The Sash

Yesterday’s post ended with an IRA marching song dating from the 1916 Easter Rising. For balance this morning I’d like to include an old melody that was adopted by Loyalists – The Sash.

A Pug Called Sherbet

When looking at shares to buy the focus here has been to a large extent on dividends, as many of us have to live on the divis. Today, let’s look at a company that yields only about 0.8% but aims to deliver capital growth.

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Categorised as Business

The Abbey Theatre

The Act of Union in 1800, whereby the Irish Parliament in Dublin was dissolved and Ireland became part of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ireland), ruled from London naturally diminished Dublin as a city. Politicians went to live in London and property prices fell.

Yellow Menace

Two holders of the Victoria Cross are buried in Margravine Cemetery, see Local Hero and Another Local Hero. There are other war memorials including a column for staff at J Lyons killed in The Great War and a curved wall naming those those killed on the Home Front in WW II. The Lyons memorial was… Continue reading Yellow Menace

First Prize

William Morris is all around me; drying-up cloths, his Willow Bough pattern on a sofa, the William Morris Academy round the corner, a pub in Hammersmith and …

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Categorised as Art

Portraits

Painters’ Paintings is at the National Gallery until 4th September. I went this week. 

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Categorised as Art

Democratic Deficit

Two-party politics? Dead or alive? Labour – banana split, Republicans – cookies, Democrats –  another helping of banana split. Conservatives managed to avoid an Eton Mess.

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Categorised as Politics

Water Music

I heard the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra play at a classical music festival in Dorset quite a few years ago. The setting was spectacular looking down to Studland Bay and a group of us camped. The whole thing was made even more enjoyable because very few people turned up – only about 800 the night we… Continue reading Water Music

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Categorised as Music

What’s Cooking?

  The UK stock market has been doing much better than I expected in the aftermath of Brexit. However, it is early days in an economic narrative that will unfold over many years. Here is an update on something which is playing out more rapidly.

Sweet Caress

Does the title indicate that on the Internet a bit of soft porn always goes down well? A not-so-subtle shift to find a new readership? It most certainly does not and you won’t have been fooled as you recognise Sweet Caress as the title of William Boyd’s latest novel.

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Categorised as Literature