by Valerie | Mar 17, 2014 | art, General interest, history, people, travel
The plane arrived at midnight, an hour late; our tour escort took 40 minutes to find our visas, and we were then informed it would take an hour to reach our hotels on the Dead Sea where we were in two hotels. It was 3 in the morning before we settled into our... by Valerie | Mar 14, 2014 | art, General interest, history, museums, people, travel
In just under an hour we’ll touchdown in Amman. Why Jordan, bordering Israel to the west on the other side of the Jordan River, and the tragic war zone of Syria to the north? It’s precisely because of this, because of my fascination with the ancient civilisations of... by Valerie | Mar 1, 2014 | book reviews, childhood, General interest, reading groups, travel
Long before Goldfinch was chosen by my book group, I was offered it on Kindle for 99 something – pence or cents, that would hardly break the bank, though my friend in Santa Barbara, California, tells me that Donna Tartt is a millionaire. No wonder, even after such a... by Valerie | Feb 24, 2014 | art, childhood, General interest, history, travel
On the weather map we were at the edge of rain clouds yesterday afternoon. We ventured north for our Sunday walk undeterred, not sure where we would end up. I remembered that over a decade ago, perhaps more, we went to Howsham Hall. Every Christmas we always invited a... by Valerie | Feb 19, 2014 | art, book reviews, Fashion, General interest, history, people, reading groups, theatre, writing a novel
All writers must be thrilled when a reader points out a nuance or theme or anything positive that they haven’t noticed. In a world of knee-jerk criticism, this gives a sharp sensation of pleasure. It’s what Linda Bamber must be feeling with any feedback for her... by Valerie | Feb 17, 2014 | 1950s, book reviews, childhood, Fifties, General interest, history, people, reading groups
The Bronte sisters didn’t mention railways when they wrote Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, though a line had reached nearby Halifax in their lifetime. I was thinking of Thomas Hardy particularly when we were walking in the Yorkshire Wolds yesterday. After so much...
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