Monthly Archives: January 2010

Painting over the Evidence

Posted on January 20, 2010 by

Alessandro Farnese, who reigned as Pope Paul III from 1534 to 1549, was a man of exquisite taste and learning.  One need only look at the architects and artists  who worked at the Curia and on his family’s magnificent palaces, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural history, Italy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering Harold Pinter at the 2006 Edinburgh Book Festival

Posted on January 17, 2010 by

Last week I listened to Antonia Fraser’s extraordinary diaries about her husband Harold Pinter, which she read herself on radio (you can listen to them here for a couple more days).  Some of most moving parts  focus on the years … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural history | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Camfed and Christmas fundraising success

Posted on January 12, 2010 by

Our cold and snowy Christmas was an ideal moment to donate to this fantastic charity – just thinking of the warmth of Tanzania and looking at the beaming smiles of these girls was enough to raise the temperature several degrees. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Game, set and match to PD James on BBC’s ageism and overpaid directors

Posted on January 1, 2010 by

It might seem a strange subject for the first of the year, but the Beeb – and Radio 4 in particular – is such an important asset that I thought it merited highlighting. PD James was born in 1920, just … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural history | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment