MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN: well, Noel Coward got that right. Out comes the sun and thousands of Brits head for surgeries, pharmacies and A&Es in search of treatment for its unwelcome side-effects. NHS stats show that over three days close to 30,000 of us visited its website for information on heat-stroke and heat exhaustion. So,…
COMPARISONS are inevitable when books are transported from page to screen. Especially between the leading characters as they are read and as they are seen. An author’s descriptions enable us to build our personal bank of images as we move through the chapters. Fleshing out the bare bones we are given at the start until…
WOULD it be churlish to suggest that Naomi Osaka, the new prima donna of the tennis world, takes a vow of silence for a week or two? Is it showing lack of empathy or understanding to recommend she has a long and deep session of introspection and self-examination; to think hard before venting any more…
THERE can be no excuse or support for the extreme racial abuse that is incessantly directed at footballer Marcus Rashford, MBE. No justification or excuses can be made for such base, thuggish and uncivilised behaviour by one human being against another. And even more so when the puny and unsustainable reason seems to be that…
CONSIDERING his prolific output and the frequency of publication, crime writer supreme Mick Herron remained off my radar for an inexplicably long time. Years, in fact. During which time he published numerous much-praised books and won several prestigious awards. How I managed to miss him – or perhaps simply ignore him – I have no…
They took their time: much more than they should. But at long last, the trustees of the National Trust have accepted the resignation of chairman Tim Parker. Or was he pushed as the person ostensibly overseeing a succession of decisions that have alienated many loyal members and seen the dismissal of hundreds of dedicated staff,…
Think I’ll stay home. To travel to Portugal, you need a passport valid for at least another six months, a certificate proving you have tested negative within 72 hours of departure, proof of a booking for a test in Portugal, a copy of your passenger locator form, proof of booking for a Day 2…
BOOK covers sometimes go overboard in trying to entice readers to buy. The Dinner Guest by BP Walter is an excellent example. It should carry a “spoiler alert“ sticker. Before opening a single page we are told “four people walked into the dining room that night, one would never leave”. Synopsis complete. Not much more…
THERE is no denying it; the cure can be worse than the affliction. The treatment recommended, whether by professionals or fringe-dwelling lifestyle “experts”, can sometimes create more agony than the existing condition. So says one who is enjoying their first pain-free day for some while; one who has at last emerged from the inhibiting effects…
DINERS everywhere are champing at the bit. No more heavy dependence on takeaways and ready meals. No more huddling outdoors beneath heaters and umbrellas to “enjoy” a meal with family and friends. We can venture inside our favourite restaurants to escape the British summer’s Atlantic gales; seated at table, a menu to peruse, staff to…