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St. Paul’s Old Boys and Oskar Schindler

In the week I watched on PBS Oskar Schindler/The Real Story and noticed that its writer, director and producer was Jon Blair. The self same Blair was at my school, St. Paul’s, and fled his native South Africa to avoid conscription. Like another South African of that era – Peter Hain – [...]

April 6, 2024 // 0 Comments

The Savage Storm: The battle for Italy 1943/James Holland

Pursuing my interest in the less well known theatres of World War Two warfare I read James Holland’s account of the Allies’ Italy campaign with great interest and enjoyment. The Allies had booted Rommel and his Afrika Korps out of North Africa, taken over Sicily and in late 1943 planned the [...]

April 3, 2024 // 0 Comments

Great Adventure/Tony Banks

This is an account of the Mohammed al Fayed era, which defined the modern Fulham, by a Fulham-supporting journo. It is diligent with interviews with al Fayed’s Director of Communications, Michael Cole, and most of the key personalities of that rollercoaster ride. It’s neither ‘”warts [...]

April 1, 2024 // 0 Comments

Entertainment or trophies?

I sent a message to an intelligent West Ham friend congratulating him on his club’s season. The Hammers are seventh in the Premier as I write and set fair for their fifth consecutive season in European competition, having won the Conference League last season. He would not have it, retorting that [...]

March 30, 2024 // 0 Comments

The Rumor Game/Thomas Mullen

The Rumor Game is set in Boston in 1943 and features as central characters a Jewish activist journalist (Anne) and an Irishman (Devon Mulroy) who works for the FBI. Both are conflicted. Anne wants to be more involved in exposing rising anti-semitism, chiefly inflicted by the Irish community, and [...]

March 27, 2024 // 0 Comments

Rampant Saracens thrash Harlequins 52-7

Yesterday – along with 61,000 others – I went to the impressive Tottenham Hotspur stadium to see Quins play Sarries. The stadium is renamed Stonex – the NFL pitch is used – and in the modern style, loud disco music is played with ex-England international James Haskell the [...]

March 24, 2024 // 0 Comments

Saracens 52 Harlequins 7

It comes with the territory that anyone in their eighth decade – as I am – has to contend with “incoming” accusations from friends and family (in jest or otherwise) that they are prone to repeating themselves. I became a guilty party myself once my own father reached a certain age. [...]

March 24, 2024 // 0 Comments

Chess tournament at the National Liberal Club

Last night I played in a lightning chess tournament at the National Liberal Club. In lightning chess you have approximately 10 seconds a move and the move must take place on a third buzzer. I was initially confused and had to be prompted and accordingly lost my first game of the five rounds. [...]

March 22, 2024 // 0 Comments

The death knell of the Gentleman’s club?

Does the decision of Simon Case (Cabinet Secretary) and Sir Richard Moore (Head of SIS) to resign from the Garrick Club herald the end of the Gentleman’s club? The title ‘Gentleman’s Club’ itself is anachronistic but I think that talk of their ending is premature. They still [...]

March 21, 2024 // 0 Comments

A superb day of TV sport

I can scarcely remember a more exciting day of TV sport. It started with a lunchtime thriller of a quarter-final FA Cup tie contested between Wolves and Coventry which the latter won with 2 goals in extra time. Next up was Italy’s 24-21 victory over Wales in Cardiff. Italy are my team of the Six [...]

March 17, 2024 // 0 Comments

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