A guest post on a great Romanian diva from the remarkable blogger Gadjo Dilo... Mr. Gaw has kindly offered me the chance to contribute to this estimable blog. I had my own - now suspended due to pressure of work – where I liked to post about cultural life here in ... Read More...

Surrey has a famously undistinguished architectural history, at least in terms of grand houses or fine medieval churches - but it had its brief golden age, when a clutch of architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries became fascinated by the riches of its vernacular architecture, got to ... Read More...

Fortunate indeed are those who can follow their passion into a profession, yes? Everyone knows that.  The X Factor is predicated on this notion, as indeed is MasterChef. But what if ‘following your passion’ and ‘doing what you love’  turns out to be a hideous error?  As the blogosphere’s supreme iconoclast David Cohen ... Read More...

In Anthony Burgess’ short story The Endless Voyager, a businessman throws away his passport and wallet mid-transit and, unable to enter any country, spends the rest of his life shuttling from airport to airport. He eventually goes mad. Today, of course, such a traveller might stave off purgatorial insanity by ... Read More...

Some confessional songs this week. You could say that the “I’m great!” song and the “I’m rubbish!” song are merely two sides of the same self-indulgent coin. Certainly there are those who take it too far – Robbie Williams’ endless self-analysis/laceration is as tiresome as any rapper’s bragging about his bling ... Read More...

Style supremo John Galliano, has a “boogie box” – a retro cassette player with cheesy disco lights that flash in time to the music, as does Jade Jagger. But whatever happened to the genuine, old fashioned record player? When I moved house a few years ago, I determined that my trusty ... Read More...

Brit was on the road the other day and, having arrived home safely, emailed to tell me - amongst other more admin-related things - how the WH Smiths at the motorway services was infested with single men. They were loitering around the magazine racks. Furtive, heads down, not making eye contact. I was ... Read More...

This week I wish to share with Dabbler readers a single fact. It is one that came to my notice some years ago and which has, ever since, exerted a curious spell over me. I read a lot, and I regret to say that much of what I read I ... Read More...