Well what a surprise it was to be invited by my local Samlesbury branch of the Arts Society to lecture on "Helsinki, a Jewel of Art Nouveau". Who would have though that the population of North East Lancashire would have expressed an interest in learning about the weird and wonderful architecture of Helsinki at the turn of the 20th century? Well, to judge from the packed house, they clearly were, and I was delighted at the response to my frankly ambitious attempt to draw together the four strands of Art Architecture, Music and Literature and make coherent sense of it all! But then, with wonderful paintings by Järnefelt, Halonen and Kallela, set to the most evocative music of Sibelius, how could it fail? I admit I was apprehensive... had I bitten off more than I could chew? But no - the audience loved it, and I was delighted to share my passion for the surprisingly modern version of art nouveau and politically charged painting and music that helped Finland to break free of Russia just over 100 years ago.