Month: May 2018

Loriners Part II

Here is the second part of my speech delivered to The Worshipful Company of Loriners last month. The first part is here.

Published
Categorised as Sport

French History

Kings, queens, wars and treaties swirl through Lord Norwich’s history of France. I had not realised that French King Louis VIII invaded England in 1216.

Published
Categorised as History

Vietnam

I am not a high-frequency trader and on the rare occasions I tweak my portfolio I like to share with you. In January 2016 I invited you to Yield to Temptation.

Published
Categorised as Business

Red-Veined Sorrel

Red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus) is easy to grow, decorative and edible. Like spinach it’s rich in potassium which lowers blood pressure and I expect it to become very fashionable in gardens great and small.

Red

Nine years ago I’d like to have seen Red at the Donmar.  Alfred Molina played Mark Rothko, Eddie Redmayne his assistant (Ken) and Michael Grandage directed. Tant pis, I missed it but it’s on again in the West End now with most of that dream team – Molina and Grandage.

Published
Categorised as Theatre

Shoot Lunches

Durham University is a hot-house for lifelong friendships and (not always lifelong) marriages. A conspicuous success is John and Katie who live on their farm in Northumberland. Their daughter, Lucy, was brought up on good plain cooking and shoot lunches. Now she has spread her wings.

The Grammar of Ornament

A book first published in 1856 and still in print deserves to be called a classic. That’s The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones.

Barons Court in Bloom

At this time of year one’s thoughts turn to gardening. My brother mounts his ride-on mower, Rosemary and Ann attend to the gardens at Barmeath and I browse the horticultural section of my bookshelf.

The Betrayal of Nora Blake

Size isn’t everything. The Jermyn Street Theatre is beneath an Italian restaurant, in what was the waiters’ changing room. This is glossed over in their programmes. They prefer their 1930s heritage as a night club called Monseigneur.

Published
Categorised as Theatre