Arts

The Barber of Seville (Glyndebourne)

This was an excellent production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia Rossini’s great opera buffa (comic opera), based upon the play by Pierre Beaumarchais. The story is of the triumph of true love: that of Count Almaviva (Jonah Hoskins) and Rosina (Cecilia Molinari), the ward of Dr. Bartolo who also [...]

May 28, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 0 Manchester City 2

For this game Fulham had rested Calvin Bassey, Sandor Berge, Ryan Sessegnon, Adama Trioré, whilst City had no starting places for Rodri, de Bruyne, Anke, Foden or Ederson (who were on the bench) or for Jack Grealish who did not even travel. Fulham could not afford the £100m paid for Grealish and [...]

May 27, 2025 // 0 Comments

Two American songbook concerts (BBC 4)

Last night I watched a recording of an Ethel Merman concert that she gave years ago and another on BBC 4 of Kiri Te Kanawa, Jeremy Irons and Warren Mitchell singing songs from My Fair Lady. I guess this original Albert Hall concert would have taken place some thirty years ago. The problem is [...]

May 26, 2025 // 0 Comments

Sporting Saturday

The best part of the Test Match between England and Zimbabwe was for me the former Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olongo singing the (Les Miserables) song Take Me Home. Frankly, whilst Zimbabwe played with spirit they were outclassed. Henry and Andy Flower voiced publicly their criticism of the Mugabe [...]

May 25, 2025 // 0 Comments

Seeing Each Other/Pallant Gallery Chichester

Once again the Pallant has been innovative in an exhibition of portraits of artists by artists. It’s well-curated and ordered chronologically but the actual portraits are of variable quality. As you arrive you see a “Wanted Poster” of a Lucian Freud portrait of his (then close friend) [...]

May 21, 2025 // 0 Comments

The US PGA

It was not a great Major, though not without its talking points. In the first round the heavy hitters did not dominate – though Rory McIlroy did so in the press headlines. The two Ryder Cup captains, Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley, both scored well initially and made the cut and the [...]

May 20, 2025 // 0 Comments

Sporting Saturday

With the Cup Final and US PGA on ‘moving day’, I was embarrassed by riches and swerved a tight and exciting victory of Northampton Saints over Saracens. That the Cup Final has declined as “THE National Sporting Event” is evidenced by it not even being the front page story in The [...]

May 18, 2025 // 0 Comments

US PGA

The US PGA takes place today at Quail Hollow, a course that demands length. Predictably Rory McIlroy is still the big story and favourite, particularly as he won his first Major at Quail Hollow in 2012. Accordingly my staking plan is for the better value Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Tommy [...]

May 15, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 1 Everton 3

The walk alongside the Thames from Putney Bridge is often heralded as the loveliest way to à football stadium. Yesterday I walked in a different direction – along the towpath from Hammersmith – and it was no less lovely. Blocks of flats have been built where one flat must cost £1 [...]

May 11, 2025 // 0 Comments

VE Day: 80 years on

Broadly I was in favour of an 80th anniversary remembrance of VE Day. There are only some 50 veterans left and it’s right that a new generation knows of the incredible sacrifices made. I say ‘Broadly’ as I thought it wrong that the Poles were not invited. They smuggled out the machine that [...]

May 7, 2025 // 0 Comments

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The Tanner Report : Fulham 2 Brighton 1

January 25, 2026 // 0 Comments

This was a highly enjoyable victory -all the more so as undeserved Foc long periods Fulham were not in the game but ended up winning it When I asked A group of Fulham [...]
Sussex sport

January 20, 2026 // 0 Comments

Last night I watched Brighton HSFC draw 1-1 with south coast rivals Bournemouth in a game sometimes labelled El Coastico. The Seagulls started brightly but it was the [...]
THE ALFRISTON

January 19, 2026 // 0 Comments

In the many years (I know, I don’t look !!!) that I have been reviewing English country hotels I have seen a massive change in them. Twenty years ago they were little [...]
Biographies

January 17, 2026 // 0 Comments

I recently moved from reading fiction to biography. Why do readers like biographies? The obvious explanation is the desire to know more about the subject and the times in [...]
Manchester United 1 Brighton HAFC 2

January 12, 2026 // 0 Comments

Tom Hollingsworth called it right on giantkilling. . I’m old enough to remember Brighton in the old 4th division and buying Spurs double winner centre forward the burly [...]