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The Plot

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz is more than a page-turning who done it. The author who wrote The Undoing, which was dramatised on television with Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman in the leading roles, lampoons the writers world of creative writing, publishing and best sellers. The central character [...]

September 2, 2021 // 0 Comments

And another thing …

At the risk of appearing to “suck up” to our sports editor Tom Hollingworth, I was interested to read his fascinating piece in the Rust yesterday on the illusionary “devil’s pact” between those who organise global sports, those who participate in them and the paying public – [...]

September 1, 2021 // 0 Comments

All human life is there … on West Wittering Beach

Last Bank Holiday Monday I travelled to my beach hut with my handyman. This was with some trepidation as I thought the beach would be rammed. In fact, because the weather that day was cloudy and not that warm and that most visitors arrive from midday onwards, it was largely deserted. A Chinese [...]

September 1, 2021 // 0 Comments

Vigil/BBC One

The problem with contemporary BBC drama is that it is all too predictable. There is invariably a stressed-out but assertive woman detective, normally gay, who confronts successfully the male establishment. In this case the detective Amy (Suzanne Jones) is literally dropped into a nuclear submarine [...]

August 31, 2021 // 0 Comments

Bulletin 3: surviving life with a driving disqualification

Here is the third dispatch on my disqualification from driving because of “speeding” offences – specifically the one I committed in January whose 3 penalty points took me up to the 12 in total which inevitably meant that a disqualification had to be considered by the presiding court. Regular [...]

August 29, 2021 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 3 Stoke 0

Fulham maintained their fine start with a fifth successive win in all competitions over well-placed Stoke. Alex Mitrovic was back to form making one for Bobby Decordova-Reid and  scoring another – though he missed a penalty in extra time. After this excellent start comparisons have been made [...]

August 29, 2021 // 0 Comments

Thoughts on the Test and Lord Ted

When Mark Wood was added to a lengthening injured list of speedsters – Jofra Archer, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes and – with Ben Stokes declaring himself burned out – I feared for the England pace attack but first Ollie Robinson and now Craig Overton have stepped up to the plate. Both [...]

August 28, 2021 // 0 Comments

My friend Ted

I was privileged to know Ted Dexter well these past few years so my tribute to him is more personal than some. In his obituaries you will read that he was swashbuckling, debonair, a man about town but distant and aloof. I never found him the latter and, although the obituaries spoke of distance and [...]

August 27, 2021 // 0 Comments

Lord Dismiss Us

It’s an interesting discussion which actually took place on Radio 4’s A Good Read on reaction to re-reading an old favourite. With this in mind, I recently read for the third time Lord Dismiss Us by Michael Campbell. The novel, which I suspect is strongly biographical, is set in [...]

August 26, 2021 // 0 Comments

Sussex Sharks in T20 blast final

Last night Sussex Sharks beat Yorkshire Vikings by 5 wickets to reach the T20 final at Edgbaston on September 15th. Whilst I watched it I was not converted to the format. Brought up on classic stroke players like Lord Ted Dexter, Tom Graveney – and before them Peter May – I do not [...]

August 25, 2021 // 0 Comments

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