Letter From London

London in May was suddenly hot, which makes Mad Dogs and Englishmen seem quite true. Looking out my window onto Green Park found masses of people trying to make it into the Riviera, or at least the Costa Brava. The days leading up to the Jubilee seemed to find the English happy with their Queen, and indeed, photos of Elizabeth and Phillip showing them walking up or down airplane stairs without so much of a holding on, instead straight down the middle, would seem to say they are both amazingly fit. There was not so much decoration around, the thought being on village parties, especially "The Long Table" set for this weekend, where everyone in the UK sits down to celebrate with Coronation Chicken, that famous Constance Spry recipe from the Queen's Coronation Celebration....seems like yesterday. You would have to enjoy that blend of curry, apricot, mayonaise, chicken and rice...rather a dated affair, but I still fix it, and will do so this weekend. I visited my friends at Attadale Gardens in Scotland. Nickie Macpherson has the artist;s eye, and has transformed this estate into the most popular garden in Scotland. Taking a chalenging landscape of hillsides, rock cliffs, meadows and bogs, she has created a series of gardens witnin a garden. I like best the original rhododendrum planting, all brought from the Himalayas in the 19th Century. They are all towering trees now, and looking ar the tops full of bloom, the eye is carried up rock cliffs, where all firs and decidious trees tower at the top...over 150 feet above you. It is rather like a Chinese scroll painting from ancient times. This part of Scotland is very wild, and one goes miles at times with only barren hills and lochs, with great penensula jutting out into the Atlantic, even wilder still. I love the little train that goes from Inverness to Attadale, having to request a stop at Attadale, where the estate station sits beside Loch Carron. You have to make sure you are at the head of the train when you alight, as the platform is only one car in length, otherwise you plunge into the void. I noticed many Japanese are now discovering this area to tour, and in fact, Attadale with its Japanese Garden is a magnet. This was not a musical trip for once, and I didn't see a piano the whole time, which is good for the body in general. I never seem to have to search again for my fingers after a break, and I attribute this to the Matthay technique of relaxation. When I have a moment in the days ahead, I will comment on Stephen Siek's new bio of Matthay, which reveals an astounding amount of detail about his life, and the politics of music in London at the turn of the last century. Thought provoking, and worthy of a long article. Be back soon!