Animals
This Sporting Life – Chapter 3
It’s Saturday 5th April 1997. The horses are parading in the Aintree paddock for the third race, due off at 2.55pm. The field is headed by Make a Stand, who recently won the Champion Hurdle [more…]
Arts
Arts
A View From The Greenhouse; Please Make It Stop!
Finally got the layout finished with the completion of the four (slightly) raised beds. In the final analysis (for this season at least) I decided not to permanently fix them down with corner pegs as [more…]
Arts
Going It Alone
Almost fifty years ago I booked a package holiday to Austria. I was young, impressionable and thought that by having everything organised I could play the quintessential Englishman abroad. How wrong I was. The “family [more…]
20th Century
Postcard From Monaco
After spending much of one’s life in Carlisle, being unenthusiastic about Monaco might be a challenge. Or might it? First, a disambiguation. Monaco is the name of a principality of less than 500 acres which [more…]
Arts
Classic Album Review: Spin Doctors – Pocket Full Of Kryptonite
Pocket Full of Kryptonite is the multi-platinum debut studio album by the American rock band, Spin Doctors. Released in August 1991, the album was a huge global success, received multiple international gold and platinum certifications [more…]
20th Century
More Buried Treasure
Amongst a century of detritus at the BBC there lies some buried treasure. Between layers of fake news, preachy left-wing documentaries and un-funny comedy, the BBC’s iPlayer hides a gleaming gem of an old archaeology [more…]
Arts
A Postcard From The Third World
(I) It is 5-30am and children come out of the gloom like ghosts in silent procession. They are laid heavy with satchels, wear blouses and shirts which are so white that they hurt your eyes [more…]
20th Century
Along The Cote d’Azur
Cannes Having pestered the French Air Force at Istres last time, this time we’re striking out from there along the Cote d’Azur in diréction Cannes. Above we see the fishing port side of the town [more…]
Arts
Classic Album Review: Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
Hot rats, released in 1969, is the second solo album by the late American musician, composer and band leader, Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993). It was the first album he released [more…]