I knew many British people did the Grand Tour to widen their education, but had no idea some artists lived and worked there. Gibson (1790-1866) was born in Conwy, Wales but settled in Rome in 1817 where he studied with Antonio Canova and set up his own studio which itself became a tourist attraction for … Continue reading
Yesterday’s i paper featured the headline “Hollywood’s most shameful act – the gender pay divide” It begins Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlet Johansson and Julia Roberts are among the most famous women on the planet – and their substantial pay packets reflect their superstar status. But figures published by the business magazine Forbes show that even Hollywood’s … Continue reading
This is another fascinating piece from Atlas Obscura on the problem of duelling between gents. The practice was made safe by using wax bullets. I find this fascinating as it reminds me that England was not always the laughing stock of the world, but led the way in many improvements. One of them was the … Continue reading
This country house at Twickenham is often mentioned in literature of 18th century England, but I thought it had been lost long ago. Incredibly, it has been rescued and is now open to the public. This gem was built by Horace Walpole, youngest son of Britain’s first Prime Minister. It was the first modern gothic … Continue reading
Some time ago, former members of The Smiths, Morrissey and Johnny Marr “banned” the Prime Minister David Cameron from liking the band. Marr said: “Stop saying that you like the Smiths. No you don’t. I forbid you to like it.” I can understand their anger at the Prime Minister,but we live in a free country, … Continue reading
I don’t have a great deal of interest in the fashion industry per se, but like sport, it is a large part of what pays the bills in this country, so it matters. This is from an article by Alexander Fury in yesterday’s i newspaper: “Fashion has an undeserved reputation for all kinds of faults … Continue reading
Here’s a trio of old photos of young children that caught my eye at the market. I would be very nervous in the company of the girl on the left. She’s got quite an evil look to her. Bad hair day on the left. Sooo cute!
This is where visitors to the spa used to come in the mornings for a large drink of the famous waters. You can still try the stuff – tastes rather metallic, but I’ve had worse. Cheltenham water is said to be truly awful. This is now an upmarket tea room, and if you are lucky … Continue reading
Here’s another of my purchases from the market. This is an attractive, well off young woman with what looks like a swan on her hat. Sadly it is a bit spoiled by a fold, but this suggests it did not spend a lot of time in a frame or an album but possibly in a … Continue reading
Women have on the whole had a tough time throughout history, but in England in the mid to late 18th century, as the period between the two world wars, the shortage of men allowed women with talent to emerge into the public spotlight, albeit in socially acceptable fields. This engraving by Richard Samuel published in … Continue reading
