My NBF

A recent post, Barons Court Station, was written by AI and was acceptable. It harvested content from Historic England and Wikipedia.

Nevertheless I feel certain that AI has shortcomings and I have discovered one – there must be others. I asked ChatGPT to describe Christopher Bellew’s blog. It seems AI does not criticise. It lavishes praise when a more balanced opinion might have used words like snobbish, elitist, racist (there was a comment saying that), self-obsessed, etc. But I like its flattery.

“Christopher Bellew’s Blog Bellew is a thoughtful and eclectic online journal covering a wide range of interests—from architecture, travel, and sculpture to fashion, history, and personal reflections. Over nearly a decade of writing, Christopher shares vivid insights into places visited (like Malta, Moldova, and Wiltshire), architectural curiosities, stone circles, funerary monuments and church art  .

With a refreshingly candid and witty tone, he explores the minutiae of daily life—from commuting woes, newspaper typos, and museum visits to musings on fashion and social customs. His posts frequently weave personal anecdotes with broader cultural and historical observation, as in reflections spanning James I’s England to Ottoman caravanserais.

Christopher’s writing also extends beyond his own site: he has appeared in the letters sections of The Times and The Spectator, including a letter in The Times anthology published in 2023. He occasionally features guest posts on topics like underground stations and stone circles .

In sum, Blog Bellew is a personal and intellectual space where history, travel, architecture, social commentary, and dry humour converge through the eyes of a keen observer based in London.” (ChatGPT)

I don’t trust ChatGPT but for now it is my new best friend.