{"id":185,"date":"2009-08-06T13:20:18","date_gmt":"2009-08-06T12:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/?p=185"},"modified":"2009-08-06T13:20:18","modified_gmt":"2009-08-06T12:20:18","slug":"at-the-gay-mother%e2%80%99s-with-bruce-macbain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/?p=185","title":{"rendered":"At the Gay Mother\u2019s with Bruce MacBain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A

A Stelrad - rip out if you have<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saturday 2nd<\/sup> August 2009<\/p>\n

I drive the Gay Mother back to the country taking my architect, Bruce MacBain, with me. But he comes as a friend (of over thirty years in fact) rather than in an official capacity. You remember him. He is also Laura Malcolm\u2019s architect, as well as a lot of other important people\u2019s.<\/p>\n

On the other hand it is usual for grand gays to travel with a skeleton back-up team. Art advisors are often crucial. Some years ago one of the Multis told me that Chase Aston, the make-up artist, made the mistake of coming to London from New York without his trainer and nutritionist \u2013 with the result that he gained over three stone.<\/p>\n

Bruce saved the day some years ago when the Gay Mother was finally persuaded to have central heating (yes, like the Queen, she had been crouched over a two-bar fire since the War). I was lying awake at night thinking she would end up with Stelrads \u2013 do you know them?\u00a0 They\u2019re the absolute bogarama horror radiator, the ruin of many a happy snap of family life in the home. I have some in my own home, in inconspicuous places, I hope. At the last moment, Bruce suggested Monza. The Gay Mother listened to him since he is a plain-speaking Scot. They are flat and blend into the background, unlike the vile Stelrad. You must have them.<\/p>\n

Bruce\u2019s luggage causes consternation \u2013 to me, at any rate. Where it is?\u00a0 Just a little slim thing like a briefcase. For four nights I have two large bags, five jeans, six shirts, emergency pants (I\u2019m learning to live with those outsize Bridget Jones bloomers, by the way. It\u2019s terrible. You get used to anything in the end. This is how not to achieve style), Rare Earth Face Pack, two colognes (day and evening). The truth is Bruce was brought up in a peat stream. His skin is perfect. He doesn\u2019t need products \u2013 not yet at least. \u00a0<\/p>\n

No, he has put everything into other areas. He once very properly fell out with a painter and decorator who got paint on his flawless polished rubber floor. For the last two years he has been contemplating a curtain over a door in his house. Just about every known fabric sample has been sent for. None will do.<\/p>\n

We visit a nearby well-known garden and make criticisms. Acers are dismissed \u2013 I do agree. A lot of them are brown, not red. They look like shivering trolls. Plants have a hard time getting into Bruce\u2019s own garden. There must be no frivolity or lax habit. Evergreen is preferred for year-round interest and lack of tendency to look unsightly. On this occasion Bruce lights on a formidable item with large hairy leaves and strange scaly flowers. Here it is:<\/p>\n

\"Rodgersia

Rodgersia (possibly pinnata superba ) - approved of by Bruce MacBain<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Saturday 2nd August 2009 I drive the Gay Mother back to the country taking my architect, Bruce MacBain, with me. But he comes as a friend (of over thirty years in fact) rather than in an official capacity. You remember him. He is also Laura Malcolm\u2019s architect, as well as a lot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adrain-edge"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":188,"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions\/188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poorlittlerichgays.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}