Oh Happy Day

I have just finished reading Len Deighton’s spy trilogy Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match. Immensely enjoyable but when I started, it was with a sense of nostalgia for all that Cold War stuff. Now two things have happened.

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Categorised as Literature

Boots

“It was a lonely land then, the vast frontier held by the last scattered remnants of the once great armies that fought the Civil War. To such as these, all but forgotten, doing a dirty, thankless job, without reward or glory, the army was a way of life, the only one they knew or wanted.”

Opera

Three evenings at the opera last week and I didn’t see a single complete opera.

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Categorised as Music

Thelma

Thelma Cazalet-Keir (1899 – !989) was a Conservative politician and feminist, serving on the London County Council and as a Member of Parliament. She was also, amongst much else, a member of the Arts Council and a Governor of the BBC.

Where to Invest?

A friend has a relatively small amount of money to invest and has asked my advice. He already has a much larger conservatively invested portfolio and would like to diversify. He is after capital growth and not worried about income. 

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Categorised as Business

PLA

Ten Trinity Square was built around the time of WWI as the headquarters of the recently established (1908) Port of London Authority (PLA). Today it is a luxury hotel and I thought that London now is insignificant as a port but, as so often, I am wrong.

Family History

I am a descendant of Sir John Bellew of Castle Roche, Co Louth. There is more than one interpretation of his ancestors.

Adrian Messenger

When I was at Castle Park one of the more agreeable aspects was watching a film once a week. I sat on a table at the back with a notebook and wrote “reviews” – a pity they are not in my archive. Two films I remember in particular: North West Frontier and The List of… Continue reading Adrian Messenger

In the Dog House

I was in the dog house again on Sunday afternoon. At least that’s where I thought I was until I found that I was in the Bertha DocHouse. And who you may ask is Bertha?

Three Times a Lady

My third Tosca since October: first Rome, then Live from the Met and on Saturday, Covent Garden. Saturday matinees are always popular.