The Battle of Stonington

You are waking up and thinking only three days until the Grouse shooting opens, but 9th August is a significant anniversary and guest blogger, Edward (Ned) York returns to inform us of something not routinely on the History syllabus this side of the pond.  

Wodehouse in Swaledale

After dicing with death for almost five hours on the M1 it was good to change down a couple of gears and drive up the narrow, winding road to Swaledale and Keld. The cottage is old-fashioned with thick stone walls, a small stone-flagged kitchen and so on.

Swaledale

Today I’m storming up the M1 with Robert to Swaledale in Yorkshire. Specifically to Keld, the village where Rupert Hart-Davis had so many happy holidays with his mistress. They moved there eventually when he retired and was able to marry her.

Mr Kidson

There is much good stuff in The Enigma of Kidson and rather a weepy end, as so often with biographies of mortals.

Twiggy

When I was at Eton I was up to Michael Kidson for History when I was doing O Levels. Unfortunately for me I was not in his div when I did History A Level, my D grade is testament to that.

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Categorised as Literature

Healthy & Sixty?

My grandfather advocated doing no more than one thing a day. When there was nothing on the agenda he declared it a dies non (a day on which no legal business can be done, or which does not count for legal purposes). Robert calls it “having a quiet day at home”.

A Fanfare for Europe

In January 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the UK joined the European Union, joining Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The UK electorate were as divided then as they are now, although a largely north European trading bloc doesn’t seem too scary considering what it has now become.

Labourers in the Vineyard

The parable of the labourers in the vineyard (Matthew 20 v 1-16) seems to have relevance today. Without wanting to sound a sanctimonious prig (while doing so), when I laboured in the City I tried to do what was morally right. Additionally I tried not to mind what my colleagues were paid. I was only… Continue reading Labourers in the Vineyard

Manchester and London

This post is about money, not music. Friends tell me they pay to have their money managed. Some realise they need to choose funds but don’t trust themselves to pick them – there are so many.