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The Motive and the Cue

This play by Jack Thorne – directed by Sam Mendes -is the hottest ticket in town. Its subject is the direction of Sir John Gielgud (Mark Gatiss) of Richard Burton (Johnny Flynn) in a 1966 Broadway production of Hamlet. I went to the matinee yesterday with my customary companion after we [...]

February 16, 2024 // 0 Comments

Michael Portillo’s Cornwall and Devon walk

Michael Portillo has emerged from his political career as an informative and engaging travel and railway enthusiast and presenter. As he retired from politics at the end of the last Century many will only now know him for his television programmes. On “catch-up” I chanced upon with his [...]

February 14, 2024 // 0 Comments

Thoughts on the Six Nations

There has been an engrossing discussion on the sports pages of The Times between their two main rugby correspondents Stephen Jones and Stuart Barnes. Jones argues that fans want wins,  Barnes disagrees, citing entertainment. If Jones is correct why are the RFU ‘ bigging up’ the Twickenham [...]

February 12, 2024 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 3 Bournemouth 1

They say form is transient, class is permanent. In the case of the Fulham strikers, who have been misfiring all season, I would add confidence and availability. Raul Jimenez, who went 32 games without a goal, rediscovered his touch with 3 in 4 games. Armando Broja came in on loan and, after an [...]

February 11, 2024 // 0 Comments

“2.22: A Ghost Story” (a report not a review)

Yesterday, accompanied by Her Indoors, I went to the matinee performance of a touring version of the fifth West End production  – the first had premiered in 2021 – of Danny Robins’ highly-regarded dramatic play 2:22 A GHOST STORY at the Chichester Festival Theatre. In its time it has [...]

February 8, 2024 // 0 Comments

Indian cricket in perspective

The surprising aspect of the Second Test is that – given a wicket was prepared to deteriorate and encourage spin – it was the speedsters on both sides who dominated. Jimmy Anderson bowled really well but it was Jasprit Bumrah that was man of the match with his nine wicket haul. It was [...]

February 6, 2024 // 0 Comments

Kurt Hamrin

The passing of Kurt Hamrin this weekend was probably not covered by the British sporting medusa but he was a legend for Fiorentina and Sweden. He and Gabriel Batistuta were joint Viola capocannoniere (top scorers) with 151 goals. Kurt Hamrin – known as the ‘Little Bird’ – played [...]

February 5, 2024 // 0 Comments

Wonderful days of TV sport

A good friend of mine has had painful side effects after a knee procedure but thankfully is a keen sport lover. So he can put his knee up and enjoy some wondrous TV sport, chiefly the Six Nations and the second England v India cricket Test match. Maybe Friday night’s match between France and [...]

February 5, 2024 // 0 Comments

The Glass Pearls/Emeric Pressburger

This novel is absorbing but troubling. The writer Emeric Pressburger was a distinguished film maker who, with Michael Powell, made such classics as Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus and A Matter of Life and Death. He wrote this novel in the 1960s and it has just been republished by Faber. The subject [...]

February 3, 2024 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 0 Everton 0

This entertaining goalless draw came as no surprise as Sean Dyche’s sides are always tough to beat and Fulham cannot score. We did indeed put 10 past West Ham and Nottingham Forest, but have managed only 1 goal in the next 4 games. We play good football on 2/3rds of the pitch but there is no end [...]

January 31, 2024 // 0 Comments

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