much to my delight.

This evening outing was a great joy as they are both really intelligent young men, but in no way when we go out is it like University Challenge. Its nothing other than a great laugh start to finish. Nothing serious is said for a few hours - totally frivolous banter. It helps in this that our evening was centred on my local comedy club.

The way this works is that there are three acts - a good one to open, a novice and then the headline act.

The first, Gordon Southern was pretty good and we definitely enjoyed his act. The second, one Benny Boot, was really pretty dire. My two companions were far more amusing. By a country mile. But Paul Tonkinson was a very accomplished headline act. I had never seen him before doing stand-up. He is better known from presenting breakfast TV many years ago. A lot of nice observational stuff based on his family. Well worth catching him if you get the chance.