On This Day

I have, again, delved into The Assassin’s Cloak: an anthology of the world’s greatest diarists, edited by Irene and Alan Taylor.

Sardines

Spot the anomaly. Since 2002 Finistere has been Fitzroy. I highly recommend This Thing of Darkness (don’t let the title, a quote from The Tempest, put you off) about Fitzroy and Darwin – one of the best books I read last year.

Days and Nights on Malta

Nicholas Monsarrat is an unjustly neglected author. If you have read any of his novels it will be The Cruel Sea. I hadn’t read anything of his until last weekend.

Palm Balm

I can remember when using natural cork as a wine bottle stopper was considered bad as cork forests were being destroyed. Cork oak trees, Quercus suber, are largely (more than 60%) grown in Portugal. Now sustainable forest management means real cork is an eco-friendly, sustainable crop, supporting livelihoods in Portugal and around the Mediterranean. Using… Continue reading Palm Balm

A Vanished Mansion

I have lived in London for almost half a century. I went to Gunnersbury Park for the first time, with Bertie, on a sunny day last month.

Local Politics

I suspect the quality of candidates prepared to get involved in local politics is unsatisfactory. In rural communities a paternal squire (he or she) may shoulder the burden.

Under the Weather

Yo, ho, ho; have again plundered The Assassin’s Cloak, edited by Irene and Alan Taylor.

Published
Categorised as Literature

Traffic

Sorry, today’s post is both boring and nerdy – but I am often asked how many readers come here.

Published
Categorised as Technology

A Stately Home

Houses open to the public usually fall into three categories: owner occupied, National Trust and English Heritage.