Back in June i found myself drinking latte in a supermarket cafe just on the outskirts of Swindon. Worse than that, I managed to get involved in something known as a ‘meeting’. Apparently this occurs when a group of people get together to spend many hours discussing something at length, rather than just doing what […]
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Prior to 1840, most people expected to get quite a few birthday cards. The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, who exchanged messages of good will to celebrate the New Year, and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls. By the early 15th century, […]
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St Sepulchre’s in Newgate is known as the National Musicians Church. The ashes of Sir Henry Wood, founder of the Proms, lie in its north chapel which is dedicated to the commemoration of significant British musicians. You would therefore expect this church to be a thriving centre for music, both as part of worship and through concerts […]
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Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many, to so few. Spoken by Winston Churchill, these words ended a speech he gave on 20 August 1940. At a time when Britain was expecting a German invasion, he referred to the ongoing efforts of the Royal Air Force pilots fighting […]
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If, like me, you grew up in the 1980s then you will most likely remember the BBC Microcomputer. Possibly you were lucky enough to have one at home, but in all certainty there were no doubt a few available at your school. These computers gave countless Britons their first experience of computing and sold over 1.5 […]
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A few years ago I found myself in some woods having a picnic with a Vicar, a Churchwarden and an Organist. This was the highlight of the day in question, mostly because it involved food. Earlier that day we had visited another organist who lived in a shed, somewhere far removed from the normal civilised […]
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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is regarded by many as one of the most significant and influential composers of the Western Art music tradition. He oversaw the transition of music from the Classical style, full of poise and balance, to the Romantic style, characterised by emotion and impact. Or did he? We know for example that […]
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Over the Bank Holiday Weekend, Classic FM presented their annual ‘Hall of Fame’. This is described as the largest poll of the world’s favourite classical music as voted for by listeners through a public vote. The thing is, it’s all very predictable and as such really rather dull. This year, once again Vaughan Williams topped the chart with his […]
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Every so often, well usually approximately every 12 months, I find myself with the urge to find a purveyor of motor cars. For the last 10 years or so these have always been reasonably fast things made by the Germans. Whatever you think of our European friends, it seems the Germans do know how make a car. […]
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This afternoon, a man with a beard went to Brussels to hand over a letter to a Polish chap. Meanwhile, some woman in the UK said it was a “moment of celebration for some, disappointment for others”. I refer of course to the triggering of Article 50 which starts the process of Britain being removed from the European […]
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