PRESS UPDATE : THE TELEGRAPH .. MY MOST MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS .. DECEMBER 24TH 2022 .

ME, PERCY AND THE TEMPERAMENTAL TURKEY

The Dynasty actress was excited for her first Christmas with her new husband in their New York apartment… but it didn’t quite go to plan

There’s nothing quite like Christmas in New York. The city has the most enduring association with Christmas – Miracle on 34th Street, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, chestnuts roasting on open fires... (Not even The Godfather is immune from the New York Christmas spirit - Al Pacino’s character finds out his father has been shot after watching The Bells of St Mary’s.)

So, my first Christmas in New York with my husband Percy was filled with the anticipation of fairytale moments. My two daughters were flying in from London with the grandchildren, and my son and his family were already in the city so, in preparation, we thought it wise to test run cooking a turkey as we hadn’t touched the kitchen since moving into our apartment a month earlier. 

New York kitchens are traditionally the size of postage stamps. None of the apartments that Percy and I viewed had a kitchen fit to do more than boil an egg. All the mod cons were there but crammed into such minuscule spaces that Houdini would have struggled to prepare a meal. 

It’s mainly because New York is packed with great restaurants, so there is no need, nor inclination, to prepare anything more complicated than a martini. A fridge is where you keep your olives. Which is why we thought a rehearsal would be prudent. We had to test the size of the turkey to make sure it was small enough to fit into the oven but big enough to feed the numbers we expected. Plus we had to ensure we had space to roast the potatoes, boil the brussels sprouts, uncan the cranberries… 

We invited enough family and friends to the Thanksgiving rehearsal to match the Christmas Day numbers, and we went to Zabar’s for the turkey - it was far from where we lived but felt suitably ‘New Yorkey’. And it’s where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan buy their groceries in the film You’ve Got Mail.   

Back at home we felt supremely confident and on Thanksgiving morning, with the air tingling anticipatorily of a white Christmas, Percy and I set about preparing it all. The oven was preheated, the potatoes peeled, Brussels sprouts shelled, the corn was creamed. Around noon, in went the turkey with the expectation that four hours later it would come out golden brown and the apartment would be filled with a cosy aroma. We settled down to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, a highlight of this American holiday. Only the turkey had different ideas…  

As Percy was basting it, he noticed it cooking faster than anticipated - the internal temperature was rapidly reaching its zenith. We phoned around frantically, asking guests to come over as fast as they could manage. Dutifully they arrived, in various levels of déshabillé. The table was set with furious speed and the turkey carved. Despite the rush, it was a complete triumph and everyone had a jolly time. 

Congratulating ourselves for having the foresight to have a rehearsal, we went back to Zabars and chose everything to the same specifications, planning to replicate it all. On Christmas Day we set about trimming the turkey, boiling the Brussels, you get the idea.  
 
But… once again, the turkey had other ideas. As Percy was basting it, he noticed things were not progressing as quickly as the last time.  

‘Not to worry,’ I said optimistically, ‘I’m sure it’s a matter of an hour. All will be well.’  

Soon the family arrived. We began opening presents, drinking mulled wine, then we settled down to wait for the turkey. Yes, we waited. And waited. And waited.   

By the time the cocktail sausages had been eaten, the last drop of mulled wine finished, the turkey still refused to make its appearance. By now the potatoes were desiccated husks, the Brussels sprouts decidedly un-spritely, and as for the yams...   

In the end we sat down rather desultorily to a turkey-less dinner. Like a petulant diva on opening night, it had refused to come out of its dressing room.  

Only when Percy went to check the Christmas pudding did the meat thermometer finally pop – too late. We carved it anyway ready for the Boxing Day leftovers. 

We never did solve the mystery. Did the butcher miscalculate the weight? Did we accidentally change the cooking temperature? Or was it simply Murphy’s law? But it did not matter. The wonderful thing about Christmas is that nothing can ruin the goodwill and joy of being surrounded by loved ones - not even a temperamental turkey.

PRESS UPDATE : PEOPLE MAGAZINE ... DECEMBER 23RD 2022 ..

 

Joan Collins and Jaclyn Smith Have 'Ladies of the '80s' Reunion at Designer Mark Zunino's Holiday Party

Joan Collins played a leading role in Dynasty while Jaclyn Smith starred in Charlie's Angels during the 1980s

By 

Shafiq Najib

 

 

Published on December 20, 2022 08:20 PM

Joan Collins and Jaclyn Smith are celebrating the holidays together.

