World Affairs

Ryder Cup / Day One

Team Europe established a commanding lead (6 and a 1/2 v. 1 and a 1/2) but you cannot yet call this winning as there is a scenario whereby the USA could come back today winning say 5-3 and are back in the game. I do not think this will happen as 1) Luke Donald is a better captain than Zack Johnson, [...]

September 30, 2023 // 0 Comments

Glyndebourne

This month I was elevated in status from associate to full membership of Glyndebourne. Initially my reaction was ‘What ‘s the big deal? ‘ – apart from an increased sub? However with the letter they sent me a Short History of History of Glyndebourne by Michael Kennedy. Reading the story [...]

September 29, 2023 // 0 Comments

Ryder Cup Review

The bookies have both sides almost identical which seems right. The Americans have the world number one – Scottie Scheffler – who is experiencing putting problems and has never played a Ryder Cup foursomes – and number five Patrick Cantlay, meanwhile the Europeans have numbers [...]

September 28, 2023 // 0 Comments

Marriage of the Arnolfini

Few paintings have generated as much controversy and speculation as The Marriage of the Arnolfini by Jan van Eyck (1424) Little is known of Jan van Eyck. He was the court painter of the Duke of Burgundy whose lands extended to Flanders and the Netherlands. Bruges in Flanders was a thriving [...]

September 27, 2023 // 0 Comments

The joys of Sussex

The other day a colleague on the Rust wanted a head’s up on the Wiston Wine Estate. I had never visited it though Wiston is a highly-rated vineyard but the enquiry set me thinking how much Sussex has to offer. There are vineyards at Ridgeview, Rathfinny and Nye Timber and, although each [...]

September 26, 2023 // 0 Comments

The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys/Jack Jewers

Historical fiction has become a popular genre with writers like C.J. Samson and his Shardlake novels set in the reign of Henry VIII leading the way. In some respects these are easy novels to write – as you do not have to invent a whole cast of characters – but (in other respects) [...]

September 25, 2023 // 0 Comments

Ireland 13 South Africa 8

This epic match more than matched the billing and hype and I share my colleague Derek Williams’ viewpoint that the Boks should be beaten. Their bomb squad of 7 forwards attracted a lot of attention though few pointed out that – in the absence of Malcolm Marx – they did not have a [...]

September 24, 2023 // 0 Comments

An expedition to two National Trust properties

Earlier this year the Boss and I joined the National Trust on a “family ticket”. For many years she had been a member of the organisation and occasional visitor to a variety of its properties. In my case, whilst I had been to a few of them over the past six decades, this was more by informal [...]

September 24, 2023 // 0 Comments

Gloucester Rugby 25 Harlequins 17

I was initially excited by last night’s visit to the atmospheric Kingsholm until I realised how many Quins players would be absent on World Cup duty: Joe Marler, Jack Walker, Joe Marchant, Marcus Smith, Danny Care, Andre Esterhuizen, Tommaso Allan and Gloucester could not call on wingers [...]

September 23, 2023 // 0 Comments

Haunting in Venice

John Malkovich has done it once unsatisfactorily, Peter Ustinov twice and now Kenneth Branagh three times. Albert Finney, Orson Welles and Alfred Molina had one go. None of them get as near to Hercule Poirot as David Suchet on ITV. He is Poirot. Yesterday I saw Haunting in Venice in which producer, [...]

September 20, 2023 // 0 Comments

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Ryder Cup / Day One

September 30, 2023 // 0 Comments

Team Europe established a commanding lead (6 and a 1/2 v. 1 and a 1/2) but you cannot yet call this winning as there is a scenario whereby the USA could come back today [...]
Glyndebourne

September 29, 2023 // 0 Comments

This month I was elevated in status from associate to full membership of Glyndebourne. Initially my reaction was ‘What ‘s the big deal? ‘ – apart from an [...]
Ryder Cup Review

September 28, 2023 // 0 Comments

The bookies have both sides almost identical which seems right. The Americans have the world number one – Scottie Scheffler – who is experiencing putting problems [...]
Marriage of the Arnolfini

September 27, 2023 // 0 Comments

Few paintings have generated as much controversy and speculation as The Marriage of the Arnolfini by Jan van Eyck (1424) Little is known of Jan van Eyck. He was the court [...]
The joys of Sussex

September 26, 2023 // 0 Comments

The other day a colleague on the Rust wanted a head’s up on the Wiston Wine Estate. I had never visited it though Wiston is a highly-rated vineyard but the enquiry set [...]