As expected, more bluster from Boris this evening. Viewed rationally, the Cummings affair is a storm in teacup, a concocted media frenzy cum vendetta. No doubt Cummings himself was acting rationally. But after eight weeks in lock down following government rules, which for many have involved great personal sacrifice, these are not normal times. People are angry, not because they … [Read on]

My art magazine has a feature about Josephine Hopper. You might not have heard of her but may know her husband, Edward, famous for his lonely, dissociative style, best known for his 1942 painting, Nighthawks showing a late-night diner. He painted Jo about 3,000 times. Her painting career declined as his rose and she became his muse. Hopper said she … [Read on]

‘The world is in a mess, politics and taxes and people grinding axes, no happiness; zoom, zoom, zoom.’  Slap That Bass, performed by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film, Shall We Dance. Like most people I’ve been zooming about like a rocket; on screen life-drawing, portrait painting, church and neighbour meetings, and as like many middle-class women I’d like to … [Read on]

To what shall I liken the government’s decision partially to ease the current restrictions concerning lockdown, house-arrest and solitary confinement? It is as if the Mother Superior had solemnly assembled all her nuns and, with great severity, told them: “And remember, you must all remain virgins – except on Saturdays.”  Government policy from the day it was realised the country … [Read on]

A fascinating story broke yesterday. US law enforcement has been using Chinese-made drones to enforce coronavirus lockdown. Worry soon spread that Beijing could spy on American citizens. You’d think a Trump administration, known for its anti-Beijing stance, would chuckle at the proposal of such an idea. Surveillance and espionage is Beijing’s forte. Xi Jinping’s eyes haunt the lives of millions … [Read on]

As a lockdown limbo lingers, there is talk, as our mild weather continues, of reopening public places in time for the May Bank Holiday next Friday during National Gardening Week. It begs the question: can garden centres now be considered essential? According to a report by The Sun earlier this week, an estimated £200 million worth of plants in the … [Read on]

We are to have a ‘stay in your front garden’ street party to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day on Friday, weather permitting of course. A nice idea given current circumstances and I am strangely enthused. Something different, but also an opportunity to escape from NHS fetish worship and celebrate instead two far greater ideals: (1) England, and (2) … [Read on]

When Sajid Javid commissioned a study on grooming gangs in 2018, many of us reclined back on our chairs and rejoiced – “finally!”. It felt like a stuffy prep school headmaster came in and shouted “f*ck it” during assembly. People not merely wanted but needed to understand the motivation behind these barbaric acts. But last week, Boris Johnson’s government deprived us … [Read on]