A Bullet in the Ballet

This is Doris Caroline Abrahams; never heard of her, have you? Never mind, you will soon but first we are off to Venice.

Having a Rest

I have decided to take a break from writing for a while. I need a rest.

Wagner Postscript

A friend who came to the Wagner Prom earlier this week has made some comments which I’d like to share.

Knockfane

Knockfane is Homan Potterton’s first novel and I wondered what style he would adopt. The back cover promises “Knockfane is a Big House novel for a new generation”.

Flaming Way

The Royal Artillery Gold Cup was inaugurated in 1862 and, with interruptions for the Boer War and two World Wars, is probably more hotly contested today, well yesterday, than at any time in its long history. Since 1921 it has been run at Sandown Park.

Happy New Year?

Are sexuagenarians prone to pessism? It’s easier to worry about the future than look forward to it, on many levels, but we must keep buggering on.

Iron Winter

I don’t have much luck with Celebrity Carol Services. Years ago I went to the parliamentary carol service at which, by tradition, the Prime Minister is a reader.

Tricky Quiz

The third form at Oundle were set eighty questions of unusual complexity to unravel over half-term. Of the ten I showed you I got just two right and then only two more of the other seventy. Here they are again with the answers.