It was that time of year again; the cultural launch of the year at Ivy Hill and Narek…and, of course, that great Wapengo summer delight, Artie’s b’day partay. We literally sprinted through the galleries, we must confess, and it was essentially a social evening (the tail-end of our silly season, actually.)

Shockingly lazy of us, we know. But we were, essentially, still on holz.

So apologies to the artists (whose work we do admire greatly, and it was particularly wonderful to catch up with Beth) but for further edification you’ll have to go here and here.

We did the rounds and then bolted straight back to Artie’s for a serious fall-about…and completely ran out of snapping verve at the party itself – simply not enough hands to cope with more than the wining and dining (it’s always such a grande bouffe, as you know) –  so no discriminating photos this year. Which no doubt will come as a great relief to the general throng. But we can reveal that it was, as ever, a most enjoyable night; we slept it off in the boat shed, broke the fast en plein air and wandered across to Paradise before rounding off the day with fush’n’chups at Bermi (no room, alas, for gelato.) Same old, same old.

Early snaps here.