Goodbye South Bank Show
The British newspapers have been discussing the death of a long-running TV show today. I am trying not to be too parochial in this blog but the show, the long-running arts series, The South Bank Show, is one that has…
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Goodbye to the Champagne Cork and Public Exams
I am feeling under threat today. I have never claimed that I was extra good at much but those few things where I seem to be above average, well, they are close to my heart. I feel I should hang…
My photographs from Fujian Province, China
I went to China in February 2008. It was my first visit to Asia and it was unsurprisingly one of those great moments in life that changes your perspective. The purpose of the trip was to study a branch of…
Dancing with the Morrismen
I sometimes think that the French might be more joyful than the English. They don’t look it but they have the right expressions for when your heart races and you feel like jumping for joy.Maybe I don’t know enough English…
English Bluebells on May Day
May Day, the middle of the year, is a special moment in folk culture. It falls half way between the Winter and Summer Solstices and, certainly, in England, is one of the most beautiful times of the year. Spring is…
Six months after my brain haemorrhage
So it was six months ago today that a pleasant, high-spirited morning went blank on me. As today is a significant milestone in my recovery, I thought I might revisit the events which have permanently changed my life. I remember…
Why I don’t want to write about Swine ‘Flu
I don’t want to write about Swine ‘Flu. The news round the World is already full of it telling us that there really could be, that frightening word, a pandemic. I don’t want to write about it because every time…
The Norman Conquest as seen from my window
I have been looking out of my window at the weirdly distinctive mound that sits behind my house. Brack Mount, as it is called, has been here a lot longer than anything else in these parts. Possibly an Iron Age…
How to train your puppy, Mr. President
Is there a look of strain on President Obama’s face in this picture? Well this week sees his first 100 days in office. So there was nothing quite like taking a few moments out, relaxing with the family and, well,…
An April garden on a hot day with some of my favourite plants
For all our readers in Antarctica and Manchester, England, it is hot here in Sussex, 22 Celsius (71 Fahrenheit) and rising. The sun is shining unconditionally and the sky is blue. If I were in the mood to camp it…