Monthly Archives: November 2008

Empirical

Maybe Empir­ical can rehab­il­it­ate the vibra­phone in my affec­tions, though inter­est­ingly, it’s not part of their usual line-up.  I didn’t catch the name of the vibra­phone player but he was really good.  Oth­er­wise the group con­sisted for this gig of … Con­tinue read­ing

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Lest We Forget

An exhib­i­tion of per­sonal WW1 mem­or­ab­ilia at the Imper­ial War Museum (sur­roun­ded by traffic just south of the river, bey­ond Water­loo).  Very well laid out and dis­played and abso­lutely fas­cin­at­ing. Just the right mix of text and arte­facts, phở­tos etc. … Con­tinue read­ing

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Travel by Tube

Which actu­ally, I didn’t on this trip to Lon­don, pre­fer­ring to use my free bus pass and enjoy the super­ior views.  But the spe­cial poster exhib­i­tion at the Lon­don Trans­port Museum (extremely well refur­bished since I was there last) was … Con­tinue read­ing

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Courtauld Surprise

It’s some­thing of a con­fes­sion to say I’d never been to the Cour­tauld gal­lery before. As I climbed the wind­ing stair­case in Somer­set House (there’s a a par­al­lel one for ser­rvants) I glanced into a room and there were the … Con­tinue read­ing

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Ever a new delight

Stayed at the City of Lon­don Youth Hostel near St Paul’s.  This wasn’t a new delight isn’t going to be my top favour­ite YH — no read­ing lights for beds and a truly mediocre cooked break­fast — just enough, how­ever, … Con­tinue read­ing

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London Jazz Festival

There’s a pub called “The Spice of Life” on Cam­bridge Cir­cus, in the base­ment bar of which there’s one of those small, formerly smoky ven­ues, which is where you feel jazz always should hap­pen, though 4.30 on a Sunday after­noon … Con­tinue read­ing

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A York Quintet

A quin­tet of eat­ing and drink­ing houses.  The Lamb and Lion at Bootham Bar strikes me as gloomy, more bare wood than I ideally like, and an unima­gin­at­ive lunch­time menu. c.f. The Guy Fawkes, reviewed a few weeks ago, which … Con­tinue read­ing

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Tim O’Brien

Blue-grass is not my thing, but he does it really well.

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A Brief Potter

Bus with fold­ing bike to Tad­caster — Wharfe reas­on­ably full, but not excess­ively so.  Off along the lane to Bolton Percy — peace­ful Autumn coun­tryside, very quiet, few birds along this stretch.  Fine col­ours in the hedges, par­tic­u­larly birch.  Bolton … Con­tinue read­ing

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Tom McConville and David Newey

Before I for­get, I should say that the Black Swan has Skipton Brewery’s Cop­per Dragon on tap — deli­cious golden stuff. Tom McCon­ville is an Iriish Geordie, which takes the more extreme edges off both cari­ca­tures and ends up with … Con­tinue read­ing

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