The Tomb of the Unknown Uncle – Flowering of Liberation – travel review
2014 is a special year and after my recent visit to the Netherlands I am reminded that every year should be special. This year we...
The War of Jan Loos – interview
The last year of World War II offered the hope of an end to hostilities, but they were, in fact, a long way from being...
Valencia, Spain – travel review
Valencia is the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. The Port of Valencia is the 5th busiest container port in Europe and...
The Hague – Staying and Eating – Contemporary and Historic – travel review
The Hague is indeed a ‘Royal’ city. You might even come across one of the ‘Oranges’, as they are considered perhaps the most accessible royal...
200 Years of The Netherlands and Prince William – travel review
Our links with The Netherlands have been long-standing. We shared a monarch in the guise of William III of England, known as William II in...
The Nuns and Tarts of Alentejo, Portugal – travel review
Portugal is on the very edge of Europe and often overlooked in favour of its more vocal neighbour, Spain. But this country has so much...
Four Emperors and an Architect – history review
This book is bound to appeal to anyone with a love of what they assume to be, and indeed what has become, classic English architecture....
Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brûlée by Thomas J. Craughwell – review
We all know the name and his impeccable political credentials (he was an American Founding Father and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence;...
Hanggang sa Muli – book review
Homecoming stories for the Filipino soul Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines. Filipino is a de facto version of Tagalog, spoken...
Taylor’s Port and Fladgate Hospitality – travel review
Port is enjoying something of a revival with the addition of both white and pink varieties to its classic styles. It’s a wine with a...
Vigo – crab, clams and continuity – travel review
For those of you living in the south of England, you will already know about Vigo. You will swear that it is a parish formed...
Galicia – deliciously diverse – travel review
We all have prejudices. We don’t think that we do but that is in itself the nature of a prejudice. I was anxious that this...
Langtry’s Restaurant, Sloane Street – review
[ Langtry’s Restaurant is now closed. ] The Cadogan Hotel in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, was built in 1887. The name commemorates the Earls Cadogan, who,...
Maharaja – The Spectacular Heritage of Princely India – review
Thames and Hudson are famed for their high-quality books and this is another fine example of the style of book we have come to expect....
A History of Food by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat – review
This book should be republished and retitled THE History of Food. It’s probably the most remarkable book on the subject I have ever had the...
The Historic Shops and Restaurants of New York by Ellen Williams – review
I have spent long months in New York City and was very happy to do so. It’s one of my favourite spots, although I had...
Food in England by Dorothy Hartley – review
The cynical might suppose that this is a pamphlet or at best a very small volume, being light on both pages and interest. You, my...
Historic Colorado by Claude Wiatrowski – review
Claude Wiatrowski has an evident passion for Colorado and another, equal in depth, for trains. He has three degrees in sensible technical and engineering subjects...
Gentleman’s Relish – A Compendium of English Culinary Oddities – review
This small chunky book is a treat. It lists and describes just about all of those quirky and well-loved foodstuffs that we hold dear. Yes,...
China to Chinatown by J.A.G. Roberts – review
There can’t be a single town in the UK or North America that can’t boast at least a Chinese takeaway or a brace or two...