Sappho, the Greek lyric poet.
One woman, who often stands heads and shoulders above most others in the ancient world was Sappho. Reliable records aboutContinue Reading
Year: 2022
Portrait of a Queen: Elizabeth’s Turbulent road to the Throne.
One of the most famous images of Queen Elizabeth I is ‘The Coronation portrait’, which is held at the NationalContinue Reading
History Painting: ‘A Roman Emperor (Claudius)’ by Lawrence Alma-Taedema, 1871.
The third Emperor of the Roman Empire was a troubled youth named Gaius Julius Augustus Germanicus. We know him betterContinue Reading
Seawitch’s High Priestess Fiona Horne is about to cast a spell on the world.
If you haven’t heard of Seawitch, it’s time you did. They are one of rock music’s most exciting new bandsContinue Reading
I have a soft spot for Steve Martin’s ‘Father of the Bride’ (1991). There, I said it!
“Hey…Pussycat, pussycat, I love you…Indeed I do…Yes I do! Hey, what do you think? Bought it in ’75 and itContinue Reading
Film review: Ticket to Paradise.
The endless appeal of Hollywood movies around weddings is absolutely fascinating. Do we ever really tire of them? Often theContinue Reading
Classic songs: ‘Hazy Shade of Winter’ by The Bangles.
“Time, time, time/ see what’s become of me/ While I looked around/ For my possibilities/ I was so hard to please/ Look around /Leaves are brown /And theContinue Reading
The Existential Brilliance of The Blackheart Orchestra’s New Album Hotel Utopia.
Manchester-based Chrissy Mostyn and Rick Pilkington of The Blackheart Orchestra have repeatedly shown a fine handle on synth prog’s landscape,Continue Reading
On my stereo this week: Grace Cummings, Jane Lee Hooker, John Mellencamp & Camp Cope.
I’ve been a long time fan of John Mellencamp since the mid 80s. Scarecrow (1985), The Lonesome Jubilee (1987) andContinue Reading
Cinemas Greatest Scenes: When Rocky runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
By the late 1990s with the exception of Cop Land (1997) and later Creed (2015), Sylvester Stallone was resigned to crankingContinue Reading
Rearview Mirror 