TV Review: Downton Abbey (Sunday ITV1)

Brit watches the first episode of series 2 of Downton Abbey (Sunday ITV1 9pm), the smash-hit pile of country house tosh... “What shall we call each other?” asks the visitor. “Well, whay don’t we start with Deem Meggie Smeeeeeeuth?” drawls Jennifer Saunders in the Comic Relief spoof of Downton Abbey – the only funny ... Read More...

A miserable Scottish weekend

Dabbler correspondent Toby Ash recalls a really dreadful weekend he once endured in Glasgow. A recent post by fellow Dabbler Susan on why the British put up with lousy hotel rooms brought to mind the self-declared ‘boutique’ hotel in Glasgow I stayed in while working in the city over a weekend ... Read More...

Horses

Continuing our Dabbler Verse series, Gaw recalls a horsey and hippyish poem from his youth. Coming back from the corner shop today I heard the leisurely clatter of hooves. It was the mounted police that regularly patrol our corner of London. I always get a thrill when I see them. They ... Read More...

Playing God

This week Martpol looks at some musical approaches to religion... It’s been quite a while since I considered spiritual matters on a Sunday. Or perhaps I mean since I made a point of doing so on a Sunday rather than simply, say, slipping into a semi-contemplative blur after a nice roast ... Read More...

Flash-culture vulture…

This post will be short and sweet as I’m rather pressed for time: London Fashion Week, the London Design Festival, London Open House and my birthday party are all happening at the same time this weekend. I've just a few moments to share a some photographs taken at Somerset House, when ... Read More...

The Chump And The Flapper

Brit's reference the other day to a chump reminded me of an old yarn first published in Slightly Bewildering Detective Anecdotage magazine, back in 1924, in a special “Criminally-Minded Bright Young Things” issue. The (anonymous) tale was entitled "The Chump And The Flapper": Fresh from a  dancehall enormity, there was a ... Read More...

‘Here Rogers sat…’

Nige discovers a once-famous and now nearly-forgotten poet while sitting on a park bench... I've written before about the pleasure of sitting in the dry in Holland Park and looking out at the rain. Not long ago I was doing just that, from a comfortable bench in a south-facing alcove, enjoying ... Read More...