Yesterday my darling adored husband Tim Joss died in a cycling accident. He made me so very happy. He always said ‘am I alright for you’. He so was. We loved other deeply. Utterly bereft.
Profoundly sorry to tell you that Tim Joss, CEO and founder of
@AesopHealth
died yesterday after a car hit his bike. He was a pioneer, a leader and deeply proud of his team, board and dance artists, using evidenced arts interventions for health problems.
@nhse
innovation showcase
Received an honorary doctorate from
@ucl
today - in the post, but that's COVID for you. So not worthy of it but without them, nothing I have achieved today would have been possible. So thank you UCL from the bottom of my heart - for everything.
Thrilled and deeply honoured to receive this honorary degree today. And what a fabulous bunch of healthcare scientists in waiting were graduating. Congratulations to them all.
Congratulations to
@vivienneparry
OBE, who received an honorary doctorate this afternoon in recognition of her distinguished contribution to increasing the understanding of science and academic research through public engagement.
I was recording an interview today and kept hearing banging. The interviewee apologised and said that it was his tortoise attacking the coal scuttle. Truly.
I’m very touched and honoured to have been made an honorary fellow of the national school of healthcare science. It’s a huge success and it’s been my great pleasure to see them achieve such respect and success.
Today would have been the 60th birthday of the Princess of Wales. I worked with her for 12 years. Here for her, clematis texensis Princess Diana with sweet peas. I still miss her.
Tweeps, I’m going to do you all a bouquet a day from my garden. Today, euphorbia, hyacinth and centre stage fab dark double hellebore, with some orange erysimum
@TomHourigan
Duty log recorded a viewers complaint that I was ‘too loud’. Editor of Tomorrow’s World reviewed it and said ‘at least he’s got the luxury of a volume button Viv’.
Can we not all march on Parliament and demand an election? Like everyone else I feel completely disenfranchised as the deckchairs are rearranged once again
My best friend of 47 years died within a month of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. She had tickets for the Vermeer exhibition as did I. Today I saw it for her. Jane Keeler much loved and missed, it was wonderful as were you.
My husband got his vaccine yesterday. A huge thank you to all the scientists, healthcare staff and volunteers who made that possible. You are so much appreciated.
Garden having one last glorious hurrah. You are all feeling gloomy about what’s ahead. For a short spell, they’re back. Much love heading all your way. Dahlias.
The opulent poppy Patty’s Plum with cotinus and bronze fennel. Fennel is crack cocaine for rabbits and when I picked it I disturbed a mainlning baby bun on his way to a 10 stem a day habit.
Signing off today as I pack my bucket and spade. My lovely stepdaughter is staying to garden guardian. Leaving you with the burnt orange if a fabulous Canna called Wyoming. Back soon.
Wonderful day yesterday with
@welshcrucible
. And just about to meet this awesome bunch again today. Lucky me. And here’s poets narcissus with Veronica gentianoides. Love the colours
I have a thing about scented peonies. I even have a cutting patch of them so I can have armfuls in the house. Here are 2 beautiful Duchesse de Nemours and the first Jan van Leuven.
Intense scent from this velvety ensemble. Sweet pea matucana, rose Souvenir du Dr Jamain, clematis Etoile violette and a random clove scented pink, all with black elder
Someone told me my bouquets get flashier the worse things get. Time then to break out the negroni shades of dinner plate dahlia Perch Hill AND Canna Extase AND Hydrangea Annabel. Courage mes braves.
Amazing hot colours for a dull day. Two orange Papaver orientale Wisley Beacon and Almost Black iris. I grow them together which is a tad eccentric but joyous for a week of eye popping colour
Some battered helianthus, red Firebird penstemon, David Howard dahlia and the only bronze spray chrysanthemums not eaten by slugs. Garden being blown away today.
I should have been at the
@The_RHS
Flower show today so no mad tulip spree
@BlomsBulbs
. A study in blue then minus tulips. Rather beautiful colours combining Cerinthe and Nigella.
Story of Dolly on tonight. I got into a lot of trouble because I’d made a film at Roslin the week before the Observer ran the story. Why didn’t you spot her, raged my BBC editor. Because she was a cloned sheep, I mumbled. They all looked the same
Dit Bonjour a Monsieur Jules Elie. My absolute favourite pink peony. Rose scented, huge, luscious in every way. What better way to start the week than on a pillowy perfumed pink cloud. A vous mes amis.
Dreamy baby blue scabious, cream sweet pea and Alchemilla especially for my step daughter Hannah who was to have married Alex today but their wedding got cancelled.
What a complete treat and honour it was to be part of the 10th birthday celebrations of the National School of Healthcare Science today with
@CSOSue
,
@HeadNSHCS
and a selection of fab alumni. It’s been a fabulous success story. Be very proud everyone
Thrilled that Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier have got the Nobel Prize for chemistry. I’ve interviewed them both over the years. Brilliant, impressive, thoughtful women who have had a profound impact on life sciences. Congratulations to both
Not more tulips? Fabulous trio here, blackcurrant Havran, magenta Dolls Minuet and purple Ronaldo. And no, don’t nip out to the florist for these each day.
Of all the plants in my garden, this wild peony ....called Molly the Witch ...is the one I love most. Lemon yellow buds opening palest yellow tissue paper petals with golden stamens. Enjoy.
Magnificent. I officially now share being a Pointless Answer on Pointless with Sir Paul Nurse of
@thecrick
. Sir, I salute you for achieving this towering accolade.
So farewell Duchesse de Nemours. You’ve flowered your socks off, more than 50 amazing blooms,and here is your last hurrah, looking bridal with Ammi. Peeps, this is my top white peony. Tall, perfumed, unfussy, reliable.
A froth of alchemilla, persicaria and two varieties of phlox, which I grow to remind me of my grandpa’s garden, and there’s a monarda buried in here too.
Wonderful bouquet of wildflowers to delight you from the unkempt bits of my garden: chicory, hedge & lady’s bedstraw, common & greater knapweed, toadflax, musk mallow, origanum, scabious & meadow cranesbill
If you are taking HRT for tough menopause please don’t panic. Risk of breast cancer increase is small and less than that associated with 1 glass of wine daily and much less than risk from being overweight. See my book truth about hormones
These lovely things are edelweiss. I have a bit of an obsession with the Heidi books, so these had to be in the garden. They look as if they’ve been cut from white felt and are super easy to grow
So excited. Off to see the Large Hadron Collider today
@CERN
. And I spent the morning skiving at Hampton Court flower show stocking up on even more Salvias.
#topday