A Night at the Opera

I left you in Paris on a perfect autumn afternoon, conjuring up the mood with the Kinks, Autumn Almanac, sitting on the fourth floor of an hotel near the Sorbonne: open balcony, legs stretched out,  IPad on knee, drink in hand, sun streaming in, waiting for Robert to arrive from London. Sometimes this website misleads,… Continue reading A Night at the Opera

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Categorised as Music

Montauban to Paris

To Montauban yesterday morning to catch the 09.17 to Paris Montparnasse train that had started from Toulouse. A second class, window seat upstairs not far from the on-board café is a snip at Euros 36. It is a two-hour journey noth-west through Agen to Bordeaux and then another two hours north-east to Paris.

Rain

A wet Sunday at Castle Park (my prep school) was a dreary affair. If you think your schooldays were the best days of your life, I feel sorry for you. After two warm, sunny days at Garrhan the weather turned on Saturday night and it drizzled persistently all day yesterday.

Banjo Boy

When I was at Durham University I saw John Boorman’s 1972 Deliverance for the first time.  It is a chiller/killer/thriller that starts innocently.

Group 5

I regard it as a badge of honour to have Group 5 on my BA boarding pass. I am the last to board (no problem) and there is often no overhead locker space (annoying) but I know that I have paid the lowest fare (satisfying). On Thursday something happened that the BA commissars did not… Continue reading Group 5

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Categorised as Travel

The Coincidence of Novembers

Instant gratification. The “I want it and I want it now” culture. But you can Go Slow. I have, maybe, bought a book. I don’t know yet because it’s on a journey. That’s marketing jargon for “we will let you know when we have raised enough money to publish the book”.

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Categorised as Literature

Cod & Prawns

“Beautifully simple recipe: cod & prawns with fennel & white wine. (Prepare 5 minutes, Cook 25 minutes.)” I was enchanted by this tempting supper on a Waitrose shelf.

Donn Byrne

Was youse ever in Coolmain? A grand ould place that ended up owned by a Disney; the Mickey Mouse clan.

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Categorised as Literature

The Tyranny of Technology

The tyranny of technology leads to insanity – it’s a proven fact and explains why I turn to religion as a balm for the psychological wounds inflicted by my malevolent MacBook Pro and impish, insolent, indolent iPad.

Big Money

Giving investment advice often is like showing off a garden – “if only you’d come last week”. Strangely, although equity markets are very high and international trade will be impacted by US tariffs and Brexit, there are some opportunities.

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Categorised as Business