This blog ponders on the latest John Banville crime novel:  John Banville (2024) ‘The Drowned’ London, Faber.

November 1, 2024

Do we guess when Detective St. John Strafford’s consciousness notices that there ‘was something odd about him today’  with regard a long standing character in the Quirke stories by Benjamin Black and the Quirke and Strafford stories of John Banville, Chief Inspector John Hackett,  that Hackett is about to depart his place in the series … More This blog ponders on the latest John Banville crime novel:  John Banville (2024) ‘The Drowned’ London, Faber.

In lieu of a blog in a time of confusion: The Next blogs – the plan.

October 31, 2024

The Next blogs – the plan: I intend to keep up the blogs, lest the pin of my mental world is withdrawn in the present crisis in my husband’s health. For Geoff has become increasingly breathless over a week or so – the GP surgery thinking that at 83 all that was required was consultation … More In lieu of a blog in a time of confusion: The Next blogs – the plan.

‘On reflection the use of impasto is as good a place as any to start with Van Gogh’. Random thoughts about the current National Gallery exhibition.

October 30, 2024

In the second part of my blog on my birthday visit to London, I predicted what I might write about when I wrote a second blog on it  [the first is at this link] based on seeing the work ‘in the flesh’.  Saying it was ‘almost certainly the strongest art exhibition I have ever seen’ … More ‘On reflection the use of impasto is as good a place as any to start with Van Gogh’. Random thoughts about the current National Gallery exhibition.

‘Screen time’. Another red herring of an issue in a world where time is seen as a commodity for consumption.

October 29, 2024

Who would have thought that ‘screen time’ is a phrase that could be discussed on Wikipedia but it is!. That discussion focuses on the bad effects on the developmental physical and mental health of children but adults are considered as in this extract, which makes the point that screen time for adults is divided between … More ‘Screen time’. Another red herring of an issue in a world where time is seen as a commodity for consumption.

‘[The moon rises at back, mounts in the sky, stands still, shedding a pale light on the scene.]’ In the Theatre Royal Haymarket production of ‘Waiting for Godot’, is the unlabelled moonlight compensation enough for an absenting a visible moon?

October 27, 2024

I looked at the play Waiting for Godot in an earlier blog (available at this link). I often do this, preparing myself by looking at my expectations of a production based on knowledge of its text and the prognostications of such critical review material of the actual production that I have seen. It amuses me … More ‘[The moon rises at back, mounts in the sky, stands still, shedding a pale light on the scene.]’ In the Theatre Royal Haymarket production of ‘Waiting for Godot’, is the unlabelled moonlight compensation enough for an absenting a visible moon?

The Old Man’s Birthday Trip  continued at the age of 70 years and two days.

October 26, 2024

Last night ended getting lost in Elephant and Castle and this morning I awoke to the noise of the Waterloo main line below my ninth floor windows at the Travelodge tower hotel, after what was a fairly succesful negotiation of London buses with my old man’s bus pass, if not the backways of the Elephant … More The Old Man’s Birthday Trip  continued at the age of 70 years and two days.

The Old Man’s Birthday Trip Day at the age of 70 years and one day.

October 25, 2024

The Old Man’s Birthday Trip Well, here I am.on my birthday trip, a present from my lovely husband Geoff, who couldn’t make that preesnt complete by travelling with me.  Now, as I tap on my phone, on the station at Durham: Now on board:and breakfast orders come round.. I could get used to first-class. My lovely … More The Old Man’s Birthday Trip Day at the age of 70 years and one day.

Ekow Eshun (2024) ‘The Strangers: Five Extraordinary Black Men and the Worlds That Made Them’. Black and Queer masculinity in the life-story of Justin Fashanu.

October 24, 2024

‘The fear of being powerless. The fear of being watched and judged. The fear of infection. They blur together. The mysterious American disease has grown larger and more ominous in your imagination as it begins to spread in Britain. … You read about it in the Mirror and you kept the paper afterwards, hiding it … More Ekow Eshun (2024) ‘The Strangers: Five Extraordinary Black Men and the Worlds That Made Them’. Black and Queer masculinity in the life-story of Justin Fashanu.

Thoughts Before my Seventieth Birthday on Thursday 24th October 2024: An Acrostic: ‘Does Steven Fear Being Seventy‘

October 23, 2024

Thoughts Before my Seventieth Birthday on Thursday 24th October 2024: An Acrostic: ‘Does Steven Fear Being Seventy‘ Do larks ascending raise up such volumeOf song as the rich racket in his heartEach time Steven’s shaken with sonic boomSome tolling bells of time, seem to shock-start;Surprised, that such a sage and serious Timorous soul has reached an … More Thoughts Before my Seventieth Birthday on Thursday 24th October 2024: An Acrostic: ‘Does Steven Fear Being Seventy‘

The ‘White Heat’ of WES or the STREETING of the ‘Blair Witch Project’.

October 22, 2024

The White Heat of WES or the STREETING of the Blair Witch Project  Two days ago Wes Streeting outlined the approach the Starmer government will take to implementing its key pledge to voters – the relaunch of the project called The National Health Service, although it is yet to be seen how clear are the … More The ‘White Heat’ of WES or the STREETING of the ‘Blair Witch Project’.

This blog prepares me for the first exhibition of Bacon devoted solely to the concept of portraiture with the help of Rosie Broadley (ed.) [2024] ‘Francis Bacon: Human Presence’.

October 21, 2024

At the heart of Rosie Broadley’s beautiful National Portrait Gallery catalogue is a brief essay by James Hall about artist’s studios as self –expression called ‘Corners of Filth & Fantasy’. Hall tells us that Bacon saw his studio as a ‘dump’, and this appears no exaggeration, quoting Bacon as saying: ‘I feel at home here … More This blog prepares me for the first exhibition of Bacon devoted solely to the concept of portraiture with the help of Rosie Broadley (ed.) [2024] ‘Francis Bacon: Human Presence’.