A quick update from the Poveglia* wing of Wrightington Towers…
* [a shout-out to Venetian Empire and Byzantium alumni, there]
The Poveglia wing of Wrightington Towers this week
aka Giacomo Guardi, The Island of Poveglia, with British Naval Officers Embarking, before 1797 or 1814–15
New York, The Met, Robert Lehman Collection, 1975, 1975.1.350: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/459630
As some of you know, Robert has been stricken by germs recently, and we had to cancel both of yesterday’s finale sessions.
Sincere apologies to those of you affected by that. As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s not a decision we took lightly, but Monday’s brace of sessions wiped him out and just about killed off his voice for a while.
Paul Fürst, Der Doctor Schnabel von Rom (Holländer version), c. 1656
This image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_F%C3%BCrst,_Der_Doctor_Schnabel_von_Rom_(Holl%C3%A4nder_version).png
Thus far, his lateral flow tests have been negative, but the trajectory of his symptoms has been pretty much the same as those of my Spawn and Ex-Spouse, who have tested positive (as, indeed, have many of you and yours. All best wishes for speedy recoveries all round!). Regardless, he’s been proper-poorly, bless him (that is, I believe, the correct technical term. Trust me, I’m a doctor, etc.)
[Sidebar: Just about every media outlet mentioning Covid has used the image right. We’ve been tardy in not having done so until now, but the time finally seemed right.]
I’m happy to be able to report that 40 hours of dedicated duvet drill, boosted by regular administration of chicken broth and lemsip, have worked their magic, and he's feeling sufficiently human to get back into the zooming saddle. So we’re optimistic that the rest of this week’s online sessions will be going ahead as scheduled. There's a good chance that his voice will be several tones deeper and there may be some unseemly coughing along the way, but he'll be there!
We’re awaiting guidance from WEA with regard to tomorrow’s in-venue session, and WEA should be in touch with those to whom it’s relevant very soon. Likewise, we’ll be in touch asap re the rescheduled outings for yesterday’s courses. In the meantime, many thanks for your understanding and the lovely messages we’ve received. We’re working through replying to those around lemsips and recuperative naps.
Speaking of courses for the rest of the week… A reminder that there’s still time to book April’s taster course, in which you can meet, inter alia, the world’s largest champagne barrel. How can you resist?!
Ars Ludendi, A Feast of Christmas, Bedern Hall, 2014.
In the meantime, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that I’ll escape this particular bullet. If not, hopefully Robert will be sufficiently recovered to take over on the medical administering front. He does at least have an appropriate outfit.