I'm back! Well, what can I say - usual excuses, promises to do better - but the longer one leaves something, the harder it is to jump back in. However, May has been a colourful month here - or is it just the glorious sunshine? I've enjoyed a little exhibition of works by Jean-Marie Toulgouat, who was Monet's step-great-grandson. I spent a day with him once - he was a lovely man - and it felt like fleetingly touching art history.

By nature, I'm more of a dour, rain-washed Celt - so that sensation of swimming in joyful colour is quite irresistible. I also enjoyed this recent exhibition of works by the inspirational Josephine Trotter who is 85 but feels she is only half-way through her career; most days I feel on the scrapheap of mine, but that's being dour and rain-washed!

Last weekend I had a day out in Brighton where I sat on a bench on the pier, breathed in the chip fumes, dithered over ice-cream flavours and chose lavender - and happened on a second helping of fish and chips in an artist's studio.

Of course, I had to spend a few hours in Brighton Pavilion, though it seemed wicked on such a sunny day - because I can't resist a grand historic kitchen, especially one fitted with palm trees. All the more so because I've been watching the ridiculous, but entertaining series Carême - which takes me ages, as I have to freeze-frame every vol-au-vent and lavish dessert.

In fact, it's been a kitchen-y week as well as a colourful week - because I've also been to Kew Gardens, ostensibly to admire the rhododendrons, but my favourite part isn't botanical, it's the Kew Palace kitchens. Sadly, my interest in kitchens fizzles out when it comes to my own housework rather than history.

Anybody else watching the classic TV series A Family at War on TPTV? I'm really enjoying it - only slightly frustrated by the old-style drip feed of one episode a week, as nowadays I'm a fervent binge-watcher. It originally aired from 1970-72 which is even longer ago than I recall; in fact, I don't remember watching it back then as I wasn't much of a television-viewer in my teens - I'd have been hogging the 'front room', ostensibly doing my homework but actually immersed in my stash of Jackie magazines and obsessing about my split ends. (Whatever happened to split ends? Does anybody have them any more? How many gallons of Protein 21 shampoo did it take before I grasped that advertisers saw me coming?) However, somebody must have been watching - because that Vaughan Williams theme music and the opening titles with the sandcastle waft me right back ... get a grip, I'm not really nostalgic for O-levels revision! High-class television, though, great writing and a great cast - and doesn't the young Barbara Flynn, as Freda Ashton, look so pretty?

Last minute dash to Milton Keynes for the Vanessa Bell exhibition - where it struck me that as well as Virginia's £500 and a room of one's own, it helps to employ two nursemaids, one for each child ...

And a housemaid to sweep the room of one's own. I'm not a fully-committed Bloomsbury-ite so the people-watching opportunities in the gallery brought me great joy: so many artsy ladies in scarves and amusing hats and artsy old gents with Quentin Bell beards, and one wonderfully rotund old codger in hysterical pants. I did wonder what the future holds for Bloomsbury-worship when this generation of acolytes dies off.

I was intrigued by this electric(?)fire -

And by VW's revolutionary ideas about coffee and table settings: 'We were full of experiments and reforms. We were going to do without table napkins ... we were going to paint; to write; to have coffee after dinner instead of tea at nine o'clock. Everything was going to be new, everything was going to be different.' I hope the coffee didn't keep her up all night. I enjoyed the Famous Women Dinner Service with plates commemorating Queen Victoria and Jezebel, Jane Austen and Miss America 1933.

And I loved all the flowers ...

Well, bear with me while I get back in my stride - but I will say that this Iranian film is simply gripping and had me on the edge of my seat last night. (Word of warning, it's VERY long!) 5* from me, although it does strain credibility towards the end - but I was so engrossed that didn't bother me at the time.

Is there anybody there? Well, a couple of people were kind enough to say they missed me. And it's only taken me five months to work out how to load pictures again. (I wasn't on the case 24/7 but I did sporadically try, honest!) Anyway, an anonymous query last night asking if I'd retired from blogging prompted me to google - and this time I came up with an answer that worked! So here's a picture to celebrate the spring that hasn't yet sprung around here - but I'm enjoying the daffs that were 19p a bunch in Waitrose this afternoon. Normal service could well be resumed soon - although I'm not sure you've missed out on much as the blog hiatus has coincided with a long lethargic spell here. (Weather, more weather, house sale that was sensible but nevertheless sad, and penny dropping that having long believed I was completely devoid of any work ethic, even so I'm bizarrely unsuited to retirement.) And yes, I missed all of you, too!

Saddened to hear of the death of the sublime Dame Maggie and so glad that I got to see her last stage performance five years ago.

I don't know how my local cinema stays open because there was only me and one other person there this afternoon - for this lovely film that was sad and funny. And definitely aimed at my generation as I'm all too obviously there for the silver screen discount and the free coffee (delivered to my seat by a nice Generation Z-er who didn't want me to miss the start of the film). It has been quite a cinematic week as I also saw Prima Facie with an astonishing performance by Jodie Comer; first time I'd seen a NT Live production - apart from a few at home during lockdown - as if you live in London it's just as easy, and often cheaper, to go to the theatre. I didn't think I'd be as engaged watching a screen - but I was mesmerised.