A portal to the Dance
I’ve coveted an Adrian Daintrey sketch for years, and at an auction not long ago I finally got hold of this wonderful one of wartime Cairo. I like his decisive…
The Power of the Dog
Back in April, my little mate Charlie dog trotted off into the great beyond. Considering he was a toy poodle who weighed 4.5 kilos and was shorter than a wellington…
Restoring a 1950s trilby
As those who’ve come across me in the unflattering light of the real world will know, I’m quite fond of wearing hats. They’re unfashionable and affected, of course, but then…
The Easter reset
A while ago, I was reading a fun article by Jeremy Anderberg on temporal landmarks, the basic idea being that there are ‘certain dates that naturally inspire us to turn…
Century-old life advice
I came across an interesting object while I was ferreting through a box of memorabilia just now. It’s a letter, sent exactly 99 years ago, by my great-grandfather to his…
Cleaning up a Chillington ARPAX
Yesterday, while rooting through an old chest in pursuit of lightbulbs, I unearthed a WW2 fireman’s hatchet. It’s a Chillington ARPAX, and as axes go, it’s a bit of an…
Hibernation time
This is possibly my least favourite day of the year. It goes against all natural instincts to starve your pet for a fortnight then stick him in a Chinese takeaway…
Biblical times in the north
It’s been a dramatic few weeks in meteorological terms. Only last Monday evening, we had such a downpour in Whitby that all routes into town were cut off, and the…
How to make a penknife pouch belt
Last week, while I was flicking through Håkan Ludwigson’s photography book Balls and Bulldust, trying to decide on a favourite picture for my coffee table books blog, I noticed that…
Three favourite coffee table books
I know coffee table books are mainly supposed to be decorative objects that make you look clever when people come round, but I happen to disagree. Coffee table books are…
