Civilisation Say “David Attenborough” and I think of Planet Earth and other natural history programmes on television and that has been a lifelong interest of his.
Coats of Arms As I get older I dread change so I stick with the same utility and insurance companies year in, year out; no doubt wasting a lot of money.
Spain and the Hispanic World How to spend it? Philanthropists in the past have spent fortunes building collections that are internationally acclaimed for their quality today.
A Feather in His Cap I confuse Aubusson and Audubon. You will know the former is a village in central France famous for the production of rugs – a French Axminster, if you will.
An Italian Job This is a still life you might see in any gallery or hanging in a well-appointed kitchen today – even on the cover of a cookery book.
Surely the Apple is the Noblest of Fruits? It is interesting to reflect on the inspiration artists take from their predecessors.
Tommasino This Gainsborough portrait is far from his most famous and you may wonder why it was the coda of a recent post, Sudbury’s Son.