Category: Family

Russian For Beginners

First, and only, visit to the Proms this week; the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra playing under the baton of spritely, septuagenarian Yuri Temirkanov a programme of sophisticated Russian music. Or as I subsequently found, a programme described by the condescending BBC as “classical for starters”.

A Grave Matter

On Sunday I went to check up on the family plot in Mortlake. It was last used in 1935 when Uncle G (my grandfather’s uncle, George Leopold Bryan, later Bellew), was buried there and again in 1940 by my great-grandfather’s second wife.

A Spy in the Family

In the 1980s I was introduced to Patrick O’Brian’s novels about Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin (it’s curious that the series does not have a title). Like so many others, I became hooked on the detailed descriptions of life on board a Royal Navy ship in the early years of the 19th century. The depth… Continue reading A Spy in the Family

Sisi

The Empress Elisabeth of Austria is known for championing Hungary and being assassinated by an Italian anarchist in Geneva in 1898. In Ireland she is remembered for hunting with the Meath.

Hunting

My grandfather’s Uncle G used to say when he went to Mass in June, “good, we’re in the Trinities, hunting starts in the Trinities”. The 13th Sunday after Trinity approaches and we can now legitimately look forward to the start of the season.

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The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore

It was Gordon Brown, I think, who said that the time to fix the roof is when the sun’s shining. What a load of cobblers politicians, who have usually never done a day’s work in their lives, talk.

An Unreliable Cure

Today is the first thoroughly wet one. An excellent opportunity to visit the Leprosy Museum.

Sea Interlude

Yesterday I wrote about gallant Pat Jameson. Another Jameson cousin, who did double-duty as my Godfather, served in the Irish Guards in the war.

Bounce

  I love looking at the Bounce Rate for visitors to this site. I don’t have a clue what it means but it reminds me of

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Categorised as Family