Cornwall’s West Penwith: a quick guide
Here's a prejudiced and personal guide to holidaying in Cornwall's fabulous West Penwith. Read more...
Protest update: Ritz and Fortnum & Mason, 26 March 2011
It's early days, and I've seen no definitive accounts of the mini-riots in the West End of London on Saturday 27 March 2011. But they produce further evidence that the police are being told or are assuming that they should not maintain public order in the face of protest, even if the organisers (or non-organisers) signal that they won't co-operate at all, or much. Read more...
Fukushima: The UK media scores 4/10 so far
It is only a tiny bit cruel to say that so far (16 March 2011) Jon, Krishnan and Anna (to name just the presenting stars of C4 and Sky) have not done well. Neither have the writers of the headlines and the linking material the talent reads. Luckily, some of the specialist… Read more...
Biutiful: a noble five star movie
Odd to say, maybe, but this was not the festival of gloom it might seem. It's a story of nobility and its effect is almost uplifting. Read more...
RDN on public sector covenant & pensions on BBC R4
The Today Programme (10 March 2011) asked a man from Compass (the think tank) and me what we thought about the idea of a Public Sector Covenant. Is there, like the Military Covenant, a special understanding or settlement with civil servants of every sort. I said no.... Read more...
RDN on Rattigan & Flare Path & more
I feel a bit guilty horning in on the Rattigan-fest. My connection is through my heroic half-uncle and his rather interesting role in Flare Path‘s arriving on the London stage. Anyway, I did my best to do justice to the circumstances in Read more...
RDN on the 2011 Oscar crop
I saw great movies in 2010 and some of them were given minor awards at the Oscars. But the big winners probably weren't all that wonderful.... Read more...
RDN on BBC1’s “Big Questions” on premature babies
I had an outing on BBC1's Big Questions and on the issue of extremely premature babies missed an important note or two... Read more...
RDN on aid on BBC Big Questions
The British state is right to have a growing international aid budget. How on earth could a screaming right-winger argue this? Well, BBC1's Big Questions asked my opinion on the matter and I surprised myself thus.... Read more...
RDN on Libya on BBC R2
I had a fairlydecent outing on the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 today. Since I was defending the UK's behaviour toward Libya in recent years, that was about the best one can expect, I think. Read more...