A hundred years ago this week (September 18, 1917) the work of a Welsh composer almost forgotten today was performed at the Proms, under the baton of the illustrious Henry Wood. She was just 26. Morfydd Llwyn Owen was in distinguished company. All the other composers performed that night were Russians of considerable reputation, Glazunov, Mussorgsky,… Continue reading
Anguilla – Caribbean gem struck by Hurricane Irma
By grim coincidence, I was editing this piece yesterday (September 6, 2017). I’m still setting it out in full here because this wonderful island deserves all the support it can get. Its people were extremely hospitable to me on my visit last November (2016) and, although one little article isn’t much, perhaps it will help… Continue reading
Carpe Diem – how to have a good day, every day
This is a perfect example of the day not grasped. I finished reading Carpe Diem Regained, by Roman Krznaric, about a month ago. So many half-formed thoughts I could easily have turned into sagacious comments while they were fresh in my mind. So I ought to have have set aside time the next day and… Continue reading
Celebrating England’s Michelangelo on London’s leafy fringe
Surrey is easily missed, as we rush through by rail and road. Yet the first county to the west of London offers much to detain and reward the visitor. There are many pretty little villages and market towns, fine old buildings, tranquil countryside and river walks, including rambles along the Thames. Treasure trove So, a… Continue reading
Appeal launched to buy vital piece of River Thames wildlife jigsaw
Chimney Meadows, on the banks of the River Thames near Bampton in Oxfordshire, is one of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s biggest and most important nature reserves, vital habitat for otters and endangered wading birds. In 2004, with the help of its supporters, the trust (BBOWT) bought it, as potential development threatened. Now… Continue reading
Buckinghamshire’s Anglo-Saxon Lenborough Hoard goes on display
Coins from the Lenborough Hoard are now on permanent display in Buckinghamshire County Museum in Aylesbury. A room dedicated to the finds was opened at the Museum on Saturday, July 15. 2017. The coins passed into public ownership after a successful public appeal raised £1.35 million, the value put on the find by the Treasure Valuation Committee,… Continue reading