Articles

Rajiv was a useless hustler. He smiled shyly, twitched his shoulder cloth and whispered, “Hello”. The other boys on Varkala’s main promenade block your way with cheeky familiarity. “This way please, Madam. Madam, I said good morning. Hevaniceday!” I fingered a patchwork shirt. “Any more like this? Rajiv shook his head from side to side. […] Read more

Barcelona is synonymous with Gaudi, Miro, Dali and the dream of autodeterminacio- independence of the Catalan nation. The great neo-Gothic  Sagrada Familia of Gaudi’s imagining was first conceived in 1882 and may  now be completed in 2028, or so they say. It is a folly on the most unimaginable scale, that has consumed billions of […] Read more

Alan Joyce presents a remarkably bonhomic (is there such a word?) exterior, or he could be a naturally political animal. In the middle of a summer trial for his water-bus project which, following his visionary projection, may provide  locals with a cheap, carbon-neutral transport link from the centre of the city to the northern suburbs  […] Read more

People say the High is one of the most beautiful streets in Europe; the curving vista embraces the 18th century facade of the Queen’s College, after which the eye is directed along All Souls, the University Church and onto Carfax. But I love the broadly generous St Giles with its avenue of plane trees and […] Read more

  A handwritten sign  and some bottles, professionally labelled, are the only publicity that Andy and Diane want. At first he said he didn’t like the idea of being written about, but after a little persuasion they both agreed to talk to me. I asked for a tasting and recommendations. “Try the dandelion wine. It’s […] Read more

            Adlestrop, by Edward Thomas   Yes. I remember Adlestrop— The name, because one afternoon Of heat the express-train drew up there Unwontedly. It was late June.   The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat. No one left and no one came On the bare platform. What I saw Was […] Read more

                                  That an Englishman’s home is his castle is an argument often summoned  to explain or justify the right to do as one likes within  domestic boundaries- and if need be to defend these with all possible means at […] Read more

He never said it  but I can imagine  Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman  curling his lip  at the very thought of the current throwaway tag, “British Values”. “British Values” he would have sneered,  instantly curdling the milk in your tea, “what on earth do you mean by that? It’s rubbish isn’t it?” The Times columnist Jenni Russell: […] Read more

Begging is probably the lowest rung of the social ladder:  a visible indicator of the state’s failure to succour the have-not and  Singapore possibly the only country in the world that is  beggar-free. Not a great deal of shame is associated with asking for a hand-out in the West, particularly when  practised by one of […] Read more