Living in North London, raised by parents who gave me a great deal of liberty, I discovered the Tate and the National Galleries when I was very young, and in my early teens they became among my favourite places to visit. I could not have wished for a better grounding in the subject of art, … Continue reading The Fighting Temeraire
Sunflowers
This is one of the many versions of 'Sunflowers' that Vincent Van Gogh painted. It's the one found in London's National Gallery which I visited frequently from my childhood on. It was one of those pictures I used to gravitate towards every time I visited; it was magnetic, irresistible.I loved it partly because I had … Continue reading Sunflowers
The Cornfield
'The Cornfield', John Constable, 1826: another of the pictures from the National Gallery that have come to mean so much to me.It's an odd thing about Constable, that while we think of him as a painter of decorative English landscapes, a little old-fashioned and traditional maybe, many of his contemporaries criticised him for his modernity, … Continue reading The Cornfield
A Gooner Speaks….
(Written 12.05.2022. Final result: Spurs 3 Arsenal 0) When I last dared to look, I saw that the Arsenal were being hammered by Spurs at White Hart Lane tonight. Really annoying, and always a bit saddening when that happens.Now I know it shouldn't matter, but it does.I appreciate that there are many for whom football … Continue reading A Gooner Speaks….
The Hill
These handsome. many-windowed housesand their pampered tree-sheltered gardenswere built to partner this steeply-rising road; for looking down on cool nights such as thisthose who live in them can observe at their leisurea sparkling city, a glittering mosaic of brilliant jewels. But do they ever look the other way, to where the roadreaches up towards a … Continue reading The Hill
THE BORIS JOHNSON DEFENCE
I listened to Boris Johnson defending himself this afternoon in the House of Commons. Having heard the many and various questions which the opposition parties asked him, and having witnessed the silencing of his party as those questions piled on, I thought I'd summarise, not the words, but the substance and the spirit, of Johnson's … Continue reading THE BORIS JOHNSON DEFENCE
Heritage: A Story
His mother lilts for the dancerswhen there's no musicians to play;she stands by the field sideon summer eveningsand faces themas they show off their ancient artto the darkening sky,while the old folk sit on chairswatching with critical eyesand the children,with fewer years than fingers,sit on wallslaughing, shoving. clapping;and he one of them,though prouder than theybecause … Continue reading Heritage: A Story
A Sermon Against Sermonisers
I wrote this poem-cum-rant some years back having been somewhat insultingly condescended to by a well-meaning but profoundly insensitive Christian when talking about my depression, an illness I have fought unstintingly since childhood. Since then I have been in many disputes with evangelical and 'born-again' Christians who cannot understand how anybody could disagree with their … Continue reading A Sermon Against Sermonisers
I Live In A Library…
…and an art-gallery too.No, I do not live in the kind of building which is usually designated in this way. I live in a one-bedroom flat on the fifth floor of a council-owned tower-block.But on the other hand, I have somehow managed to find space for some thousands of books - I'm not sure how … Continue reading I Live In A Library…
When God Plays His Fiddle…
When God plays his fiddleWe dance to his tune,From noon till midnight,From midnight till noon. When God plays his fiddleThe music he playsWill make the world danceto the end of its days. When God plays his fiddleWith its bitter sweet-tone,We all dance together,We all dance alone. When God plays his fiddle,We both laugh and weep;We … Continue reading When God Plays His Fiddle…
The Ethical Watchman 