by David West | Feb 19, 2023 | News
I have reached page 169 of 213 of Young Richelieu, by Elizabeth Marvik. You will remember that I read her biography of Louis XIII last year. Her biography of his prime minister is equally useful. So far I have learnt that Richelieu inherited a sharp legal brain from...
by David West | Feb 16, 2023 | News
We watched episode 1 of The Piano last night on Channel 4. Claudia Winkleman is the host, Lang Lang and Mika are the judges. The format is that a piano is placed in a public place and people can have a go at playing it. Everyone played excellently. I don’t know how...
by David West | Feb 14, 2023 | News
For the thirty-fifth time, I think, Claire and I exchanged Valentine’s Day cards today. Valentine’s Day is a huge industry, worth around $20 billion dollars a year I read, but where does the association of Saint Valentine with lovers come from? From the academic...
by David West | Feb 10, 2023 | News
In my post at the weekend, I said I’d let you know how we got on when we got home. Getting home wasn’t as straightforward as we’d assumed, there was a rail replacement coach service from Reading. I’ll get around to Figaro, but we’ll start with footballers. Blue Harlem...
by David West | Feb 9, 2023 | News
I have posted about my new Electric Vehicle (EV) and had comments from friends about range anxiety, and how hydrogen might be a better solution. Well, a newsletter from ZapMap alerted me to this phenomenal adventure. Chris and Julie Ramsey are planning to set off in...
by David West | Feb 7, 2023 | News
Bridge House published my short story, There Must Be More, in an anthology called Something Hidden. They published it in 2013, and it was the first piece of my fiction to reach the market. Gill James runs Bridge House Publishing. I always enjoy reading her...
