Humidity

Like a weighted blanket, the air sits hot and heavy over London; still and humid. As you enter the Underground the temperature rises another stifling ten degrees. There is no respite; only your air-conditioned office, closeted and dark down the rabbit warren of hallways in the hidden areas behind the grand façade that is Christie’s Auction House in St James’s, Mayfair.

I have finished my university course on Leonardo da Vinci, and it was a humbling but educational experience. I didn’t learn too much more about the man than I already knew (well, except – did you know that he was also a sculptor?) but I certainly learned that I have a lot to learn about learning. My tutor took me down a notch or two, from scores averaging in the 90 percentile right down to the fifties. And I cannot but help acknowledge, he might’ve been a bully, but he was right - my essays did not deserve high marks. I’ve begun to realise you can’t always rely on Style over Substance in an academic essay. At some point or another, you have to Make the Argument. You have to find the right insights, using only university-accepted material, and make a strategic or deductive leap that clearly substantiates your argument – whatever angle you might be coming from.

I have always suspected that I tend to slide superficially over the real issues, be it in marketing or art history, and this course confirmed the truth of that. I have a lot to learn, but I have also learned a lot.

It put me off my studies for a while; a little out of fear, a little out of resentment. But I have been distracted by other things too.

Making the Argument is easy when it comes to my new man. We seem to argue heatedly over everything, and it’s not always his fault. (Amazingly, I’ve discovered I’m wrong in a lot of ways :-D ) I like my space, I hate eating breakfast or dinner, I like to be alone, I don’t always like to party. And I expect my partner to bend to my will in all things. Not so good. So temperatures have risen, and we’ve had some blazing rows recently. Thankfully both of us never forget how much we mean to each other, and each confrontation has been a good learning point.

We bought a Super King Size Bed – which takes up just about the whole bedroom. We love the bed and bought satin sheets for pure indulgence. Big mistake, as we’ve spent most of the last 10 nights sliding off the slippery sheets. Back to cotton we go, which certainly helps in this heat.















And we’ve taken up new pursuits together – including archery. He is an avid collector of decorative weaponry – compound bows, samurai swords and dangerous little flick-knives. We decided to try out bows and arrows at a club in nearby East Finchley and have just finished our Beginner’s Course together. We love it, and are just about to buy our first Recurve Bows. Recurve bows are the utilitarian design best suited to everyday archery, but I did have the privilege of shooting with a more traditional longbow as well. Not easy, but what a beautiful, elegant bow to shoot with!

Last night we sat together outside on the clubhouse steps, gazing out over the archery fields, and watching the big sky over Highgate Wood, where thundery storm clouds shot lightning bolts across the horizon, and a cool breeze began to blow the sticky heat away. This summer has been wonderful; I have been unemployed for part of it, but have loved the free time and holiday heat.

Archery, walking, swimming in the Hampstead ponds, as well as a Boules match at my Summer Sunday Picnic, and a day on the magnificent Stone Bay Beach at Broadstairs - as well as Glastonbury, of course - has made my summer season action-packed and an utter joy. No sweat at all …