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Beryl Cook

Many years ago I was at the National Theatre for a play I have long forgot. In the interval I went to their bookshop and came across THE WORKS by Beryl Cook. The cover alone reduced my theatre-going companion and myself to uncontrollable hysterics. Beryl Cook occupies a unique spot on art as she is [...]

May 15, 2024 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 0 Manchester City 4

There is no disgrace in losing to Manchester City even though it was a thumping defeat containing only one Fulham attempt on goal. Nor should this defeat disguise the fact that Fulham have had a creditable season in which we reached the semi-finals of the Carabou Cup, beat Spurs, Arsenal and [...]

May 13, 2024 // 0 Comments

Exeter Chiefs 58 Harlequins 26

Maybe it was that gruelling Investec Cup semi -final against Toulouse – or maybe the injury to Caden Murley leading to a reshuffle with Marcus Smith going to full back – but, whatever it was, Quins collapsed 6-37 in the second half. Give Exeter their due. In Immanuel Feyi-Moboso they [...]

May 13, 2024 // 0 Comments

Titanic lives/Richard Davenport-Hines

The Titanic sank 112 years and 1 month ago but it’s still an iconic event and I have often wondered why. It must be the sheer tragedy of the greatest liner of its age sinking on its maiden voyage and/or the film which launched the career of Kate Winslet and/or the horror of rich and poor [...]

May 11, 2024 // 0 Comments

Fiorentina reach Conference final

On Wednesday evening “il mio babbo” (my dad) and I settled down to watch Club Brugge play la Viola in the second leg Conference semi-final. We had a 3-2 lead but Club Brugge, who numbered Fulham’s ex Dennis Odoi and a talented striker in Thiago, would be a tough match. Indeed they [...]

May 10, 2024 // 0 Comments

Ipswich: now for the hard bit

“Pleasin’, most pleasin …” an Ipswich fan messaged me on their automatic promotion, mimicking their greatest manager Alf Ramsay’s difficulty with ‘g’s and use of ‘most’ instead of ‘very.’ When I say “greatest manager”, Ipswich have a few to pick [...]

May 7, 2024 // 0 Comments

Close … but no cigar

The early May Bank Holiday ends today following a weekend boasting the Semi-Finals of European club rugby’s premier competition the Investec Cup and – after two thrilling and entertaining games – for both of the English Premiership’s leading attacking outfits taking part [...]

May 6, 2024 // 0 Comments

Great cricket XIs

A friend of mine composed the best England Test team of his lifetime (he was born in 1959) which I will now share with you. Gooch, Cook, Root, Pietersen, Stokes , Botham, Knott, Swann, Broad, Andersen, Underwood. Having been born five years earlier, I might have included Ted Dexter, Fred Trueman [...]

May 6, 2024 // 0 Comments

Operation Petticoat/Guns of Navarone

No Bank Holiday is complete without a classic war film and on Friday I watched two. I was new to Operation Petticoat (1959) directed by Blake Edwards. Edwards is best known for the Pink Panther movies but, aside from comedy, he also directed the hard-headed film on alcoholism Days of Wine and Roses [...]

May 5, 2024 // 0 Comments

A Day at the Races

Yesterday I was invited to Ascot Races for their first flat meeting of the year (Royal Ascot Trials Day) . It was mainly Group 3 – two year olds – the big stuff being the Royal Meeting and the Diamond Stakes which come later in the summer. I was mightily impressed by the new stand and [...]

May 3, 2024 // 0 Comments

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