Aug
21
Michael Wright: The Last Officer in the British Indian Army
August 21, 2010
Michael Wright: the last officer in the British Indian Army
The village of Kennington, where I live, is the only village in the country to have chosen to fundraise for an overseas project every year, since 1969. In the process, we have come to know some very remarkable people who have set up charities. They have [...]
Aug
21
Colin Dexter
August 21, 2010
Colin Dexter: October 2009 Castaway
When reviewing ‘My Ashmolean /My Museum‘, for the Oxford Times, I was struck by Theo Chalmers’ stern portrait of Colin Dexter. I mentioned it to Colin and he assured me that he did, indeed, know how to smile but that his instructions were to look grim ‘as [...]
Aug
21
Bettany Hughes
August 21, 2010
December 2009 Castaway: Bettany Hughes
Historian Writer, Broadcaster and opener of The New Ashmolean
The five year old Bettany Hughes was one of 1,694,117 people, who saw the golden mask, from the head of the mummy of King Tutankhamen, on display at the landmark British Museum exhibition, in 1972. It inspired a career researching the [...]
Aug
21
Shami Chakrabarti
August 21, 2010
May Castaway 2009 : Shami Chakrabarti
Last year Oxford Brookes University appointed a new Vice Chancellor. Oxford Brookes is a young university so it is rather fitting that they chose the thirty nine year old Shami Chakrabarti. Shami is better known nationally for her role as director of ‘Liberty’, formerly known as ‘The National Council [...]
Jun
29
Real People, Real Lives - Writer Helen Rappaport
June 29, 2010
Writer Helen Rappaport reveals her love of Russia, all things Victorian and the landscape of the Medway marshes in conversation with Sylvia Vetta.
See the full published article here
Historian Helen Rappaport has two great passions,Russia and the Victorians. Her interest in Russia led her in many directions, viaa career in TV and films, translating Chekhov and [...]
Jan
24
Garden of the Year Photographic Competition and Exhibition: Blenheim
January 24, 2010
On the Wild Shotover Ramble on Boxing Day, I found myself musing in front of the oldest oak on the walk, thinking that it was probably just 25 when King Charles held his parliament in Oxford, during the Civil War.
Simon Norfolk’s dramatic photograph, on the front cover of this section, of a Blenheim oak, captures [...]
Jan
6
Every Antique tells a Story
January 6, 2009
Every Antique tells a Story ( Limited Edition January 2007)
Possibly, but some are more evocative than others. Antiques seem to invite questions like why, how, who and what for? This year, I would like to invite readers to contact me with interesting stories. If you have an object, possibly a family heirloom, that brings with [...]
Jan
6
From Russia with Love
January 6, 2009
From Russia with Love
This landmark exhibition at the Royal Academy (RA) arrived with overtones reminiscent of cold war paranoia. During the on/off period prior to its opening, the Russians exhibited some arrogance. When you see the show lent by the museums of Moscow and St Petersburg, you can understand their pride.
‘From Russia: French [...]
Jan
6
A Rural Revolution
January 6, 2009
Oxfordshire | Archive | 2007 | June | 5
A rural revolution
From the The Oxford Times, first published Tuesday 5th Jun 2007.
Walks on Otmoor are usually for the pleasure of enjoying the peace of the countryside to the accompaniment of birdsong. That music is often punctuated by the sound of gunfire because part of the moor [...]
Dec
30
The Portrait of the Artist as Pure Genius (Leonardo da Vinci)
December 30, 2008
The quest for knowledge is possibly the most inspiring quality in the V&A Leonardo da Vinci exhibition, writes SYLVIA VETTA.