On Tuesday, Collins, shared a photo of herself alongside fellow Hollywood star Smith — both dressed to the nines — at a festive fête hosted by famed designer Mark Zunino.

"A fabulous Christmas party 🎄🥂🍾🍸 @mark_zunino & @rene_horsch with the beautiful @realjaclynsmith … TV leading ladies of the 80's!" Collins wrote in the Instagram caption.

Smith, can also be seen posing alongside friends in another Instagram post shared by one of the party's guests, Barneys New York's resident makeup artist Patrick Foley.

"So much fun at Rene and Mark holiday party last night with two of my closest friends @catherinebach and @realjaclynsmith ❤️❤️ two of the most kind and classy people on the planet❤️," Foley captioned the post.

During the 1980s, Collins and Smith were familiar faces on the small screen, playing leading roles in popular TV shows.

Collins portrayed Alexis Colby on Dynasty, which ran from 1981 to 1989, alongside Catherine Oxenberg, John Forsythe, and Michael Praed.

The British actress continued to work on TV long after Dynasty concluded, having played the mother of a fictional queen of England (Elizabeth Hurley) on The Royals, which premiered in 2015. She was also presented her damehood by then Prince Charles that same year.

Meanwhile, Smith starred in the TV series Charlie's Angels, playing Kelly Garrett. She was the only Angel featured in all five seasons of the show that ran from 1976 to 1981.

During an interview with PEOPLE in 2016, Smith reflected on how the show changed her – and audiences across America.

"It was groundbreaking. It was about three emotionally and financially independent women. We shot at beautiful locations with fancy fast cars, and they cared about each other, so there was a heart to the show," Smith explained at the time.

"People said we were sexually exploited, but it was a nursery rhyme. We were in a bathing suit at the beach, and if there was a hint of a love scene, it was so proper. I think the producers were smart," she added. "They wanted to bring in that younger audience and did want families to watch together."

PRESS UPDATE : THE SPECTATOR LIFE .. DECEMBER 5TH 2022 ..

 Spectator Life

How to survive the party season

Spectator Life writers share their tips.....

December is here and it’s going to be murder out there from now until the new year. Spectactor Life writers explain how to get through it – from swerving bores and turning down invitations to lining your stomach and crashing with panache…

Joan Collins

There are various simple ways to survive the six-week explosion of embossed white-card invitations, exclusive ‘e-vites’ and the occasional last-minute phone call that many of us receive between November and the new year. My best advice is to bin the invitations that celebrate the opening of a restaurant, shop or gallery. In my experience these will be choc-a-bloc with people I don’t know among a sprinkling of paparazzos. Conserve your energies for those intimate gatherings where you are sure to see plenty of friends and no cameras. Once you’ve decided which venue you will honour with your presence, here are some survival tips: eat something before you leave – some soup, a hard-boiled egg, hummus on crackers; alcohol on an empty stomach is the quickest route to a hangover. If it’s a drinks party, don’t stay too long as you’re bound to get plastered. If it’s a dinner party, arrive 45 minutes after the indicated time so that you don’t drink too much before dinner; that long cocktail hour, which too often becomes an hour and a half, can be fatal. And finally, be picky. Don’t be the person who goes to the opening of an envelope. The two golden rules of showbiz – always play hard to get and leave them wanting more – apply to everything in life!

Helen Lederer

Plan ahead: Boot camp in November. Be prepared for vodka searches and beatings but losing a few pounds before mid-November will set you in surplus.

Before party: Do what my mother told me – drink a glass of milk to line your tum (yucky but can save on foolish behaviour after six proseccos).

Prep: Wear frosted eyeshadow and lots of sparkle on décolletage – the more you can resemble a Christmas tree, the more you can be seen to have made the effort. (Caution: bling quota to respect postcode.)

Demeanour: Ask other people how many brothers and sisters they have. You are now sparkly and interested in other people – people love guests like you and you will get a call back.

Control: Decline the canapés but gesture for the guests to whom you are talking to eat them instead – let them smell of the fish paste and not you.

Stamina: Cancel all morning appointments for December. Don’t ruminate on what happened the night before even if you find strange business cards in your clutch bag with the House of Commons logo.

