Comment With Barry Speker

The Deputy Governor of the Bank of England caused a storm when, in an interview, he said the British economy has entered a 'menopausal' phase. He explained the metaphor as indicating that the economy is no longer 'potent'. The use of the term was leapt upon by the #MeToo campaigners as indicative of rampant misogyny and sexism. His profound apology for a poor choice of words may save his job but perhaps will affect his previously predicted prospects of becoming the next Governor.

An eminent London University academic Professor Richard Lebow was also caught in the #MeToo crossfire after joking in a lift at a conference, asking someone to press the button for ‘ladies lingerie’. Shades of Are you being served’? Also in the lift was Simone Sharoni, Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies. She demanded an apology but he refused arguing that freedom of speech is being suppressed by some crazy people who intimidate anyone trying to make a joke. Apparently the quip has been used in a Harry Potter film. Calling out the floors in lifts was once regarded as light hearted banter, albeit a lame joke, but certainly not an affront to the female of the species.

The campaign was also noted out in force at the Cannes Film Festival which said ‘oui’ to Equality, noting that of the 21 films in the running for the Palme d’Or, only three were directed by women. Cate Blanchett, this year’s Cannes jury president led a red carpet protest which also extended to Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief catwalk show. #MeToo was also influential in the Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal, with a victory for Israel’s Netta Barzilai and her highly original song ‘Toy’. The theme was diversity and Netta wore colourful kimono and Japanese hairdo, the song including clucking hen sounds. It was certainly original and challenged the customary political voting patterns. Netta said it was an ‘empowerment song for women’.

Inevitably there were criticisms of cultural appropriation in using Japanese costume as well as arguments that Israel is not in Europe – but then nor is Australia, I believe.

Was it against the trend that a celebrated nude painting by Amadeus Modigliani made history when sold at Sotheby’s in New York for a record $157.2million (£116million)? When the painting appeared in Modigliani’s only solo exhibition in Paris in 1917, the police closed the show within hours on the grounds of obscenity. The painting, Nu Couché (Sur Le Côté Gauche), eclipsed the record set by Edvard Munch’s The Scream in 2012. Art for art’s sake of course.

On which theme I was privileged to see the exhibition BT the Royal Society of Portrait Painters at the Mall Gallery near Trafalgar Square. A fantastic variety of styles and subjects, well worth a visit. As is the amazing China and Siam: Through the Lens of John Thomson. This is a collection of early photographs taken by the 19th century photographer during travels through the Far East. The pictures are of amazing quality and capture life in China which is long gone, but preserved for us in these pictures. My good friend Betty Yao, has put this together. It has already been around the world and will be in the Brunei Gallery at London University until late June.

I had almost forgotten quite how beautiful the Lake District can be, when the rain disappears. Thanks to John and Isabelle Nicholls, we enjoyed Keswick and Borrowdale for an uncharacteristically hot May Bank Holiday weekend. If you have the chance, try to book at The Grange.

Matthew Bourne’s production of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal was another demonstration of his amazing versatility and imagination. Who else would think of staging the story against a backdrop of the 1940 Battle of Britain? When the clock struck 12 for Cinders, there was a literal blitz, with the Theatre rocked by astounding effects.

And who would portray the Fairy Godperson, as a tall lithe male dancer in shiny white silk suit? The story will never be the same again.