Category: PG Wodehouse

Bills

Don’t think I was ever on “The Bill”, when you have to report to the Head Master for a misdemeanour. Today there are three more Bills – eyes down, get ready to tick them off.

Thank You, Hilary

I imagine when our Queen dies we will all feel a deep sense of loss and, of course, grief. Yesterday morning I got some inkling of how this will feel.

Cork and Orrery

In September 1941 after supper at the White House, “a jolly party”, Franklin Roosevelt asked his guests to name four outstanding leaders. Eleanor chose: Anne Hutchinson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Emily Dickinson and Carrie Chapman Catt. Franklin nominated: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and the Earl of Orrery.

Sweetness and Light

“The pursuit of perfection, then, is the pursuit of sweetness and light … He who works for sweetness and light united, works to make reason and the will of God prevail.“ (Culture and Anarchy, 1869, Matthew Arnold)

The Battle of Bouvines

The Battle of Bouvines is not one of those famous battles like Agincourt, Crécy, Blenheim, Waterloo, El Alamein. This is simply because, in spite of being in an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto IV, and having numerical superiority the English army was given a good beating by King Philip Augustus of France. As… Continue reading The Battle of Bouvines

Something Fresh

As it’s Sunday we will do Bible study. The Gutenberg Bible, as you know, was one of the earliest books to be  “mass” printed using moveable, metal type. Fewer than 200 copies ran off Gutenberg’s press at Mainz in the mid 15th century; one uxorious frog could do better in the tadpole department, and as… Continue reading Something Fresh

Lock-Down at Blandings

I confess I haven’t found living under lock-down a great hardship. Others, with piles in the country, you know what I mean, have taken the opportunity to improve their curtilages and undertake neglected maintenence. How has Lord Emsworth adapted to the regime?

Var-Siklod

Curious how houses often take centre stage in novels: Blandings, Brideshead, Howards End, Lorienburg, Manderley, White Ladies. I hope I can add Var-Siklod to the list.

Hungarian Rhapsody

Imprint, noun 1. a mark or outline made by pressing something on to a softer substance. “he made imprints of the keys in bars of soap” 2. a printer’s or publisher’s name, address, and other details in a book or other publication.