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PHOTO FLASHBACK : JOAN IS ALWAYS IN FASHION!

 Over the years Joan has been asked to promote many products and in particular in beauty and fashion.. In 1985 Joan endorsed and modeled a collection of  Dynasty inspired fashion for McCalls Mail Order Catalogue including very stylish blouses and skirts.. This rare photo was taken during the shoot for the many different outfits and features Joan with photographer Harry Langdon, agent Jeffrey Lane and best friend Judy Bryer with crew on the shoot.. You can see the released shot with Joan wearing the blouse in the crew photo..

PHOTO FLASHBACK : PALM BEACH WELCOMES CHARLES & DIANA 1985 ...

 

In 1985 Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited the USA and one of their engagements was a black tie event in Palm Beach at The Breakers.. Joan was one of the guests and this rare show features Joan arriving to meet the royal couple.. Also in the photo is event compere Merv Griffin and Bob Hope who was one of the entertainers..

BLU-RAY ALERT : DARK PLACES ... NUCLEUS FILMS... FEBRUARY 27TH 2023 ..

 

Delighted to announce that one of Joan's rarely seen films 'Dark Places' from 1972 will get it's first release on disc format on February 27th 2023 from Nucleus Films.. This shocker also stars Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom. Robert Hardy. Jane Birkin and Jean Marsh.. It has rarely been screened since it's video release in the 80's.. It was recently only available as part of a Christopher Lee box set in the USA, this release will be the first time it will be available on it's own. 

You can pre order the blu-ray now from the following link!

PRE-ORDER DARK PLACES ON BLU-RAY HERE..

THERE’S MORE THAN DEATH WAITING FOR YOU IN DARK PLACES

Legendary British stars Christopher Lee (Dracula Prince of Darkness, The Wicker Man, The Man with the Golden Gun), Joan Collins (Tales from the Crypt, The Stud, Dynasty) and Herbert Lom (The Phantom of the Opera, Mark of the Devil, Revenge of the Pink Panther) get together in a grisly tale of hidden loot in a haunted house.

Dr Ian Mandeville and his sister Sarah mean to get their hands on the £200,000 stashed in the derelict Marr’s Grove – only to find that Edward Foster, a stranger to the district, has recently inherited the place. As Edward rapidly succumbs to the influence of the mansion’s long-dead owners, madness and bloody murder ensue…

Directed by Don Sharp (The Kiss of the Vampire, The Face of Fu Manchu, The Thirty Nine Steps), this long-awaited UK Blu-ray premiere has been remastered from original vault elements and is packed with bonus features.

Also starring Jane Birkin (Wonderwall, Seven Deaths in the Cats Eyes, Death On the Nile), Robert Hardy (Berserk, Demons of the Mind, Psychomania) and Jean Marsh (The Twilight Zone, Frenzy, Upstairs Downstairs)…

Dare you enter Marr’s Grove and encounter the evil lurking within?

---

Special Features:

• Newly Restored 1.85:1 Transfer from the Original Negatives
• Optional English and SDH Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Audio Commentary with film critics Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons
• Audio Commentary with Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, author of "So Deadly, So Perverse"
• Looking Into Dark Places – and other 1970s British horror films: Jonathan Rigby, Author of English Gothic, on Dark Places and Early 1970s British Horror Films
• Christopher Lee: The Cadogan Conversations: 2022 interview with Jonathan Rigby, author of "Christopher Lee: The Authorised Screen History"
• Don Sharp Trailer Reel (37 mins)
• American Trailer
• Brazilian Trailer
• Image Gallery

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Cast:

Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, Herbert Lom, Jane Birkin, Robert Hardy, Jean Marsh, Carleton Hobbs, Roy Evans, Martin Boddey, John Glyn Jones, John Levene, Jennifer Thanisch, Michael McVey, Barry Linehan, Linda Gray, Lysandra De-La-Haye, Earl Rhodes.

EVENT UPDATE : SHOOTING STAR CHILDREN'S CHARITY BALL... ROYAL LANCASTER HOTEL.. NOVEMBER 11TH 2022 ..

 

Joan & Percy attended one of her favourite events, The Shooting Star Children's Charity Ball' held at The Royal Lancaster Hotel earlier..

Also in attendence were Simon Cowell, Lizzie Cundy, Variety's Caroline Monk and music by Raquel Reno..
 

