Month: August 2015

Ruins on the River

My idea of the Danube was almost entirely formed by reading Greenmantle, by John Buchan, in which Richard Hannay smuggles himself onto a chain of barges carry arms down the Danube from Germany  bound for Turkey.

The Irish Madonna of Hungary

I did not expect to find many similarities between Norway and Slovakia, where I am today. I am wrong. They have similar populations, a bit more than 5 million. They both dissolved amicably a union with another country; Norway from Sweden in 1905 and Slovakia from the Czech Republic in 1993, the Velvet Divorce. They… Continue reading The Irish Madonna of Hungary

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Categorised as Travel

Hunting

My grandfather’s Uncle G used to say when he went to Mass in June, “good, we’re in the Trinities, hunting starts in the Trinities”. The 13th Sunday after Trinity approaches and we can now legitimately look forward to the start of the season.

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Categorised as Art, Family

A Passionate Potamolator

Hugh Trevor-Roper describes himself as a passionate potamolator* in a 1944 entry in The Wartime Journals. I am gratified to discover that, in a small way, I am one too.

Holy Right Hand

Last week, on 20th August, St. Stephen’s Day was celebrated in Hungary. I challenge you to name who wrote this, between the wars, about the St. Stephen’s Day procession of The Holy Right Hand in Budapest. “…the swaying canopy above the sacred relics borne by the Cardinal Prince Archbishop, glorious in crimson and ermine….bishops, monsignori… Continue reading Holy Right Hand

The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore

It was Gordon Brown, I think, who said that the time to fix the roof is when the sun’s shining. What a load of cobblers politicians, who have usually never done a day’s work in their lives, talk.

From Art – Zanzibar

In 1992 this picture won the BP Portrait Award, an annual prize that is still given at the National Portrait Gallery. It is by Lucy Willis who, at the time, was teaching Art to prisoners in Shepton Mallet jail and it depicts one of her classes. She looks through the other end of the telescope… Continue reading From Art – Zanzibar

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Categorised as Art, Music