An Alternative Christmas Song
I mentioned the delicate song ‘Snow’ when I featured ‘Undertow’ – another song by Lisa Hannigan. In aesthetic terms the […]
Kennedy plays Klezmer
When I first heard Klezmer music played in Kazimierz (Krakow’s historic Jewish area) it was love at first listen. Klezmer […]
Anna Sewell – Black Beauty
Anna Sewell’s only book, ‘Black Beauty’ was published in 1877, just months before her death. Told through the eyes of […]
Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)
In 1999, the British rock band Skunk Anansie headlined the last Glastonbury Festival of the 20th century. This now seems […]
The Seascapes of Alfred Wallis
Alfred Wallis was seventy years old when he first picked up a brush and started to paint. Recently widowed, he […]
‘Suddenly rich’ – ‘Snow’ by Louis MacNeice
The Irish born poet and playwright Louis MacNeice was part of the ‘Auden Group’ sometimes referred to simply as the […]
Everybody Wants To Rule The World
‘Welcome to your life / There’s no turning back.’ One of the best opening lines. One of the best songs. […]
Flaubert’s Parrot
‘But if you love a writer, if you depend upon the drip-feed of his intelligence, if you want to pursue […]
The English Abroad: Babingtons Tea Rooms
A traditional English Tea Room by the Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy! How did it get there? … It is […]
‘Passion Place’: The World of Interiors
A fortuitous moment waiting to collect a Chinese takeaway led to the discovery of ‘The World of Interiors’, the only […]