PHOTO FLASHBACK : TITLES AT 8.30!

 In 1991 Joan starred in her own BBC tv series featuring 8 of Noel Cowards plays under the title of Tonight At 8.30.. Among her co-stars were Anthony Newley, Dennis Quilley, John Alderton, Edward Duke, Simon Williams, Miriam Margolyes, Sian Philips, Jessica Martin, John Standing, Joan Sims, Bonnie Langford among others.. These rare photos feature Joan filming the title sequence for the series with a few of her co-stars..  

PHOTO FLASHBACK : IT'S AN HONOUR FOR JOAN & STACY TO BE IN TEXAS!

 In 2000 Joan toured the USA in a successful run of the classic play Love Letters in which she starred with George Hamilton and Stacy Keach.. This rare photo was taken during the Texas run and features Joan and Stacy accepting the Honoraray Texan Award from the Mayor of Texas...

EVENT UPDATE : LESLIE BRICUSSE MEMORIAL SERVICE.. OCTOBER 20TH 2022 ..

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

Leslie Bricusse

The songwriter Leslie Bricusse

GAB ARCHIVE/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES

A celebration of the life and work of Mr Leslie Bricusse, lyricist, songwriter and composer, was held on Thursday October 20, 2022, at St James’s Church, Piccadilly.

The Rev Lindsay Meader, lead theatre chaplain for the Diocese of London, officiated, led the prayers and pronounced the blessing.

Mr Adam Bricusse, son, Mr Luca Bricusse and Mr Roman Bricusse, grandsons, read Psalm 23.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber read an extract on songwriting from Leslie Bricusse’s book Pure Imagination: A Sorta-biography. Miss Stefanie Powers read When I Look In Your Eyes from Dr Dolittle by Leslie Bricusse.

Sir Michael Caine, Dame Joan Collins and Mr Stephen Fry paid tribute and Sir Elton John CH and Dame Julie Andrews paid tribute by video link.

Joan with Leslie & Evie 

During the service Mr Giles Terera, baritone, sang Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Miss Louise Dearman, mezzo soprano, accompanied by Capital Voices, sang Fill the World with Love from Goodbye, Mr Chips (1969). Miss Dearman also performed Feeling Good from The Roar of the Greasepaint — the Smell of the Crowd (1964), all accompanied by the St Paul’s Quartet and directed by Mr Mike Dixon, musical director.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Mr Léon Charles played the organ and Mr John G Smith played the piano.                                                                                                                                                                              Among those present were: Mrs Evie Bricusse (widow), Ms Anna Sliwinska with other members of the family.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Also present were: Lady Lloyd Webber, Lord and Lady Archer of Weston-super-Mare, Lady Caine, Dame Twiggy Lawson and Mr Leigh Lawson, Sir Nicholas Lloyd, Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Trevor Nunn, Sir Tim Rice, Sir Tommy Steele, Sir Rod and Lady Stewart.

