They had a tiny kitchen in the background and baked camemberts using various recipes which were utterly delicious and they’ve won awards for their ceramic camembert bakers and include a recipe booklet inside so anyone can launch forth and create such delicacies that were seducing their buyers! To see the full Cheese and Herb ranges (pages 32-35) and indeed their full 2012 PDF brochure inside please go to www.thedrhcollection.com and press the button that says “expand” – also what happens to ones waist with too much of the baked camemberts too….

All very busy with Country Life as have illustrated all the windows in their advent calendar cover, painted a double page spread written by the funny Kit Hesketh-Harvey and attended the launch of their new book called “Country Life: Curious Observations A Country Miscellany” which compiles quirky and fascinating stories from their archive. It is a must for every loo around the country for a happy leg-swinging time!

Have always found Sandi Toksvig a very funny woman and therefore rather pleased when I heard from Good Housekeeping’s art director asking me to illustrate her back page column. The first illustration I’ve done appears in the February 2012 issue and shall look forward to a laugh every month before thinking up a design for the page. Very cheering, also illustrated a piece for Tescos Magazine to appear next year too… I think…. have been a bit vague about when that’s to appear….

Ronald Searle has long been a hero and, to me, is the most exceptional illustrative talent today. His work has amazed and inspired me from early childhood and I had the honour of sharing his New York agent, John Locke, for several years and took great pleasure in seeing his original art on the walls and hearing stories about him – very fittingly over champagne and dainty biscuits. Having been brought up on the the hilarity of “Searle in the Sixties” (ensconced in our loo from its publication on), the discovery of harrowing drawings from Changi, where my Great Uncle Sid was also incarcerated, were a shocking revelation. My Great Uncle was so effected by his time there he could never talk of his experience in the camp itself and having seen those drawings all became perfectly clear. He too had a great love in his wife Jean and they remained utterly devoted till her death.

Monica must have been an incredibly strong and brave woman, and the tenderness of her husband’s drawings, that are infused with his love, are so touching and healing to us all.

Happily(though strangely knackering too), have been painting a more complicated piece for Country Life for a double spread and here it is…..

Christmas deadlines are usually July but have been working away on more ideas for Peking Handicraft, Inc. and also a ceramics line to launch in February next year. All very exciting…. shall keep you posted.

You can take a look at the interview here

http://www.youtube.com/user/askthebees#p/a/u/0/GUTyYdCoRSM