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The Tanner Report: Fulham 4 Watford 1

Reporting on this victory is secondary to commenting on the decline of the FA Cup in my lifetime. The year of my birth (1954) witnessed what many consider the greatest game ever played at Craven Cottage – a cup tie with  the holders Newcastle United which the latter won 5-4. The linesman who [...]

January 10, 2025 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard restaurant wrap-up

After visiting the Thyssen collection I suggested lunch at a restaurant El Rincon d’Esteban in a side street near our hotel and opposite the parliament The Cortes. In my experience politicians know their food though expect others to pay for it and apparently use El Rincon. We recced the [...]

November 18, 2024 // 0 Comments

Second day in Madrid: The Thyssen collection

Yesterday I went to visit the Thysenn collection which makes up a trio of fine museums with the Prado and Reina Sofia. The collection was amassed by the super rich industrialists the Thysssens – father and son. It was offered to London in the 1980s who suggested Canary Wharf whilst Madrid [...]

November 17, 2024 // 0 Comments

First day in Madrid

Picking up where Nancy left off we arrived at Madrid’s Barajas airport without incident. I would note that security at Gatwick was oppressive with the staff delighting in confiscating liquid items such as Bob’s perspirants and shaving foam. I also noted that dress standards had dropped. Time [...]

November 16, 2024 // 0 Comments

A long weekend in Madrid

This was originally scheduled for 2 months agobut my cat had a hypoglaecemic fit and we had to reschedule. Readers might wonder why Madrid? it does not rank amongst Europe’s great cities.  I  was persuaded to make my second visit after a captivating programme by Michael Portillo  whose [...]

November 15, 2024 // 0 Comments

London 2014/2124

Ten years ago I made my momentous decision to leave London for the South Coast. I was born in London and regarded myself as a Londoner. My closest friend- alas now passed – opined that I would be back in 2 years if I could afford the housing prices. I can see the attraction and attractions of [...]

November 12, 2024 // 0 Comments

Taste/Stanley Tucci: My Life Through Food (2021)

Stanley Tucci is a successful film actor who has made a second career of out his great interest in – and love of – food. I first became aware of this through his TV programmes travelling to different cities and reporting on their cuisine. He develops this in his book starting with [...]

October 17, 2024 // 0 Comments

Praise given where due

A common theme in the Rust and elsewhere is the difficulty and frustrations for the elderly  in coping with the demands of the digital age. Thus, when I noted that my passport would expire at the end of 2024, I was naturally anxious that (1) it might take ages to be processed; and (2) I might [...]

August 5, 2024 // 0 Comments

Who Only Cricket Knows/David Woodhouse

This is a book prize-winning account of the 1953-1954 tour to the Caribbean led by Len Hutton and managed by Charles Palmer. The title is an adaptation from Rudyard Kipling by the Marxist writer C.R James which reflected one of the tensions of the tour – nascent Caribbean nationalism – [...]

July 31, 2024 // 0 Comments

A passenger on a train

Yesterday I was travelling back by train to my home town from Victoria. An attractive woman placing her case on a rack sat temporarily next to me and then moved. Initially I was hopeful of her company but grateful subsequently she sat elsewhere. She got on her mobile phone to reveal the latest [...]

July 18, 2024 // 0 Comments

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