Mr Nicholas Allott, Mr and Mrs Anthony Andrews, Mr and Mrs Deke Arlon, Mrs Wendy Asher, Mr Louis Bacon, Mr and Mrs John Barrett, Mr and Mrs Bob Benton, Mr Chris Berry, Mr Mark Berry, Mr Sten Bertelsen and Ms Susannah Constantine, Mr Christopher Biggins and Mr Neil Sinclair, Mr Don Black, Mr Tony Bloom, Mr Roger Boyland, Mrs Kay Brandeaux Boyland, Miss Frances Boyland, Mr and Mrs Gyles Brandreth, Mr Gareth Brown, Mrs Ginette Brown, Dr Harry Brunjes (chairman, ENO), Mr Lewis Carnie, Mr and Mrs Maxwell Caulfield, Mr and Mrs Trevor Chenery, Mr Anthony Cherry, Miss Petula Clark, Mr and Mrs Bill Collins, Dr John Cowan, Mr and Mrs Robert Dallas, Mr and Mrs Peter de Savary, Mr and Mrs Charles Delevingne, Ms Karen Diprose, Mr Michael England, Mr and Mrs Theo Fennell, Ms Emerald Fennell, Ms Coco Fennell, Mr Jeff Weiner and Mrs Cathy Ferraro-Weiner, Mr Gregg Field and Ms Monica Mancini, Mrs Nanette Forbes, Mr Steve Furst, Ms Dinah Garrett (director, Experience Really Counts), Mr Percy Gibson, Ms Anastasia Grafftey-Smith, Ms Gabriella Grafftey-Smith, Mr and Mrs Bruce Grakal, Mr Michael Grech, Mr Nicky Haslam, Mr and Mrs Nigel Havers, Mrs Robyn Hemingway, Mr Nolan Hemmings, Mr and Mrs Renshaw Hiscox, Mr and Mrs Michael Howe, Ms Melinda Hughes, Mr Barry Humphries and Ms Lizzie Spender, Mr Chris Ishermann, Mrs Sally James, Mr Ralph Kamp, Ms Katyana Kass, Mr Richard King, Mrs Joan Kingsley, Mr Peter Land, Mr Adrian Leggett, Mrs Lizzy Lloyd, Mr Richard Lyon and Dr Anne Lyon, Ms Ginger Mason, Mr and Mrs Melvyn Master, Mr and Mrs William Miller, Mr and Mrs Harland Miller, Mr Denis Mirlesse, Ms Myriam Molitor, Mr and Mrs Christian Moore, Ms Deborah Moore, Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Moore, Mr Akio Morishima, Mr and Mrs Sam Morris, Ms Patt Morrison, Mrs Chrissie Most, Mr Richard Muddiman, Mr and Mrs Stephen Murphy, Mr Alexander Newley, Ms Tara Newley Arkle, Mr Nick Arkle, Ms Manuela Noble, Ms Lisa Norman, Mr Michael Nouri, Mr John Owen-Jones, Ms Nikki Page, Ms Elaine Paige,

 Mr and Mrs Tino Paissoni, Ms Jackie Palmer, Mr Clarke Peters and Mrs Penny Ephson-Clarke, Ms Eve Pollard, Ms Merrill Powell, Mr and Mrs Robert Powell, Ms Alison Price, Mr Mike Reed, Mr John Reid and Dr James Thompson, Mr and Mrs Simon Reuben, Ms Liz Robertson, Mrs Daniele Roux, Mr and Mrs Emmanuel Roux, Ms Lesley Rutherford, Mr and Mrs Gordon Samuel, Mrs Tricia Shepherd, Mr Raja Sidawi, Miss Annie Skates (choir mistress, Capital Voices), Mr Mike Smith, Mr and Mrs John Standing, Ms Paulene Stone, Mr and Mrs Simon Tattersall, Mrs Kathy Temperton, Ms Annegret Tree, Ms Jade Vincent and Mr Keefus Ciancia, Mr Andrew Vinter, Mr and Mrs Stephen Way, Mrs Geraldine Winner, Mr Ian Wood, Ms Sarah Woodhead, Mr Hugh Wooldridge, Mr and Mrs Bill Wyman with many more friends and former colleagues.

EVENT UPDATE : GLENDA BAILEY X PERUVIAN CONNECTION LAUNCH PARTY .. THE POLISH HEARTH CLUB.. LONDON.. OCTOBER 20TH 2022 ..

Glenda Bailey, Dame Joan Collins and Peruvian Connections Annie Hurlbut Zander 

Joan attended the London launch of clothing brand Peruvian Connection's new collection in collaboration with Glenda Bailey.. The launch party was held at The Polish Hearth Club...

Glenda Bailey on collaboration with Peruvian Connection...

“I have been consulting for a brand called Peruvian Connection for just over a year. I was looking for projects that were a little bit out of the ordinary and something that people would be surprised by. What I liked about the brand is its quality, as that is what people really want now, as well as value for money of course. It was founded by a woman called Annie Hurlbut Zander who was one of the first women to go to Yale in the 70s. She’s a super bright lady and she has run her business from a farm in Kansas for 46 years. She has worked with female-led companies in Peru but the country was the hardest hit country in the world when it came to Covid because of the lack of medical care. So I wanted to help, and Annie wanted me to make the brand a bit more fashion forward. My GBPC collection, which launched in the US in April, is excellent value for money, the quality is there and it’s sustainable because alpaca is much more sustainable than cashmere, which many people don’t realise. It was a huge success. We are launching the collection in London this month at the Peruvian Connection store in the King’s Road and online, and we’ve produced a separate catalogue with all my designs.

Joan & Percy at The Polish Hearth Club