A White Christmas

The Nat Gall has an exhibition called Monochrome: Painting in Black and White. It’s on until February 18th but I doubt I will see it. Here’s why.

Published
Categorised as Art

Robin Lane Box

Robin Lane Fox’s latest column in FTWeekend is required reading if you live in the UK and cherish your box. RLF gave his son box plants for his garden in west London and in August this year Cydalima perspectalis did not decimate them, it 100%ed them when he was away on holiday with his family… Continue reading Robin Lane Box

Love, Cecil

Love, Cecil is a bio-pic about Cecil Beaton. I have read his diaries from 1965 until his death in 1980 so it covers much familiar ground.

Going Out with a Bang

Nearly ten years ago, on the 18th of December 2007, I shot at Ashcombe in Wiltshire as a guest of my Godson’s father. The birds are some of the most challenging anywhere and I prepared myself by booking a lesson at the West London Shooting School.

Published
Categorised as Sport

Mr Kong – Gone

When I was forty, with apologies to AA Milne, I had a birthday party at Mr Kong in Lisle Street. It was a good evening and two things I will always remember.

Blake Memorial Cross

Margravine Cemetery has two listed buildings, four listed memorials and two Commonwealth War Commission headstones marking the graves of two holders of the Victoria Cross. Not bad, eh?

A Peregrination

The bird feeders in the back garden are a bit of a disappointment. In the summer mice put on engaging gymnastic displays in their endeavours to gain access but not many birds attended.

Published
Categorised as Art, Nature

Miss Julie

There are glaring gaps in my education and one of them was filled in on Monday evening at the Jermyn Street Theatre.

Published
Categorised as Theatre

Private Insight

My broker periodically sends me a glossy magazine, Private Insight. Hitherto it has been reliably dull, dwelling on the need to contribute to a pension scheme, plan for Inheritance Tax and so on.

Published
Categorised as Business

Morning DJ

Radio 3 is not frightened of being quirky. On Sunday there was six hours of music with no interruptions. Sacred River was introduced by Neil MacGregor at 9.00 am and then flowed along presenter-less until 3.00 pm.