HAPPY THANKSGIVING

CITY VIEW: PLYMOUTH, MA

MARGARET THATCHER RETURNS TO NO. 10 DOWNING TO UNVEIL PORTRAIT

FORMER PRIME MINISTER FOR BRITAIN, MARGARET THATCHER, RETURNED TO DOWNING STREET RECENTLY TO UNVEIL HER OWN OFFICIAL PORTRAIT, WHICH HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF THE PRIME MINISTER. THATCHER, PRIME MINISTER FROM 1979 TO 1990, JOINED CURRENT PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN AND DAVID CAMERON, A SUCCESSOR TO THACHER AS CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER, AT NO. 10 DOWNING STREET FOR THE UNVEILING. THE 84 YEAR OLD FORMER WORLD LEADER, NICKNAMED 'THE IRON LADY' FOR HER UNCOMPROMISING STANCE AGAINST THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, WAS GREETED BY BROWN AND A CLUTCH OF FORMER ADVISERS AS SHE ARRIVED AT HER FORMER HOME. A BROWN SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE PAINTING BY RICHARD STONE, WHO ALSO PRODUCED A PORTRAIT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II, IS ON DISPLAY IN THE FIRST FLOOR LOBBY. IT WAS PAID FOR BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR. 'THE PRIME MINISTER MADE A SHORT SPEECH IN WHICH HE THANKED BARONESS THATCHER FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS SHE MADE TO THE COUNTRY OVER MANY YEARS', THE SPOKESMAN SAID. THATCHER IS THE FIRST LIVING LAWMAKER IN THE MODERN ERA TO BE HONORED WITH A PAINTING AT DOWNING STREET. PHOTOGRAPHS OF ALL MODERN PRIME MINISTERS LINE THE RESIDENCE'S MAIN STAIRCASE, BUT ONLY TWO FORMER LEADERS HAVE PAINTED PORTRAITS ON DISPLAY: WINSTON CHURCHILL AND DAVID LLOYD GEORGE.

MICHELLE OBAMA WEARS A NAEEM KAHN GOWN FOR FIRST STATE DINNER

MICHELLE OBAMA WOWED AND DAZZLED THE CROWD AT THE FIRST OFFICIAL OBAMA ADMINISTRATION STATE DINNER RECENTLY, TO WELCOME INDIAN PRIME MINISTER, MANMOHAN SINGH AND HIS WIFE, GURSHARAN KAUR. THE FIRST LADY WORE A STUNNING GOWN CREATED BY INDIAN-AMERICAN DESIGNER NAEEM KAHN. THE NUDE SILK CHIFFON STRAPLESS GOWN WAS DECORATED WITH STERLING SEQUINS IN A LUSH FLORAL PATTERN. ACCORDING TO THE FIRST LADY'S WEBSITE, THE EVENING GOWN TOOK THREE WEEKS OF WORK BY 40 PEOPLE TO CREATE. THE WORK WAS DONE IN NAEEM KHAN'S FAMILY WORKSHOP IN INDIA. MRS OBAMA ACCESSORIZED THE DRESS WITH DROP EARRINGS AND GOLD AND DIAMOND BANGLES BRACELETS.

JOHN F KENNEDY LIBRARY DISPLAYS JACQUELINE KENNEDY'S 1962 HOLIDAY DRESS

A DEEP RED PINK SILK DRESS WORN BY JACQUELINE KENNEDY FOR HER SECOND HOLIDAY SEASON IN THE WHITE HOUSE HAS GONE ON DISPLAY AT THE JOHN F KENNEDY PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM IN BOSTON. THE FIRST LADY WORE THE DRESS TO THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF CHRISTMAS RECEPTION ON 12.DECEMBER.1962. THE SLEEVELESS DRESS BY HUBERT DE GIVENCHY IS SIMPLE IN FRONT, WITH TWISTS OF DRAPERY AND A BOW ON THE BACK. THE MARINE BAND AND SINGING GROUPS FROM THE AIR FORCE, ARMY AND NAVY ENTERTAINED THE 1,200 PARTY GUESTS. A 16-FOOT CHRISTMAS TREE WAS DECORATED WITH TOYS, CANDY CANES AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES. THE DRESS WENT ON DISPLAY 25.NOVEMBER.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II VISITS BERMUDA

