John Bellew, Part I

John Bellew was a captain in the Imperial cavalry and served with several cuirassier regiments. His letters to his relatives in Ireland, written from 1778 to 1792, span the reigns of three Austrian monarchs, Maria Theresa, Joseph II, and Leopold II, and his billetings and activities reflect Imperial foreign and domestic policy in this time… Continue reading John Bellew, Part I

Side by Side

I wonder what the voters in Clacton-on-Sea make of Nigel Farage in his pink shirt, silk tie, velvet collared covert coat and immaculate hair?

Classic French Cuisine

Like The Guardian I have poor circulation and get cold feet. Wool slippers with rubber soles are the answer.

Sailing

The original ferry to the Isle of Wight is Red Funnel which has been in business since 1861. I can attest that there is nothing more gratifying than alighting in Cowes and stepping aboard the Royal Yacht Squadron tender to cross the short distance to Cowes Castle, the clubhouse of The Squadron.

Concordia, Integritas, Industria

RIT Capital Partners (RCP) listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1988. If you had invested £10,000 and reinvested the dividends, today it would be worth £393,000. That’s an annual return in excess of 10%.

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Sissi

I bought this because I hold Richard Bassett in high esteem as an historian and travel writer; a biography of Wilhelm Canaris, and a memoir, Last Days in Old Europe. And for another reason; I thought it was a biography of the 19th century Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sissi).

The Producers

An annual treat in the late 1960s was to watch Brian Rix farces on the television and I remember they were at the Garrick Theatre.

Kiss Me Hardy

The Needles are almost in sight after my long voyage with Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. I am on the 20th and final (complete) book: Blue at the Mizzen.

The Secret Sin

When I was at Pratt’s yesterday, where the staff are always called George or Georgina, I was reminded of Saki’s short story: The Secret Sin of Septimus Brope.