A Bank Holiday message from The Dabbler

A message from The Dabbler to our beloved readers... Dearest readers, Today I almost wept with pride as I looked back on the week's postings, even with the repeats padding things out a bit during the holiday season. Mahlerman and Susan with their usual weekend wonders; and before them, James Hamilton on ... Read More...

Homemade in America

This week Mahlerman treats us to some outstanding Americana... The tradition of playing music at home, all but dead in broken Britain, flourishes still in atomized America and produces, along with the reality-wannabies, a never ending stream of talent in the performing arts. And the music they produce usually has a ... Read More...

A Room Without a View?

Occasionally, you'll get lucky and be pleasantly surprised – but, before you even walk through the door, you know when you’ve picked a lemon. It’s usually a hotel where the rooms cost around 100 Euros a night, as opposed to the sort where the simplest of breakfasts will set you ... Read More...

The Romanian Piaf – but better

From the archives, 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 ... Read More...

Chambers And Hiss At The Pumpkin Patch

Frank Key's new paperback, Porpoises Rescue Dick Van Dyke (available here) includes a trio of tales featuring those resonant figures from the American Cold War, Alger Hiss and Whittaker Chambers. The pieces can -nay, should! - be seen as exercises in biographical reconstruction, as many of the details are historically ... Read More...