Punkers*

One purpose of blogging, for me at least, is to improve my writing. There is plenty of room for this endeavour. A reader has told me that I have fallen into error. The Spanish Inquisition is still with us.   

Published
Categorised as Literature

Two Prayers

If you read Steps of the Throne here this week you will know that I had a Blue Peter moment. Cutting and pasting is such fun and much quicker than writing an original post. I’m itching to use my electronic scissors again.

A Post About Post

I recently listed a few of the abundant, high quality crop of novels published in 1932. 1847 wasn’t so dusty either: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Vanity Fair and The Macdermots of Ballycloran were all published. You haven’t heard of The Macdermots? Nor me until now.

Steps of the Throne

Francis Plowden has commented about privileges at the Palace of Westminster extended to the children of peers. The last word goes to the website, Parliament.uk: 1.59 The following may sit on the steps of the Throne: · members of the House of Lords in receipt of a writ of summons, including those who have not… Continue reading Steps of the Throne

A Mixed Bag

There are only two reasons for having full-time employment. One is to get a pay cheque and the other is to have a delivery address for online shopping.

Footer

The team that won the FA Cup Final in 1879 won again in 1882 beating Blackburn Rovers 1-0 at The Oval. (FA Cup Finals continued to be played at The Oval until 1892.) 1882 was the last time an amateur side won the Cup Final and that team were Old Etonians. 

Published
Categorised as History

Barons Court

It’s a bit of a mystery how Barons Court got its name. Here are the clues and you must play Poirot today. The area between the North End Road and Hammersmith was only built over in the last decades of the 19th century.

Good Reads

Yesterday’s post had a list of MPs who abstained in this week’s Commons vote on airstrikes in Syria. Today’s post is another list. I’m becoming an obsessive-compulsive list-maker. It’s not a new complaint; much of The Old Testament is lists of who begat whom and Burke’s and Debrett are keeping up the good work.

The No Vote Brigade

I suggested in a recent post, Let Slip The Dogs of War, that the oratory in the House of Commons debate about authorising bombing targets in Syria would be uninspiring. Well, Hilary Benn proved me wrong.

Published
Categorised as Politics

Hatchard Job

Gifford’s name has cropped up a few times here and, as he has never sent in his legal team to sue the socks off me, here he is again. He has drawn my attention to a poll conducted by Hatchards to pick the best novel of the past 200 years.