Madama Butterfly

A visit to Glyndebourne is for many a chance to admire the gardens and settle into a serious picnic in the evening sunshine, regrettably interrupted by a couple of naps during the opera.

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Categorised as Music

Hammersmith News

In this recent post there are pictures of Hammersmith and Fulham College as it is today. Here is what it may become.

Top Cat, Call Me CB

The royal wedding somehow reminded me of Tancredi’s betrothal to Angelica in The Leopard and the famous quotation: “se vogliamo che tutto rimanga come e’, bisogna che tutto cambi”.

Loriners Part II

Here is the second part of my speech delivered to The Worshipful Company of Loriners last month. The first part is here.

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Categorised as Sport

French History

Kings, queens, wars and treaties swirl through Lord Norwich’s history of France. I had not realised that French King Louis VIII invaded England in 1216.

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Categorised as History

Vietnam

I am not a high-frequency trader and on the rare occasions I tweak my portfolio I like to share with you. In January 2016 I invited you to Yield to Temptation.

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Categorised as Business

Red-Veined Sorrel

Red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus) is easy to grow, decorative and edible. Like spinach it’s rich in potassium which lowers blood pressure and I expect it to become very fashionable in gardens great and small.

Red

Nine years ago I’d like to have seen Red at the Donmar.  Alfred Molina played Mark Rothko, Eddie Redmayne his assistant (Ken) and Michael Grandage directed. Tant pis, I missed it but it’s on again in the West End now with most of that dream team – Molina and Grandage.

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Categorised as Theatre