As Oscar weekend got underway, I had a chance to visit the British Residency in Los Angeles for the first time ever, to enjoy tea and toast this year's British nominees. It's a beautiful home, the site of regular events, the home to the British Consul-General in Los Angeles, and was famously where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka William and Kate, stayed when they visited in 2011.
The Wallace Neff-designed house was built in 1928 and has belonged to Britain since 1957. The British consulate itself is in Century City.
Per the official British government website, "Michael Howells is a British diplomat and Consul General in Los Angeles. He is the senior representative of the UK government in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii. In this role, he promotes trade and investment, scientific cooperation, creative and media collaborations and educational partnerships between the UK and the southwestern United States. He also oversees delivery of essential consular services to a 600,000-strong British resident community and British visitors numbering over a million per year."
It was a beautiful afternoon, so many of the attendees headed to the backyard. Among those spotted in attendance: Richard E. Grant ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?"), nominated for outstanding supporting actor. It was a great weekend for Grant, who won the Independent Spirit Award on Saturday, and tweeted a video on Sunday of himself on the trampoline at Melissa McCarthy's house.
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