Midnight in Minsk

y Every Picture Tells a Story Sveltana Alexievich has a flat in this apartment building. She knows how to tell a story. She has written about the Second World War, sorry The Great Patriotic War, the war in Afghanistan and Chernobyl. Her technique is to interview people and tell the story through their words. This… Continue reading Midnight in Minsk

East West Street

Philippe Sands QC, a British and French international lawyer, professor of law at University College London, commentator and author has written a remarkable book: East West Street.

Arms and the Man

Arma virumque cano  (of arms and the man I sing) as Virgil puts it so succinctly in the Aeneid. A reader tells me a schoolboy hazarded this translation: “I sing of arms, men and dogs, sir”. I cannot sing but I do want to flaunt my Arms. The late Sir Iain Moncreiffe in Simple Heraldry, Cheerfully… Continue reading Arms and the Man

Flora and Fauna

There seems to be a new trend in environmental management in Richmond Park and on Wimbledon Common.

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Categorised as Local, Nature

Milestones

I’m curious but not observant. I read on another blog about three things I have often walked past and never noticed; milestones. Like trig points and urban boot scrapers they are redundant. No doubt pillar boxes and public ‘phone booths will follow.

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Categorised as Local

The Arab Boy

I have never seen this fascinating picture but at least one reader may have when it took its holidays in Boston in 2015; home is Kansas City.

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Categorised as Art, Local

Do Not Resuscitate

The local council, Hammersmith and Fulham, have one department with which I cannot find fault; tree maintenance. They regularly prune the crab apple tree on the pavement outside our house and plant new trees when necessary. Our streetscape would be impoverished without their diligence and care.

Men in White Coats

Chiswick House and its gardens was a private lunatic asylum from 1892 until 1928. Looking at the entrance at Chiswick I’m reminded of Mr Loveday’s Little Outing by Evelyn Waugh.