gwallter

  • When I used to travel to London regularly, the Courtauld Gallery was one of my favourite places to visit.  Last weekend I went back, for the first time since its extraordinarily expensive (£57m) makeover, which closed it for three years. …

  • Years ago my friend C and I challenged each other to read, all the way through, a Classic Long Book.  My challenge was Moby-Dick, and his was Bleak House.  Whether C ever reached Melville’s majestic final line, ‘… and the…

  • I’m no Alfred Wainwright, and this is no marathon journey like the one he devised across northern England, but on 19 September I made up my own coast-to-coast walk. It’s worth sharing with you, since in its small way it’s…

  • In 1879, years before he became known as the world’s most famous society portrait painter, John Singer Sargent left Paris, where he had trained as an artist in the studio of Carolus-Duran, and travelled south, to Spain and north Africa.  Carolus-Duran…

  • Pan enillodd Sioned Erin Hughes y Fedal Ryddiaith yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Tregaron ym mis Awst am ei chasgliad o straeon byrion Rhyngom, roedd yr ymateb gan ddarllenwyr yn gynnes ac yn frwd.  A dim syndod, achos bod y llyfr yn…

  • Has a song title ever said so much in so few words?  This one has the reputation of being one of the oldest blues songs.  That’s a claim that’s hard to substantiate, but this song certainly has a long history,…

  • His name’s been familiar to me for years, but it’s only in recent months that I’ve got to know him better.  In May this year I happened to stay the night in Penralley House, his home in Rhayader, and earlier…

  • 1 When I arrive, the ward is full.  I’m redirected to where the ophthalmology patients wait.  It’s a poor fit: my body part for attention is some way south of the eyes.  The surgeon comes, to tell me briefly what…

  • My title will offend, I know.  Almost as much as would a blog of 1800, if one existed, that carried the title ‘Against religion’.  But bear with me, even if sport is your religion.  I want to argue, why, contrary…

  • Our school was just across the road.  I could have left our little brick house, Corton Cottage, at one minute to nine and still have been in time for lessons.  The school building was small, built of warm stone, and…

annual archive

hear about new blogs