The Economist’s obituary of its former editor Alastair Burnett is lovely, thoroughly lovely, particularly as it discusses how he made the magazine more punchy and chatty…. A few considered it vulgar, and thought it reflected a lack of seriousness on the part of the editor. They were reinforced in this view by Alastair’s jocular banter, … More Alastair Burnett
The great political debate of the summer has begun. Is Batman a Tory, a defender of the 1% against the anarchic masses? Or a leftie, grappling with the responsibility of his enormous inherited wealth? Frankly, I have no idea. But of three things I am certain. Batman is my hero. I support Nottingham Forest. So … More Batman is a Tricky Tree
Network Africa was always an odd sort of programme. It tried to be all things to all people. Somehow it was a news show plus magazine programme, combining studio guests discussing their latest movie, for example, with breaking news, prefaced with a proverb and disrupted in the middle by a piece of music, the whole … More When the cock is silent then the beans can be counted
I hope I got the tone of this right. Anyway, point is that I’ve been a big fan of the BBC World Service for a long time. But the nostalgia fest of the past few days as it moved from Bush House to a new home really grated. Do the millions of listeners around the … More
I have just returned from a fantastic few days trekking in Chitral, a trip that culminated with a day at the Shandur Polo Festival. The event is a huge occasion for the people of Chitral and Gilgit who gather at the world’s highest polo field – at some 12,000ft – to cheer on their team … More Spotted: UNHCR tents at Shandur Polo Festival
South of West 