I attended the Agile Business Awards on Thursday night in Bloomsbury Square. It was a lively affair and the lamb was cooked to perfection. No mean feat getting meat right for so many people. Anyway, somewhat tired as I was, I trudged down to the National Portrait Gallery and joined a queue of 3 people waiting for tickets.

It never ceases to amaze me at how enveloping the NPP is. I always wonder at where all the money goes that is paid for by competing photographers and paying visitors. It is painfully obvious that the entrance fees for the competition covers the prize fund and the frames cannot be that expensive (I have seen better). I have no idea what the paying footfall is but at £3 per pop that must add up some yet at the same time, it was free to see Snowdon’s work – what a delight in masterful black and white production, and also Grayon Perry’s ‘Who are you?’.

As I expected, the images on display surpass the catalogue, even the photographers edition that I got as an also ran. I knew from previous years that this would be the case. The selection and hang this year knocks spots off the 2013 show but why is that so many of the top runners are all well known artists? This intrigues me. I was doubtful about ‘Indecisive Moment’ even in the catalogue and this was confirmed by seeing it. There are still many ‘faces’ in this show that is, known faces. Quite a few always make it into this show.

I can claim some shared DNA with Titlow though. Both he and I have studied at Ipswich Art School. I studied silversmithing there at night school in the 1980s. It seems a travesty that this art school withered on the vine. Quite a number of well know artists have hailed from there but at least I can say that I have exhibited in the space. It does make rather a good gallery. Pity the infrastructure is not there to get more people into it.

So I was OK with the bulk of the hang for TW2014 but Snowdon and Perry made the trip really worthwhile. As with all art, be it cracked pots, painting, tapestries, photographs and sculptures, they all need to be seen in the flesh so to speak.

The visit was therapy in the best form. Go and take a look.