Strawberry Hill Revisited

The concept is that the Lost Treasures of Strawberry Hill have been temporarily returned for a once-in-a-lifetime experience but like the curate’s egg it is only good in parts.

Jeeves in Japan

Why are the Japanese obsessed with butlers? Kazuo Ishiguro’s Man Booker winner in 1989, The Remains of the Day, has a butler as its central character.

The Tichborne Tattoo

While America was gripped by the Lindbergh kidnapping case in the 1930s, Victorian England was obsessed by the Tichborne case in the 1860s and 70s.

Dinner was rather strained

On February 13th 1935 Harold Nicolson was again staying with Betty Morrow, Dwight Morrow’s widow, and Anne and Charles Lindbergh at Englewood, New Jersey. This is what he wrote to Vita the following day. 

Thor what it’s worth

Dwight Morrow (1873 – 1931) was an American businessman, diplomat and politician. His daughter, Anne, decided to commemorate him by commissioning a biography.

Wodehouse Wednesday

Yesterday was Stuffing Wednesday, not to be confused with Stir-up Sunday. I went to the Chairman’s elegant but untidy residence in Maida Vale.

Musing on Munnings

Tomorrow I’m going to Strawberry Hill where some of Horace Walpole’s collection, dispersed at a sale in 1842, has come home from America. Yesterday I saw an exhibition not seen since 1919.

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Categorised as Art

Nicky Haslam

Nicky Haslam has had a variety of bedfellows but none more surprising than General Sir John Hackett, GCB, CBE, DSO & bar, MC and Sir Max Hastings. His autobiography, Redeeming Features, lies between Hackett’s I was a Stranger and Hastings’s Did You Really Shoot the Television? on my biog/diary shelves.

What Ho!

On Thursday and Friday evenings this week Wodehouse expert, Tony Ring, is giving two talks at the British Library: The Wit and Wisdom of PG Wodehouse. Both are sold out but you may be interested in two related events.