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University Challenge’s New Quizmaster

In its 70 year history University Challenge has only had 3 quizmasters: Bamber Gascoigne, Jeremy Paxman and now the BBC’s media editor Amol Rajan. He made his debut last night in a contest between Trinity College and the University of Manchester which ended in a tie with 175 points respectively. [...]

July 18, 2023 // 0 Comments

Summer of sport excels

It’s been bloody awful weather but no one can criticise the quality of summer sport. Over the weekend Carlos Alcaraz – the young pretender – claimed the title from serial major winner Novak Djokovic and Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogecar continued their fascinating Tour de France duel [...]

July 17, 2023 // 0 Comments

The Ladies Final

There were too many unforced errors and pressures on Ons Jabeur to make the final enthralling but it was nonetheless an exciting encounter. Jabeur was carrying the torch for Arab women and the first African to win a ladies title. There was no such constraint on Marketa Vondrousova, the unseeded [...]

July 16, 2023 // 0 Comments

After Impressionism

Yesterday I went to the After Impressionism exhibition at the National Gallery and was underwhelmed. Perhaps this was caused by waiting in the rain in the entrance queue; or the fact that I knew virtually every picture so the impact was lost; perhaps I could not see for whom the exhibition had been [...]

July 15, 2023 // 0 Comments

The Reform Club

I have never been a great club man. I did join the Arts Club in Dover St some 50 years ago – and the RAC after that – but I was put off by the stuffiness and dress code and obsequiousness of the gentleman’s club. A few months ago I was invited to the Reform Club in Pall Mall and [...]

July 14, 2023 // 0 Comments

Sussex v Derbyshire and the Test future of Ollie Robinson

The coastal weather has been clear and bright but with high winds. I therefore swerved a trip to Hove for the county championship match between Sussex and Derbyshire. Now you can follow every ball on a live steam with commentary by Adrian Harmes. He misses a lot but is so affable and such a strong [...]

July 13, 2023 // 0 Comments

Tender is the Night/F. Scott Fitzgerald

I tend to read in themes and this year these have been contemporary Irish authors like Colm Toibin, Sebastian Barry, Joseph O’Connor and John Banville and classic American writers of the early twentieth century like Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway and now Scott Fitzgerald. My other reason for [...]

July 12, 2023 // 0 Comments

John Minton

Yesterday I watched a recording of Mark Gatiss’ appreciation of the artist Johnny Minton (1917-57) on BBC4. You may not have heard of him and therefore be surprised to learn that in the 1950s he was as well known as Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. He was the life and soul of the party, an active [...]

July 12, 2023 // 0 Comments

Elisir d’Amore/Glyndebourne

Although not a massive cricket lover I was caught up in the national fervour of the Ashes. We followed on the radio TMS driving to Glyndebourne and on arrival I found a quiet bench and listened to the drama on my portable radio. Fortunately England got the job done some 20 minutes before the [...]

July 10, 2023 // 0 Comments

Third Test: hail Stokes … and Woakes

If you take out Ben Stokes’ first innings knock of 80 then I doubt if England would have overhauled the Aussie total, who also should have the add the time of the Stokes occupation of the crease to bowl at England. It was another herculean effort from the skipper. But praise too for Chris [...]

July 10, 2023 // 0 Comments

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