BERMUDA ABANDONED THE TRADITIONAL RED CARPET WELCOME IN FAVOR OF A PINK COLOURED GREETING FOR TE QUEEN WHEN SHE ARRIVED IN THE ATLANTIC PARADISE ISLAND. THE UNUSUAL ROSE-TINTED RUG WAS ROLLED OUT FOR THE ROYAL VISIT WHICH IS CELEBRATING THE 400th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ISLAND'S SETTLEMENT BY THE BRITISH. IN BRILLIANT SUNSHINE THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH WERE GREETED BY BERMUDA'S GOVERNOR SIR RICHARD GOZNEY AND PREMIER EWART BROWN WHEN THEIR CHARTERED BRITISH AIRWAYS JET ARRIVED. THE RED CARPET WELCOME IS SOMETHING THE QUEEN HAS EXPERIENCED ALL OVER THE WORLD BUT IN BERMUDA SHOCKING PINK WAS CHOSEN TO REFLECT THE FAMOUS COLOUR OF THE LOCAL BEACHES. THE SANDY SHORES HAVE A UNIQUE ROSE TINGE TO THEM AS THEY ARE PARTLY MADE UP OF PULVERIZED CORALS AND MOLLUSK SHELLS. ABOVE THE ENTRANCE TO THE LF WADE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BUILDING WAS ANOTHER ICONIC IMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY, BERMUDA SHORTS. ORIGINALLY WORN BY THE BRITISH MILITARY TO KEEP COOL ON THE HOT AND HUMID ISLANDS THAT ARE WARMED BY THE GULF STREAM, THEY WERE ADOPTED BY THE LOCALS WHO COMBINED THEM WITH KNEE LENGTH SOCKS, JACKET AND TIE TO WEAR AT ANY OCCASION. THE QUEEN ARRIVED IN THE TERRITORY 56 YEARS TO THE DAY SINCE SHE FIRST TRAVELED TO THE REMOTE ATLANTIC OUTCROP ON 24.NOVEMBER.1953. IT WAS THE FIRST STOP ON A MAJOR TOUR OF THE COMMONWEALTH THAT FOLLOWED HER CORONATION FIVE MONTHS EARLIER. SINCE THE 1890s BERMUDA HAS BEEN A HAVEN FOR WEALTHY AMERICANS AND ITS APPEAL WAS SUMMED BY AMERICAN AUTHOR MARK TWAIN WHO ONCE WROTE: 'YOU GO TO HEAVEN IF YOU WANT TO, I'D RATHER STAY HERE'.

CHARLES I INSULTED BY CROMWELL'S SOLDIERS "RUINED" IN WAR RESCUED

A MAJOR WORK BY FRENCH PAINTER PAUL DELAROCHE THOUGH TO HAVE BEEN VIRTUALLY DESTROYED DURING A WORLD WAR II GERMAN AIR RAID ON LONDON IN 1941 HAS BEEN UNROLLED AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. "CHARLES I INSULTED BY CROMWELL'S SOLDIERS", DEPICTING THE MONARCH SHORTLY BEFORE HIS EXECUTION IN 1649, WAS DAMAGED WHEN BRIDGEWATER HOUSE WAS BOMBED ON 11.MAY.1941. THE CANVAS, HANGING IN THE DINING ROOM AT THE TIME, WAS TAKEN DOWN, ROLLED UP AND MOVED TO A COUNTRY HOUSE IN SCOTLAND WHERE IT HAS REMAINED UNSEEN FOR NEARLY 70 YEARS. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN LONDON AND THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND APPROACHED THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND AND ASKED IF THEY COULD INSPECT THE WORK AHEAD OF AN EXHIBITION ON DELAROCHE TO BE HELD IN LONDON FROM 24.FEBRUARY THROUGH 23.MAY NEXT YEAR. THEY DISCOVERED AROUND 200 TEARS CAUSED BY SHRAPNEL BUT, CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, THE PAINTING WAS 'ALMOST ENTIRELY LEGIBLE AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS EMOTIVE INTENSITY'. THE 1837 WORK WILL BE FEATURED ALONGSIDE OTHER DELAROCHE PAINTINGS INCLUDING THE FAMOUS 'THE EXECUTION OF LADY JANE GREY', ITSELF DAMAGED IN A 1928 FLOOD IN LONDON AND PRESUMED RUINED BUT WHICH WAS ALSO DISCOVERED, IN 1973, IN VIRTUALLY PERFECT CONDITION. THE SHRAPNEL DAMAGE WILL BE CLEARLY VISIBLE TO VISITORS, AS LONG TERM PLANS FOR ITS RESTORATION HAVE YET TO BE DECIDED. ONE FACTOR IS WHERE SUCH A LARGE SCALE WORK CAN HANG. THE CHARLES I PAINTING WILL BE ON SHOW IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY'S MAIN BUILDING WHICH IS FREE OF CHARGE IN THE HOPE THAT PEOPLE WHO SEE IT WILL GO ON TO PAY TO SEE THE EXHIBITION IN THE ADJACENT SAINSBURY WING.