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Cyd Charisse. March 8, 1922 -June 17, 2008 My goodness, such a stunningly beautiful and talented lady. There are hundreds of pictures to be clicked upon, lots of film clips, lots of quotes. Indulge in the timeless beauty of this amazing Glamour Puss.

"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical." "Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful." "If you haven't cried, your eyes can't be beautiful."

Gerald and Sara Murphy. Before the early Twenties, no-one fashionable went to the French Riviera in the summer and sunbathing was unheard of. But in 1923 an American expatriate couple, Gerald and Sara Murphy, persuaded the Hotel du Cap to stay open during the hot months so they and their guests could spend time frolicking in the sea, lying in the sun and sharing gossip. Their friends included Picasso, Cole Porter, Dorothy Parker, Hemingway, Cocteau, Marlene Dietrich and Zelda and F Scott Fitzgerald. Indeed, so fascinated was Fitzgerald by his hosts that he based Nicole and Dick Diver in Tender is the Night  upon them! A very glamorous set then, and they all looked the part- Sara always wore pearls with her bathing costume because, she said, "they needed sunning." Since the Murphy's heyday, the beach has retained its allure and provided a constant inspiration and backdrop for some of the most memorable fashion photography.

A bathing beauty, photographed by Richard Rutledge. 1957. "A hat is like a superpower times ten." said master milliner Stephen Jones. "You move differently in a hat, you feel differently, you act out a part. But more than anything, hats are about the person wearing them." Think of Faye Dunaway in her beret, Jackie Kennedy in her pillbox or dear Isabella Blow in an outlandishly fabulous creation. Hats add glamour and they are worn for precisely that reason. Huge hats add serious glamour but really anything goes- if it's worn with conviction.

The Tory party are in a mess following the calamitous speech given by Theresa May at the Tory Party Conference. She coughed and spluttered all the way through, was interrupted by a silly twerp (a self-described comedian)who handed her a spoof P45 and then the letters of the slogan behind her started falling off the wall. A REALLY bad day at the office. The state of the party which is supposed to be delivering Brexit can be summed up in the words of Disraeli: artycelia   22 hours ago " You behold a range of exhausted volcanoes. Not a flame flickers on a single pallid crest." Apologies to Disraeli but so fitting a quote to describe the Tory party as it presently exists. Delete 21 Recommend Reply

artycelia   17 hours ago While we are in such disarray it would seem sensible to cancel Brexit. I think the EU would agree. Britain is in turmoil. We need to sort ourselves out. We need a sturdy house before we renovate and we are far from that premise. Exit Brexit. Delete 46 Recommend Reply

artycelia   2 days ago That was a REALLY bad day at the office. The cough was unfortunate, perhaps she should have had a contingency plan in place for the speech- asking Amber Rudd to prepare to deliver it  maybe? The content was lost amid the coughing. The silly twit who handed over the P45 should be thoroughly ashamed of himself, there might have been a moment of sheer panic before she realised what was happening. That action put her off her stride.  The letters falling off the slogan - it all went horribly wrong. The thing is though, that this is the government who is responsible for taking us out of the European Union. Bloody Brexit. Are there any contingency plans in place if/when that all goes horribly wrong? Two letters I would like to see fall to the floor are a 'B' and an 'R' . I am no fan of Mrs May but blimey, I hope her husband has a very large 'in and 'onic waiting for her when she gets home tonight. Delete 24 Recommend