The Master of Couture

One of the last of the 20th century's great couturiers, Valentino has despatched his last runway collection and departed to add his signature elegance and panache to the halls of Fabulon.

Probably most remembered for his "Valentino Red" dresses, he nonethless designed frocks in myriad shades and styles - but always, always the height of sophistication. Needless to say, many of the world's most stylish women were his clients, including Princess Grace (Kelly), Vicomtesse Jacqueline de Ribes [who only recently departed at the very end of 2025 - read my tribute to her from 2011 here], Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Margaret, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, the Begum Aga Khan, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Anjelica Huston, Sharon Stone, Joan Collins and Princess Diana.

Indeed, he designed "that frock" worn by Antia Ekberg in La Dolce Vita, the wedding dress Jackie Kennedy wore to marry Aristotle Onassis in 1968, as well as Julia Roberts' 2001 Oscars frock.

Another great loss. There are fewer and fewer designers with a true sense of style around these days...

RIP, Valentino Garavani (11th May 1932 – 19th January 2026)

The other "Unsinkable Molly"

In her time, she was fashion editor for The Sunday Times, penned successful erotic "bonk-buster" books, started a bistro, designed hats for hip fashion store Biba, was a judge at the Alternative Miss World contest from its outset, presided over orgies in New York, was a regular at the debauched and notorious Colony Club, was banned from BBC chat shows for swearing, and became a much-lauded designer and painter in avant garde circles in her later years; she counted numerous "counter-culture" characters such as Quentin Crisp, Andy Warhol, Mary Quant, Francis Bacon, Anita Pallenberg and The Communards' Sarah Jane Morris among her friends; and her myriad lovers included James Robertson Justice, George Melly, Anthony Shaffer, John Thaw, Bo Diddley, John Mortimer - and she snogged Louis Armstrong!

What a life dear Molly Parkin - who has very sadly departed for Fabulon, presumably to cause havoc - had!

We adored her...

She certainly was never afraid of portraying sex (nor performing it, by all accounts)! [photo: Rob Greig]

Divine and Molly Parkin, taken at the London premiere of 'The Alternative Miss World' at The Gate Cinema in Notting Hill in 1980.

Molly and me, photographed at Polari way back in 2010...

RIP Molly Noyle Parkin (née Thomas, 3rd February 1932 – 5th January 2026)

A Sky Full of Stars

Once again, London's NYE fireworks were utterly breathtaking!

Enjoy:

New Year Fireworks, London 2026

Happy New Year, one and all!

Songs played:

• Ella Eyre - Good Times
• Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank
• The Temptations - My Girl
• Wuki – Sunshine (My Girl)
• Noizu - Summer 91 (Looking Back)
• Gala - Freed From Desire
• Heather Small – Proud
• The Band of the Coldstream Guards - Land of Hope and Glory
• Russ Millions x Tion Wayne - Body
• Rosalia - Despechá
• Davido ft. Omah Lay - With You
• Rosé & Bruno Mars - APT
• RAYE - Where Is My Husband!
• Olivia Rodrigo – Bad Idea Right?
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
• Jess Glynne - Hold My Hand
• Cynthia Erivo (featuring Ariana Grande) - Defying Gravity
• Ed Sheeran - Sapphire
• Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)
• Benson Boone - Mr Electric Blue
• Sister Sledge - We Are Family
• Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club
• Coldplay - A Sky Full of Stars
• Jack Johnson - Better Together
• Myles Smith – Stargazing
• Boney M - Auld Lang Syne

Ghost-grey

"The days are short,
The sun a spark,
Hung thin between
The dark and dark."
- John Updike


Ghost-grey the fall of night.
Ice-bound the lane,
Lone in the dying light
Flits he again;

Lurking where shadows steal.
Perched in his coat of blood,
Man’s homestead at his heel.
Death-still the wood.

Odd restless child; it's dark;
All wings are flown
But this one wizard’s - hark!
Stone clapped on stone!

Changeling and solitary.
Secret and sharp and small,
Flits he from tree to tree,
Calling on all.
- Walter De La Mere, The Robin


It is Yule, Montol, Brumalia, Lohri, Yalda, Koliada, Dongzhi, Midwinter's Day [whatever you choose to call it], the Winter Solstice - the longest night - today.

