Rubens with jokes

It's the centenary today of the birth of that most beloved of British artists, the wonderful, quirky and humorous Beryl Cook!

Described by Victoria Wood as "Rubens with jokes", Beryl Cook's work was just so instantly recognisable that it is no wonder that the public took to her work in such a big way - whether in greetings cards, calendars or prints. Vulgar, always larger-than-life, and uplifting, Beryl's fat and jolly characters are very British - like a smutty seaside postcard, or a Hattie Jacques innuendo in a Carry On film.

The big, fun-loving characters featured in her work were largely inspired by people in Plymouth's pubs, including the long-gone gay pub the Lockyer Tavern [haunt of the youthful Madam Arcati]. In fact, Beryl was a well-known and admired character on the gay scene in the city over the decades, often popping up in the back bar of The Swallow or in the locally fondly-remembered Mr Harry's nightclub.

There was nobody quite like Beryl! Beryl Cook (10th September 1926 – 28th May 2008)

Fashion’s house of surrealism

The exhibition Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art that we went to see yesterday at the V&A museum was - as ever, with the expert curation they have always employed - a superb, comprehensive, and utterly dazzling display of the creative talents of Madame Elsa Schiaparelli, the couture empire she founded, and its legacy today [the fashion house was revived in 2013 after almost 60 years, with Christian Lacroix as then creative director].

Myriad original Schiaparelli designs on show, from the "formal" to the frivolous, were a feast for the senses [click any photo to enlarge, or right-click and "open in new tab" for even greater detail]:

Her playfulness extended to the minutest details - trims, patterns, and in particular the buttons (a whole room of which were also there to view in all their spectacular glory):

Speaking of accessories...

Inevitably, amongst all the beautiful gowns on offer, it's the rare survivors from her famed Surrealist collaborations - with the likes of Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau - that are the stars of the show:

The output of the relaunched House of Schiaparelli was no less impressive, of course - pieces have featured everywhere from catwalks to red carpets to the Met Gala - and whole galleries of those were there, too:

However, if I really have to make a choice among my favourites of the whole collection, they would have to be these...

A splendid way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

If you can, book tickets today! Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art runs until 8th November 2026.

Don't get strung out by the way I look

More sad news.

RIP, Mr Tim Curry (19th April 1946 – 25th August 2026)

If I hadn't been a woman, I'd be a drag queen for sure

• "If I hadn't been a woman, I'd be a drag queen for sure. I like all that flair and I'd be dressing up in them high heels and putting on the big hair. I'd be like Ru Paul."
• "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
• "I look just like the girls next door... if you happen to live next door to an amusement park!"
• "I'm no natural beauty. If I'm gonna have any looks at all, I'm gonna have to create them. Thanks to Botox and fillers, as well as the work that I've already had, my face pretty much maintains itself."
• "God tells us not to judge one another, no matter what anyone's sexual preferences are or if they're black, brown or purple. And if someone doesn't believe what I believe, tough shit."
• "If something is bagging, sagging or dragging, I'll tuck it, suck it or pluck it."
• "It costs a lot to look this cheap."

RIP, Miss Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean (19th January 1946 - 25th August 2026)

On the Jukebox this Weekend at Dolores Delargo Towers