Thank God for James Welch

Have spent the last three days flopping in a big way, lots of cards and various sorts of other silly games, sunbathing and listening to the radio, our routine has been go out for breakfast about 10-11, back to the hotel by about 12:30, spend about one hour on the roof and then crash till about 6. Spuddle around a bit and then out from 7 till nine in the evening, then flop around till fall asleep. What the hotel matey thinks we're up to God only knows. We've been here for one week but hardly left the room! Boss matey threw our tennis ball about five roofs away, he must have been fed up with the noise? Can't be as bad as milk bottles and stones on the bloody guitar day and night virtually non stop, or the bloody mouezzin five times a day on the loudspeakers.

No Senegal visa for Jan yet but we are flying tomorrow, never mind, I'm sure it'll be alright. New passport photos today, frilly edges. Seb is now having his haircut so he'll look different anyway. The other highlight of the weekend apart from the Arc de Triumph, has been the phone calls, to the Senegalese embassy all unavailable, two to David, and one to Christie's.

Thank you James Welch (see https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O340241/inkw…). Inkwell bought for £90 on day three of Ardingly Antiques fair (I turned down an offer 15 minutes later of £600 from Mark Hales) was sold at Christies today for about £12000. I can now afford to travel a bit - Though most of the money was owed to Pop who had leant me some ££ to start a business.

Rabat not an easy place to celebrate, and i think we gorged on Beignet from the nearby bakery.

What a place to be when your inkwell sells at Christies for 6 times the estimate.Read more