World Affairs

Titanic lives/Richard Davenport-Hines

The Titanic sank 112 years and 1 month ago but it’s still an iconic event and I have often wondered why. It must be the sheer tragedy of the greatest liner of its age sinking on its maiden voyage and/or the film which launched the career of Kate Winslet and/or the horror of rich and poor [...]

May 11, 2024 // 0 Comments

Fiorentina reach Conference final

On Wednesday evening “il mio babbo” (my dad) and I settled down to watch Club Brugge play la Viola in the second leg Conference semi-final. We had a 3-2 lead but Club Brugge, who numbered Fulham’s ex Dennis Odoi and a talented striker in Thiago, would be a tough match. Indeed they [...]

May 10, 2024 // 0 Comments

Ipswich: now for the hard bit

“Pleasin’, most pleasin …” an Ipswich fan messaged me on their automatic promotion, mimicking their greatest manager Alf Ramsay’s difficulty with ‘g’s and use of ‘most’ instead of ‘very.’ When I say “greatest manager”, Ipswich have a few to pick [...]

May 7, 2024 // 0 Comments

Close … but no cigar

The early May Bank Holiday ends today following a weekend boasting the Semi-Finals of European club rugby’s premier competition the Investec Cup and – after two thrilling and entertaining games – for both of the English Premiership’s leading attacking outfits taking part [...]

May 6, 2024 // 0 Comments

Great cricket XIs

A friend of mine composed the best England Test team of his lifetime (he was born in 1959) which I will now share with you. Gooch, Cook, Root, Pietersen, Stokes , Botham, Knott, Swann, Broad, Andersen, Underwood. Having been born five years earlier, I might have included Ted Dexter, Fred Trueman [...]

May 6, 2024 // 0 Comments

Operation Petticoat/Guns of Navarone

No Bank Holiday is complete without a classic war film and on Friday I watched two. I was new to Operation Petticoat (1959) directed by Blake Edwards. Edwards is best known for the Pink Panther movies but, aside from comedy, he also directed the hard-headed film on alcoholism Days of Wine and Roses [...]

May 5, 2024 // 0 Comments

Fiorentina file: Fiorentina 3 Club Brugge 2

Art business took me to West Sussex. An art collector in Petworth may be interested in selling a Giorgio di Chirico. Collectors always say they are not interested in selling but, if the price is right … The tactic is not to disclose the net price. An auction house deducts a premium, VAT and [...]

May 4, 2024 // 0 Comments

A Day at the Races

Yesterday I was invited to Ascot Races for their first flat meeting of the year (Royal Ascot Trials Day) . It was mainly Group 3 – two year olds – the big stuff being the Royal Meeting and the Diamond Stakes which come later in the summer. I was mightily impressed by the new stand and [...]

May 3, 2024 // 0 Comments

State of Emergency/Dominic Sandbrook

This is an account of the years of Edward Heath as Prime Minister (1970-74). It was a tawdry time of rock bottom industrial relations, high inflation, the ill-advised Barber “boom”, soccer hooliganism and extreme violence within the Province (“The Troubles”) and IRA outrages on the [...]

April 30, 2024 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 1 Crystal Palace 1

I did an unusual thing last Saturday. After speaking to Pargie I backed the draw he had predicted as “nailed on”. Actually Crystal Palace had enough chances and possession to win. I did recall – after a promotion under Scott Parker – Fulham ‘s ‘welcome to the Premiership ‘ [...]

April 29, 2024 // 0 Comments

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ITV COVERAGE OF CHELTENHAM

March 14, 2026 // 0 Comments

I am in the camp of watching on tv rather than attending for the 3 Cs: cost , convenience and comfort. With the cost of travelling and attending Cheltenham and last [...]
Max Schmelling/ The Good German

March 4, 2026 // 0 Comments

In the unlikely event that I would be asked to nominate a Great Life on Matthew Parris ‘ show my choice would be the Black Uhlan Max Schmelling. In the 1930s thee [...]
The Tanner Report : Fulham 2 spurs 1

March 3, 2026 // 0 Comments

Prior to Fulham ‘s comfortable win over Spurs (2-1) I watched the big match Revisited featuring Chelsea 1 Arsenal 2 i guess in the early 70s It would be foolish to [...]
The Six Nations

February 24, 2026 // 0 Comments

The Six Nations continues to throw up surprises. England could not bounce back against Ireland , a resurgent Wales gave Scotland à close game with the Millennium Stadium [...]
Brentford 0 Brighton 2

February 23, 2026 // 0 Comments

The heat is off Fabian Hürzeler with Brighton ‘s 1st win in 13 games. Club owner Tony Bloom was not at the G Tech stadium due to a long planned family engagement but had [...]