Plenty of time to catch up on reading. I have just given up on Aldous Huxley’s first novel, Crome Yellow, published in 1921. It seems very dated. I am going to play for safety and re-read Jill the Reckless next – written by PG Wodehouse and also published in 1921.
The Virus in Numbers
185,426 people live in Hammersmith and Fulham. We have 23 cases of Coronavirus; just 0.01%, so far. The BBC website has area by area data. It is also interesting to put the spread of the virus into an international context and Worldometers.info is the place to go. The data is updated daily at midnight UK… Continue reading The Virus in Numbers
Go to Work on an Egg
This is the best thing since sliced bread; just the job for brightening breakfast in these dark days of uncertainty. It combines elegance and functionality, looking perfectly at home beside the Dualit toaster. What is it? Take a look. By dropping a steel ball onto the hemisphere covering the egg, the shell… Continue reading Go to Work on an Egg
Where did you get that hat?
When I was in Russia in January I was mocked by a friend as looking like Monsieur Hulot; he was right. Another friend asked me if my hat had been made by Mr Lock. Quick as a flash I told him that it had come from Master Bates. A vulgar joke but it hit the… Continue reading Where did you get that hat?
Hugh Lane
The Hibernian Catch Club
Members of White’s are proud that their club is the oldest gentleman’s club in London, founded in 1693. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge are members. Across the Irish Sea the Hibernian Catch Club was already thriving – it was founded circa 1680 – and I never knew of its existence until… Continue reading The Hibernian Catch Club
Welcome to Dystopia
Rear Window
The story so far. Property developer, Dominvs Group, bought the old Magistrates’ Court on the Talgarth Road. They paid £50 million – nice money, if you have it. The site is between the Ark building to the west and a BP filling station to the east. On the south boundary are the Piccadilly and District… Continue reading Rear Window
Bertie and Brunner
“Megan the sheepdog is moving to the US after being sold for £18,900” (Metro, 23rd February 2020). Bertie needn’t worry; there’s no price tag on him but sometimes it’s good to sell something and that’s what I did this morning. Five years ago I bought a boring investment trust, Brunner. In 2016 I explained why.… Continue reading Bertie and Brunner
What the Dickens
Recently I saw The Personal History of David Copperfield; an enjoyable romp through a book I have not read. The cast is starry but it’s a story that is a magnet for stars. Personally I like the 1935 version but you may prefer the 1969 film with Ralph Richardson, Richard Attenborough, Laurence Olivier, Susan Hampshire,… Continue reading What the Dickens