2026 Exhibitions 3: Radical Harmony Helene Kröller-Müller's Neo-Impressionists (to 8 February National Gallery). Helene Kröller-Müller was one of the 20th century’s great women art patrons and brought together a remarkable collection of Neo-Impressionist paintings.

FT on Julian Barnes’ new book: Departure(s): ‘If this is his last book, he has given his career a triumphant ending.’ Excellent reading for research for the session I am hosting with Barnes @toppingsbath.bsky.social 16 March. Book here: www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/bath/...

2026 Exhibitions 2: Seeing the Blossom. My first visit to Studio Voltaire. It includes interviews with Potter collaborators, people in the Forest of Dean, artwork by Lloyd. The centrepiece is Melvyn Bragg’s remarkable ‘final interview’ with Potter which moved me yesterday as much as it did in 1994.

‘…Bowie was obsessive about his work but also interested in everything around him. His first question was always, “What books have you read recently?” I think that’s why his influence is so enduring. We can’t live his life but we can be inspired by his approach.’

Wandering around Clapham yesterday to visit Studio Voltaire and came across this fine old cinema. Built in 1914 and designed by John Stanley Beard, it closed in 1960 and became a bingo hall and recording studio.

2026 Exhibitions 1: Cecil Beaton at National Portrait Gallery. A brilliant show covering his early work, his home and guests, New York, Second World War, Hollywood and My Fair Lady. It mentions - but doesn’t cover - his sacking by Vogue US for antisemitism just before the Second World War.

Enjoyed this, even though parts showed the difficulties of an actor’s life.

2026 Watching #9: Zootopia 2. Superior Disney animation and a welcome follow up to the first. My favourite character is the Sloth. See it on the big screen if you can.

Latest read - preparation for our event on The Likely Lads, 6 February at @slapstickfest.bsky.social. Book here: slapstick.org.uk/events/the-l...

Georges Seurat Paul Signac, 1890 National Gallery

David Hockney Cecil Beaton 1969 National Portrait Gallery

There’s some key issues covered here for new towns. We’ll be discussing these in our Festival of Flourishing Regions March 2026.

2026 Watching #8: Sentimental Value. A terrific film helping launch another year of cinemagoing. Wonderful acting and fine writing.

Earl Grey tea (though it should be beer) with The Likely Lads for research for our @slapstickfest.bsky.social session 6 February. I’ve enjoyed choosing the many clips. Now to prepare the talk. Book here: slapstick.org.uk/events/the-l...

One of the very best public art programmes. I always read these on the tube when I visit London. And realise now I’ve been doing so for the whole of your 40 years. Thank you.

‘“We should build a monument to books,” commented Adam Michnik, a prominent dissident. “A book is like a reservoir of freedom, like fresh air. They allowed us to survive and not go mad.” Miroslaw Chojecki had done much to ensure that free books and much else besides had sustained that survival.’

2026 Watching #7: Marty Supreme. A terrific film all round. Enjoyed this greatly.

2026 watching #6: Death by Lightning. Superior Netflix series. Spent time since reading about the Garfield and Arthur presidencies.

It’s going to be a fine year for Camus - just spotted that 1200 pages of letters will be published in July by Penguin.

Like others commenting online, I do wonder what happened to the overflowing bath and who fed the bird and cat, though.

This is out from Granta in April. I look forward to reading it.

2026 watching #5: The Whole Town’s Talking. 1935 film from John Ford about a murderer on the loose and the man in the same city who resembles him. Terrific (and funny) performance by Jean Arthur. Fine Saturday night film.

2026 watching #4: Peter Hujar’s Day. Interesting premise and made well (filming on 16mm) on a life in the day of the artist. Shows the routine as well as special moments that make an artist’s life. I fear it will be of limited interest, though. Certainly few attendees this afternoon.

Enjoyed last week’s episode. Recorder set for the series.

