Month: May 2023

Around the Houses

George II gave 10 Downing Street to the government to provide a home in perpetuity for Prime Ministers and First Lords of the Treasury in 1735. At the time Robert Walpole was PM.

Mourning Post

This fountain at the south end of Bryanston Square looks rather contemporary – at least the base does but actually it hasn’t changed since it was built in the early 1860s.

The Aynscombes of Mortlake

“From 1689 to 1721 Cromwell House was the residence of Edward Colston (1636-1721) of the London Mercers’ Company, a major philanthropic benefactor in Bristol, his home town. In 1792 Lysons described it as an “Ancient house” and it was then associated with the Aynscombe family: Cromwell Lane was renamed Aynscombe Lane.” (London Gardens Trust)

Stare Case

Yesterday I was taken to see Peter Doig’s large, colourful pictures at the Courtauld. They were OK but not worth the double-digit millions they sometimes fetch at auction.

On The Wing

I planted this wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’ in March 2016 and now it is living up to its name with abundant, long tresses of white blossom.

The Green, Green Grass

The Byzantine emperor (610 – 641), Heraclius, is mentioned in James Heneage’s The Shortest History of Greece. True to his title Heraclitus is not.

Apochairetistírio

I have been coming to Greece since 1977 and have never stayed on the mainland before, once staying on Spetses and otherwise island hopping on chartered yachts.

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Categorised as Travel

The Deep Mani

Hitherto our transport has been a Land Rover Discovery and a Mercedes people carrier.

From Alpha to Omega

What common feature does England, Italy, North and South America have – and the Peloponnese for that matter?