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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

The Portrait of an Epic Life

November 23, 2006

On his return to Oxford, SYLVIA VETTA talks to Chinese artist Qu Lei lei about his work.