The Bloomsbury Art Fair launched this year with over 40 artists including Banksy, Damien Hirst, and Takashi Murakami. Held in the esteemed grounds of Goodenough College, it proved eye opening and unexpectedly thrilling

Having attended a disproportionate amount of gigs that the words fringe, grunge and binge were made for, it seemed high time that Denise the Lady and yours truly should step away from the bloody syringes and asymmetric hair and head to more cultural pastures. The Bloomsbury Art Fair launched this month as the brainchild of Eva-Marie Anderson, Victoria Holton George Crofton and Michael Bowles QC. Anderson, Holton and Crofton met while patients of the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury. Anderson was recovering from a horse riding accident and was the only one of the three able to walk following her injuries. Crofton and Holton left the hospital in wheelchairs. Some people are psychologically and spiritually savaged by an accident that leaves them disabled in some way, while others drum up an admirable brio which proves inspirational to everyone who encounters them.

The idea for the Bloomsbury Art Fair is to celebrate the ‘achievement of people affected by catastrophic injuries, to challenge the stereotypes of disabled people and to raise funds for four fantastic charities’. The honest truth of the matter is that the fundraising aspect of this event and its valuable mission to raise awareness of disability issues didn’t really sink in until we arrived at the event. We were initially drawn to the Fair’s unusual location and the quality of the artists on show, both established and emerging. Would we have scurried to the event with such gusto had we been aware that its focus was on the disabled? Possibly not. Does that make us shallow, narrow minded idiots who’d dash to the opening of a fridge if there was a bottle of wine in it, but might hesitate if we were forced to ponder a serious issue? Probably.

We clacked through Bloomsbury after a quick gin at the The Rugby Tavern on Gt. James St. and marvelled at the high-end village vibe on Lambs Conduit St. In fact, we were both astounded to find ourselves on a street we’d never encountered, despite staggering around London for decades. The People’s Supermarket! We gawped at the hippy-cum-community-boo-to-Tesco shop, marvelled at the boutiques and wine bars, before eventually finding ourselves in Goodenough College, Mecklenburgh Square. The setting proved sensational and we soon found ourselves in a grassy quadrangle with a glass of champagne surrounded by sculptures, men in Parachute Regiment Officers Mess Dress and people in wheelchairs. Initially baffled (and dazzled) by the red bolero jackets of the Parachute Regiment and an abundance of the disabled, some of whom were featured artists, it dawned on us that this was a unique art event. It wasn’t what we’d expected….and made us consider that in future we should pay a bit more attention.

Helping us to focus our perspective on the issues at hand was an appearance by Frank Gardener OBE, currently the BBC’s Security Correspondent. In 2004, while reporting from Saudi Arabia, he was shot six times and seriously injured in an attack by al-Qaeda. He was left partly paralysed in the legs and after 14 operations, 7 months in hospital and much rehabilitation, Gardner was back reporting for by mid-2005. In a cracking speech, he proved hilariously funny, humble, unsentimental and yes, inspirational.

It was announced that the Parachute Regiment planned a flyover and ‘display’ and that we should all remain al fresco to catch this aerial treat. The fact that Prince Harry serves in that regiment provided an added frisson of anticipation. Would Harry be the pilot? Might he parachute into the gawping crowd in combats and a maroon beret? Where’s Pippa?

Suddenly, we heard the approaching Apache helicopter, before it appeared hovering above the quadrangle, overwhelming us with a sheer walloping wall of sound and military might. It loomed for only 30 seconds before whooshing off again, creating an unexpected downdraft. The colossal gust was so strong it blew champagne flutes from the hands of those who weren’t clinging onto their drinks for dear life. It flattened bouffant hair, whipped hats off heads, blew flimsy dresses skyward and most dramatically, blew a £5,000 glass sculpture off its plinth and sent it crashing to the floor. It seems the damaged sculpture was by ‘Three Cubes’ by Johann von Stumm. Several women lost their footing and one was apparently taken to hospital after cutting her hand on broken glass. Drama doesn’t come bigger, costlier or more unexpected than that. ‘Bravo,’ whispered The Lady. ‘More champagne?’

One of the dashing, super posh boys that were attending to guests asked The Lady if she was okay, following the chopper shocker. After offering up her flute to be filled, she mused that shards of glass might be embedded in her shins. I offered to take photos of her glass studded legs and sell the snaps to Saatchi. Unsure if we were unhinged or serious, he hovered nervously before sweeping onto less worrying patrons.

“We’d like to thank the Parachute Regiment for that introduction,” quipped Michael Bowes QC before an entertaining auction which raised over £20,000 for the four nominated spinal injuries charities: The Parachute Regiment Charity, the Southern Spinal Injuries Trust, Motivation and the Spinal Injuries Association. Amongst the lot was a Banksy print of Jack and Jill in bullet-proof vests and a villa in the south of France.

Sophie Morgan was one of the most intriguing featured artists at the Bloomsbury Art Fair. The former law student was left paralysed after a car accident in 2003 which led to her pursuing a career in art. She featured on Britain’s Missing Top Model on BBC3 and her very personal work in many disciplines is both beautiful and moving. Morgan describes herself as an artist, portraitist, writer, arts psychotherapist, TV presenter, model, spokeswoman, product designer & paraplegic. She’s nothing less than awesome.

Aside from the helicopter hoo-ha, refined location and hugely friendly crowd, the Bloomsbury Art Fair proved a minor education of sorts. I’m not often in an environment where the disabled are glamorously dressed, are featured artists showing beautiful work and prove to be the most entertaining guests of the night. We didn’t see as much art as we should’ve done, but we left a little more enlightened. In addition to raising money and showcasing much new art, one has to applaud any event which broadens a visitor’s horizon while blowing the hat off their head with an Apache helicopter.

Main picture: Mermaid by Sophie Morgan- 'Being in the water is very freeing. I am able to leave my wheelchair and float weightlessly, moving without effort. Like a mermaid though, I am unable to walk on land'.