from Bloomberg to Barcelona…

Last week I had a most unusual opportunity: to represent the Pop Up Festival at the London Bloomberg Summer Party. Glorious weather cast a glow upon the beautiful private estate which hosted the party… “In the blue gardens, men and women came and went like moths…” I’ve always remembered that line from The Great Gatsby, and the lavish party could almost have been a scene from the Roaring Twenties…

Art workshops for children faced stiff competition from the champagne and the cake and the face-painting, all free for employees (and out of bounds for us!). All sorts of astonishing delights were laid on for the staff over acres and acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. We were busy all afternoon, and the cut out paintings (which I hand painted the day before!) were a big hit: You could either be Mona Lisa or The Laughing Cavalier: Here’s Pop Up director Dylan Calder!

And now, this weekend, I am packing for an altogether different experience: two weeks in Spain, mainly in Barcelona, visiting NINE different international schools. I do get a weekend in the middle to recharge, at a hotel by the sea at Sitges. But I think you can safely say that now the summer has finished, I’ve hit the ground running! *MUST remember to pack my swimming trunks*

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James Mayhew

James is the creator of the much-loved Katie and Ella Bella Ballerina series and has written or illustrated many other books, including Koshka’s Tales, Mouse & Mole (by Joyce Dunbar) and Gaspard the Fox (by Zeb Soanes). Alongside his work in publishing, James performs live on stage during concerts for children, combining live classical music, storytelling and art.

One response to “from Bloomberg to Barcelona…”

  1. Charlotte avatar

    Enjoy Barcelona, is Katie going with you? She would love Gaudi.

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