Good news, however - the days get longer from here on!

Roll on Spring...

The most expensive drag queen in the UK

The world is a far less glittery place, with the sad news that the legendary Stanley Baxter - one of the most popular entertainers in Britain over several decades - has shaken out that "Duchess of Brendah" wig for the very last time and ascended the glittering London Weekend Television stairway to Fabulon, at the magnificent age of 99.

Another piece of my childhood gone...

As the faboo Television Heaven site put it:

For 25 years Stanley Baxter produced the type of television spectacular that Morecambe and Wise could only afford to put on as part of their Christmas specials. Those legendary song and dance routines that Eric and Ernie performed in their shows may well be the stuff of television legend, but for Stanley Baxter, spectacular musical-comedy specials, reminiscent of Hollywood's best extravaganzas, were part of every series. And they were so flamboyant, and proved to be so costly, that Baxter was sacked not from just one, but two TV channels, who simply couldn't afford to keep him...

He was one of the true creative geniuses in British television light entertainment, and as far as comedy goes... Stanley Baxter was the true King of Scotland.

With his background in variety theatre, the Combined Entertainment Unit of the army in the post-War National Service years (alongside Kenneth Williams, John Schlesinger, Gordon Jackson and Peter Nichols) and - of course - panto, he was almost destined for a career in the fledging world of television (starting out in the 1950s), where his comedic talents and in particular his talent for mimicry (and drag) became a staple of Britain's "light entertainment" genre.

Very much a product of his time - his ITV "spectaculars" won the BAFTA Best Light Entertainment Programme Award two years running in 1973 and 1974 - much of Mr Baxter's fondly remembered output would nowadays be considered extremely non-PC, so repeats (were there ever to be any anyway) would needless to say be heavily edited [deep sigh]; hence the reason why he is largely forgotten. However, by way of a tribute to the great man [who, incidentally, only decided to finally "come out" as gay at the age of 94(!)], here are just three of Stanley's memorable sketches...

Stanley Baxter - Towering Quake '75

Stanley Baxter - The Fast Food Follies

Stanley Baxter - The Duchess of Brendagh

Irreplaceable!

RIP, Stanley Livingstone Baxter (24th May 1926 – 11th December 2025)

Vilja, O Vilja

Yesterday marked the 110th anniversary of the birth of Dame Elisabeth Schwarzopf, German-born British lyric soprano and a much-lauded performer throughout the 20th century.

There was much speculation during her lifetime about her alleged involvement in the Nazi party during her early career in WWII - rumours that were well-and-truly discounted by the eminent art and music historian Charles Scribner III in the New Criterion - but there was nothing that discredited her long and successful career. She performed with the Vienna State Opera, at London's Royal Opera House, La Scala Milan, New York Metropolitan Opera and just about every major opera venue across the world.

She was marvellous, and here are just a few examples of her talent:

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - An die Musik [Schubert]

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - Vilja [Lehar, The Merry Widow]

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - Final Encore in Amsterdam Recital - Seligkeit [Schubert]

Dame Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike Schwarzkopf, DBE (9th December 1915 – 3rd August 2006)

Fuck normality!

“[She] was an eccentric, dominant London character. In the early 1980s, alongside the likes of BodyMap, Pam reinvented lycra catsuits and disco fashion. In more recent times, she lit up London with her fantastic fashion shows at Freemasons Hall. A prominent figure across the arts, fashion and British music scenes. The fashion world won’t quite be as vivid or rebellious now Pam is no longer with us. She will be greatly missed.” - Zandra Rhodes

RIP Pam Hogg, Blitz club regular, ecccentric, audacious and pioneering fashion designer, a fave of the likes of Debbie Harry, Siouxsie Sioux, Rihanna, Lily Allen, Björk and Kylie Minogue [who wore a catsuit by Pam in her 2 Hearts video], who has left the deafening applause at the end of the catwalk one last time and departed for Fabulon.

“I’m just glad not to be termed normal. Fuck normality!” - Pam Hogg

All hail .