If I was ever going to hit the height of celebrity highs, this is the iconic image that I would like to be recreate for myself. Beautiful woman, exotic local, indifference to the whole surrounding, fabulous. It is 1960's billionaire John Paul Getty and his beautiful Dutch wife Talitha on the roof of their Marrakesh home, The pleasure Palace. Its a sad image in lots of ways because non of the protagonists are still alive but for me it reflects not only a place in time, but of that new young generation of globe trotters, taken to wearing local costume but still oozing European wealth and flamboyance. Taken in 1969 by the 5th Earl of Lichfield, Patrick Anson, better know as Patrick Lichfield, major celebrity in his own right and no stranger to the lifestyles of his subjects, by his own admission. I bring this up for two reasons. One, I assisted for Patrick years ago and grew very fond of him, a terrific man. After his untimely and shocking passing I tried unsuccessfully to purchase this image from his studio in London, for my own new home. It is my favorite image of his. Maybe if Ian is reading we can again try to get this going. And secondly my wife is in this historic North African City as we speak. I hope she logs on to see this and know that she is safe to enjoy her visit without me waisting every bodies time, spending days on end, trying to recreate this scene with the two of us on any Marrakesh roof top I could find. Oh, apparently I am being brought back a djellaba looking thing JP is wearing so no one is safe at Old Queechy, N.Y. next summer
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