There has been much emotion and pain at this year’s Armistice events – certainly here in Britain and, I suspect elsewhere too. We have British soldiers dying in Afghanistan and very recently they were dying in Iraq too. I don’t…
Shirley Verrett In his new book, Listen To This (published 25th November by Fourth Estate), Alex Ross, a passionate and persuasive writer about music, laments the description “classical music” and most of the terms used to replace it – art…
Now I don’t want to say too much but those of you who have been following the story about the shop across the road from my house here in Lewes, UK have been asking me if I know what kind…
Twenty of the ‘Grimsby Chums” buried arm-in-arm on the First World War battlefield of Arras in 1917. “They shall grow not old………”
It is a wonderful day here in Lewes, UK. White doves, and a few pigeons too, are circling above the police station and that is always a good omen. There is a completely cloudless sky and only the slightest of…
It was raining quite heavily earlier on this morning here in Lewes, UK. Now the weather has improved slightly with alternate dry and drizzly moments. In case you think I am showing a typically English obsession with the weather, there…
My very friendly neighbour’s cat was even friendlier than usual yesterday and decided to climb to the third floor window to my study and call me through the glass. I think it must be love because she sat there for…
The annual Lewes Bonfire celebrations claimed me last night. In case you don’t know about November 5th in Britain, it is a bonfire and firework commemoration of a foiled plot to blow up Parliament and the then king, James I,…
Prince Jefri Bolkiah (fully clothed) Even the lawyers didn’t know where to look when the question of Prince Jefri Bolkiah’s sculptures came up in court in New York yesterday. Prince Jefri, the so-called “playboy” brother of the very, very rich…
Let me introduce you to my neighbours Harvey and Liz who are not just good friends as that Australian soap opera tells us, but they are also fellow martial arts enthusiasts in spite of the fact that they practise taekwondo…