World Affairs

Lowry and Dali/BBC 4

BBC 4 on a Monday has some excellent art programmes and yesterday there were two such: Fake or Fortune and another on Salvador Dali. On Fake or Fortune the son of a successful northern businessman was seeking to authenticate 3 Lowrys acquired by his father. His problem was, whilst they [...]

January 4, 2022 // 0 Comments

New Years Day Concert/ Vienna

My favourite ritual on New Years Day is the annual concert in Vienna. Tickets are gold dust- all the more this year as because of the pandemic the audience in the Golden Hall was limited to 1,000. The concert honoured Daniel Barenboim who was conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. He is 80 now and I [...]

January 2, 2022 // 0 Comments

Vienna Blood

In my normal way I’m reviewing Vienna Blood after seeing all three episodes of the second series. It is a psychological thriller set in Vienna around 1900 and is based on the Frank Tallis novels. The two central characters are police officer Oscar Rheinhardt (Jurgen Maurer) and a pupil of [...]

December 31, 2021 // 0 Comments

The silly season continues here …

As another Rust year draws to a close and we contemplate what 2022 might bring, it occurred to me that – as is not unusual in the gap between Christmas and New Year – there is a remarkable lack of worthy media news stories doing the rounds. As proof of my proposition, here are two [...]

December 31, 2021 // 0 Comments

English cricket – the inquest begins (again)

The records have it that the first-ever international cricket match – between the United States of America and Canada, no less – took place at the grounds of the St George’s Cricket Club in New York in 1844. A English professional cricket touring team mounted the first-ever [...]

December 30, 2021 // 0 Comments

Klopptrap

I have always liked Jurgen Klopp. He gives the impression of being a first class manager without taking himself seriously. He has revived Liverpool and is a pathfinder of German managers and coaches at the highest Premier level such as Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, Ralf Rangnick at Manchester United. [...]

December 29, 2021 // 0 Comments

Days Without End/Sebastian Barry

It was Roy Hodgson, the former England manager, who was the recommender of Sebastian Barry. I had really enjoyed The Secret Scripture – the story of a woman who was unfairly locked up in a mental asylum. Apparently in catholic Southern Ireland this was not a difficult process and made by a [...]

December 26, 2021 // 0 Comments

Late Mozart and The Rest is History

One of my favourite presenters is Donald Macleod who on Radio 3 at midday presents The Great Composers. Occasionally it will be a composer of whom I have not heard but, as often as not, I have. Last week he covered the late period of Mozart’s life. For me, Mozart is the greatest of them all [...]

December 25, 2021 // 0 Comments

The Great Train Robbery (2013 two part film)

Yesterday over lunch I discussed with a friend roughly my age the seismic events of out lifetime: the assassination of President Kennedy, the landing on the moon, the killing of John Lennon, the death of Princess Diana and the Great Train Robbery. The sheer audacity of the gang, who on August 8th [...]

December 24, 2021 // 0 Comments

Operation Finale

Operation Finale is a Netflix production based on the abduction and trial in Israel of Adolf Eichmann in 1960. The first part – being the planning and kidnapping of Eichmann – was a largely accurate but the second part takes considerable dramatic licence with the facts. Eichmann was the [...]

December 23, 2021 // 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 [...]