For Mary Gladstone, the 19th century Prime Minister’s daughter, it was ‘a palace-like cottage, the most luxurious and lovely thing I ever saw.’ But somehow the message never quite reached the stately home-visiting public. Today Ascott House, near Wing in Buckinghamshire, is one of the less busy big houses to the immediate north of London…. Continue reading
How Danny Boy struck a late night Olympic chord in Turkey
One of my most magical musical moments was at, of all places, Dalaman Airport in Turkey at around 11 pm on the night of Friday, 27 July 2012 – (clue – 2100 BST, UK). Our flight was about to be called, but we were suddenly aware of the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard in an… Continue reading
How BeaconLit was built – creating a book festival in an English village
BeaconLit 2022 – this coming Saturday, 16 July, Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire. The literary festival was launched in 2013. People keep coming back, to be inspired, informed and to enjoy the beautiful mystery of what happens when you turn a page (in books both physical and virtual). http://www.beaconlit.co.uk In this year’s event former Chief Crown Prosecutor Nazir Afzal will be… Continue reading
How tourism contributes to Turkey’s forest fires and what the future holds
The forest fires in Turkey in the summer of 2021 were a catastrophe. Images of blazing mountainsides were seared across nightly news bulletins. Holidays were cancelled, resorts evacuated and suspects arrested, although as the Turkish fires were only the worst of a series of conflagrations across the Eastern Mediterranean, it was quickly accepted… Continue reading
Just as we revere old soldiers, let us care about generations yet to come
‘As we venture into an uncertain century, we should be as concerned about the future of our children and grandchildren, as we are respectful of the past of our dead grandfathers.’ ——— We revere the soldiers who died in the First World War. Many villages display the metal silhouette or outline of a soldier with… Continue reading
How upstart train company plans to speed the way to the west
When Britain’s railways were privatised in the 1990s, the plan was that passengers would benefit from competition. It didn’t really happen. 30 years on, and many major routes are still only served by one company. But, belatedly, that most traditional of market forces is beginning to assert itself. Independent company Grand Union proposes to take… Continue reading