A few days in the little Cornish town St Ives. Famous for artists – Turner visited but the art scene really blossomed in the 1940’s / 1950’s when Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood discovered Alfred Wallis. I’m sure Winifred Nicholson was also with them, although she never gets any credit. Margaret Mellis and Adrian Stokes lived here and when war broke out Ben Nicholson, now married to Barbara Hepworth, their triplets plus a nanny arrived for the duration. Then there were Patrick Heron,Terry Frost,Roger Hilton, Bryan Wynter,Peter Lanyon,Wilhemina Barns-Graham – and more. The Tate Gallery opened an outpost here 21 years ago to mark the important influence of these artists in British Art. The current exhibition is about the international influence that these artists had and is really busy – I have just been and the galleries are packed!

Trezion, a beautiful house, with garden and a studio topped by a dome once belonged to Ben Nicholson. Michael Foreman – famous illustrator/writer and his wife Louise have lived here for many years and are now downsizing – a very special  house with a real artistic pedigree is now on the market.