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My art week

The week began with Fake or Fortune on Monday night on BBC4. Some find this programme contrived but it’s popular for a reason. There is the Antique Roadshow element, which Fiona Bruce also presents, of the masterpiece bought in a junk shop: the reputation and work of the artist; the [...]

November 19, 2021 // 0 Comments

Yours bionically

I have had my booster jab. As with my first and second vaccination the organisation was spot on with a minimum of waiting and a very cheerful nurse administering. I was also given a helpful leaflet on the effects of the injection. My chief medical advisor – Grania – warned that I may [...]

November 19, 2021 // 0 Comments

We fight Fascists/Daniel Sonnabend

This is the true story of the 43 Group constituted by Jewish people to fight domestic fascism after World War Two. It is a graphic account of violence, disruption of fascist marches and meetings, and intelligence gathering by a group fearful that – having defeated Nazism – the creed [...]

November 17, 2021 // 0 Comments

Simon Sebag Montefiore on The Making of Spain

Last night on BBC4 Simon Sebag Montefiore presented the first part of his early history of Spain. I can claim a family connection as I was at university with his brother Rupert and historian brother Hugh, whose wife Aviva regularly appears as a forensic art expert in BBC’s 4 previous programme [...]

November 16, 2021 // 0 Comments

My sporting weekend

I have been “off the air” these past weeks largely because I have been unsuccessful in my golf wagers. However this weekend I backed the Italian Francesco Laporta (50-1), who finished third in the Dubai championship won by Dane Joachim Hansen, and also had an each way tickle on Carmen Tringale [...]

November 15, 2021 // 0 Comments

Happy birthday Prince Charles

November 14th is Prince Charles’ birthday. I can claim a connection as my brother was born 4 days earlier in the same place (the Lindo Wing, Queen Mary Hospital, Paddington) and delivered by the same gynaecologist (George Pinker). There the similarity ends. Prince Charles might well be a future [...]

November 15, 2021 // 0 Comments

Thoughts on the autumn internationals

I watched both games yesterday – Ireland beating the All Blacks and England overcoming Australia. The first game was covered on Channel 4. The commentator was Miles Harrison but I missed his normal sidekick Stuart Barnes. The All Blacks were ring-rusty and short of the high standards that one [...]

November 14, 2021 // 0 Comments

A cricket charity lunch

Yesterday as a guest I attended a cricketing lunch at a seafront hotel to raise money for a community charity run by Sussex CCC. The guest of honour was Glenn Hoddle. I have been attending such lunches for over 30 years and the format has little changed. For me the main drawback is the length of [...]

November 13, 2021 // 0 Comments

And now for something completely different

It’s difficult – in these strange times – to retain any sensible perspective upon what’s going on in the world. Here I’m not referring to “fake news” and/or the apparently ever-increasing phenomenon in which people begin to retreat behind extreme trenchant viewpoints and then take [...]

November 13, 2021 // 0 Comments

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