Just in

History

It never rains but it pours

Comedian Frankie Howerd traditionally used to gain a titter of laughter – often just after he’d shared a conspiratorial juicy and/or vicious put-down of a fellow member of his cast – by admonishing his (live or television) audience with an arch aside “No, don’t laugh [...]

May 30, 2023 // 0 Comments

The process of waving goodbye

There comes a time in the affairs of men and mice when something happens – one might describe it as hitting a watershed – which causes us, for example, to let go of a previously-held firm conviction and switch to another, or perhaps it involves accepting that we cannot do this or that which [...]

May 27, 2023 // 0 Comments

A wine tasting with a difference

In May 1976 the English wine critic Steven Spurrier presented some Californian wines in Paris. Fearing that the distinguished panel was so unfamiliar with them, at the last moment he paired them with some classy French wines like Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Las Cases and Ch. Montrose. In a blind [...]

May 26, 2023 // 0 Comments

The Age of Innocence/Edith Wharton

Having enjoyed The Reef I moved onto Edith Wharton’s best-known work The Age of Innocence. Published in 1920 when she was 58 it won her the Pulitzer prize , the first woman to achieve this. The central character is Archer Newland, a young and rich lawyer, and the novel is set in the Gilded Age of [...]

May 25, 2023 // 0 Comments

The US PGA

Brooks Koepka won his third PGA trophy – known as the Wanamaker – and therefore became the first LIV Player to win a Major. There are some, like Colin Mongomerie and Lee Westwood, that have never won a Major and others who are unlikely to win a further one (Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and [...]

May 22, 2023 // 0 Comments

Israel: A Twice Promised Land (PBS) and Land of our Father (BBC4)

There were two interesting documentaries on Israel on Tuesday night. The first on PBS supported my view that 1967 was a watershed in Israeli history. In that year Israel achieved a significant victory in just six days over their invading Arab neighbours. Up till then Israel had global sympathy as a [...]

May 18, 2023 // 0 Comments

Ten Pound Poms

My late parents knew an eccentric travel agent who was involved in the £10 scheme to attract white British people to Australia. I can recall a visit to the docks to see sad faced immigrants rejecting one life for another. This was the force behind BBC One’s latest drama. It featured one family [...]

May 16, 2023 // 0 Comments

Arsenal 0 Brighton 3

Seven years ago – the year Brighton were promoted to the Premiership – Southampton played a pre-season friendly at the Amex and outplayed us. It was a strong Saints side managed by Ronald Koeman with the likes of Virgil van Dyck, Sadoi Mané, Luke Shaw, Morgan Schneiderlin, Nathaniel [...]

May 15, 2023 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Southampton 0 Fulham 2

Fulham’s defeat of the Saints consigned the latter to the Championship after 11 years in the Premiership. It also sets us on course for our record number of Premiership points and wins. All in all it caps a fine season with 2 games to go. The 8-match ban of Alex Mitrovic and injuries to Tim [...]

May 14, 2023 // 0 Comments

Fiorentina File: Fiorentina 1 FC Basel 2 (Conference semi final)

Fiorentina were expected to beat FC Basel but lost to two late goals. A couple of months ago la Viola were storming up serie a and looked to be a real force but throughout this competition the Swiss side have been unpredictable. They took the long route to the semis and – in the last round [...]

May 12, 2023 // 0 Comments

1 15 16 17 18 19 71