Just in

World Affairs

Classic British Cinema

Over the weekend I watched the the Sky team review in their Classic Films series and acclaim Kind Hearts and Coronets and then on Film 4 The Long Good Friday: both are – in their different ways – classics of British cinema. Kind Hearts and Coronets is an Ealing Comedy though Ian Jarvis, [...]

July 20, 2025 // 0 Comments

The sporting weekend

The sporting weekend exposed many clichés and platitudes. In beating fancied Australia in the ICC Trophy South Africa proved that they are not chokers and the quota system has produced successful captains in the Springboks and Proteans. England rugby union’s Gallagher Premiership Final was a [...]

June 16, 2025 // 0 Comments

BRIAN WILSON/ R.I.P.

Even though he was diagnosed with dementia a couple of years ago, I was still shocked and sorrowed to learn in the media this week of the death of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ original leader and chief creative force, at the age of 82. His younger brothers Dennis (drowned 1983) and Carl [...]

June 13, 2025 // 0 Comments

The US Open at Oakmont

They say that the US Open is the one of the four Majors that the pros want to win. A few well-known golfers have never done so (Sam Snead, Phil Mickelson, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo to name 4). The Masters is a tad up itself – the British Open being a Links course is weather dependent [...]

June 13, 2025 // 0 Comments

First Day World Test championships/Australia v. South Africa

I was in two minds whether to use my ticket for the ICC WORLD TEST FINAL contested between South Africa and Australia. I have had a recent run of bereavements and I thought the event might conflict with a funeral. In such situations (of losing a close friend) I follow the advice of the American [...]

June 12, 2025 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard/Cannizzaro House Wimbledon

The main assets of Cannizaro House are its gardens and the white palladian villa. Its location is on the west side of Wimbledon Common within walking distance of the buzzy village. Wimbledon’s (District Line) Tube station takes you into central London and its rail station is one stop away [...]

June 10, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Barber of Seville (Glyndebourne)

This was an excellent production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia Rossini’s great opera buffa (comic opera), based upon the play by Pierre Beaumarchais. The story is of the triumph of true love: that of Count Almaviva (Jonah Hoskins) and Rosina (Cecilia Molinari), the ward of Dr. Bartolo who also [...]

May 28, 2025 // 0 Comments

A great weekend of Sussex Sport

Brighton trounced Spurs 4-1 away and finished  in 8th spot with the very remote possibility of European competition (if so they might well meet Fiorentina) and Sussex are now second in the Championship after beating Hampshire. The win in 3 days was achieved without Ollie Robinson and Dan Hughes [...]

May 27, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 0 Manchester City 2

For this game Fulham had rested Calvin Bassey, Sandor Berge, Ryan Sessegnon, Adama Trioré, whilst City had no starting places for Rodri, de Bruyne, Anke, Foden or Ederson (who were on the bench) or for Jack Grealish who did not even travel. Fulham could not afford the £100m paid for Grealish and [...]

May 27, 2025 // 0 Comments

Two American songbook concerts (BBC 4)

Last night I watched a recording of an Ethel Merman concert that she gave years ago and another on BBC 4 of  Kiri Te Kanawa, Jeremy Irons and Warren Mitchell singing songs from My Fair Lady. I guess this original Albert Hall concert would have taken place some thirty years ago. The problem is [...]

May 26, 2025 // 0 Comments

1 2 3 4 148