2026 watching #3: Likely Lads. Currently rewatching all episodes ready for @slapstickfest.bsky.social event 6 February. Much of it stands up today, though this time I’m noticing more the melancholy of the relationships as well as the fears and realities of a changing Newcastle. Booking link below:

2026 watching #2: first visit to the cinema this year to see Song Song Blue. I liked this much more than I thought I would, though it’s a bit melodramatic at times. I loved Kate Hudson’s performance.

2026 watching #1: The Catch. First in this terrific looking collection from Radiance of films by Nagisa Oshima. Tensions in a Japanese village emerge as they decide what to do with a captured American pilot near the end of World War 2. A stunning transfer with lots of extras. Recommended.

‘He always believed that the only way to outwit absurdity and cheat mortality was to harness creativity, work hard and to leave behind something of worth. The Notebooks are part of that hard-won legacy.’

This is worth watching, though I would have preferred more on the failings (which are mentioned in passing). It had a short cinema release (which I missed - it was very short) and is now on Netflix.

I wouldn’t have given it four stars - it is too predictable a plot and is a bit silly - but a just about ok film to end another year of cinemagoing. New year starts with Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value on Friday. 2026 films starting well.

A terrific book - one of the best I read in 2025.

One of the many great finds in a recent break in Lisbon was the Berardo Collection Museum (now the MAC/CCB) of modern and contemporary art. Founded by businessman and art collector Joe Berardo, the Lisbon museum is home to Art Nouveau and Art Deco collections. A place of wonder.

Seeing Marty Supreme next week. Here’s some of the real life story.

‘Poor connectivity is holding back our cities and our region. Opportunities in fast-growing sectors of the Leeds economy…are accessible to too few people… Businesses grow less quickly, create fewer great jobs and leave too many talented people underemployed.’ 1/2

This is terrific. See it at the cinema if you can. @wshed.bsky.social has it end January with a short season of French new wave films through the month. www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/seas...

My Christmas present to me.

Pompidou Centre is now closed for refurbishment and 120,000 works of art put into storage/ displayed by others. But one piece remains: Mr. Raynaud’s “Container Zero.”

Good work, Oxfam Bath.

Just arrived: advance reading copy of new book from Julian Barnes. Looking forward to reading and interviewing him 16 March 2026 for @toppingsbath.bsky.social. Book here: www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/bath/...

Did many events with John and always read his reviews and books. His The Intellectuals and the Masses: Pride and Prejudice among the Literary Intelligentsia, 1880–1939 and What Good are the Arts? were influential in my work in Bristol and my thinking generally.

I’ll be subscribing to this.

Delighted to be hosting Julian Barnes for Toppings Bath 16 March. Look forward to reading the new book and the backlist in preparation.

Picture Bristol tried to buy now in Tate exhibition on Turner and Constable. I had hoped it might come to Bristol first. JMW Turner The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol exhibited 1793

Interesting Oxfam find. The first Anarchy. I was going to have an Earl Grey tea with it but every anarchist knows ‘proper tea is theft’. So I went for vegan hot chocolate.

‘He came and went in the series as the best friend, a fellow journalist and an aspiring writer. He featured as a Byronic presence. Even when he was destitute, he had an air that suggested wealth and fame awaited him, and that he would greet them with grace and panache.’

Latest newsletter now published. Donna Speed looks at We The Curious at 25 and I write about Bristol writer ACH Smith at 90: open.substack.com/pub/festival...

John Boorman writes about Tom Stoppard and The Newcomers here. For more on Stoppard and The Newcomers see this by ACH Smith: festivalofideas.substack.com/p/the-newcom...

‘“There used to be a type like David Pryce-Jones,” the writer Jay Nordlinger said in an interview. “They were mainly British. They were generalists. They kind of knew everything. There aren’t people like that anymore.”’

‘If Cowley stood for anything, it was the idea that a national literature could not exist without the toil of true believers who committed themselves, regardless of the caprices of sales or critical reception, to bettering their countrymen through good books.’

‘The language of Stoppard — the Czech-born British dramatist who has died at 88 — has always affected me like an intravenous cocktail of adrenaline and endorphins.’