On Friday evening, I went to the first showing of &Sons at the Phoenix Picture House. Veteran film producer ,Victor Glynn, whose son is a producer of &Sons, invited to me to be an extra. An early scene in
Looking forward to listening to my friend, Ray Foulk, on the REUNION talking about the Isle of Wight Festivals (1968-1970.) Ray was one of my early Oxford Castaways . Editor Tim Metcalfe titled it ‘My Beautiful Careers.’ I was honoured
https://artsfestivaloxford.org/events/qu-lei-lei-caroline-deane-exhibition-installation/ Do go to see this exhibition organised by the Oxford Festival of the Arts. I met the artist Qu Leilei, in 2005, while reviewing his one man show at the Ashmolean. That meeting changed my life and led to
Yesterday, I attended the Kyoto Prize lecture by Carol Gilligan. The psychologist has shown how women in particular silence themselves and say what they think they should say rather than express their true experience and opinion. Here is her lecture.
After the death of the Buddha, his teachings were hardly known beyond the eastern part of India. It was Ashoka, the emperor, who spread Buddist teachings across India and Asia. Through his patronage and efforts, in effect, Ashoka created the
This blog sounds arrogant but my aim is to celebrate David Attenborough through some memories and meetings. I was 10 years old when I watched Zoo Quest on a tiny black and white TV but it is etched on my
When I was researching for Brushstrokes in Time which is set in the USA and China, I attended a year’s course in Chinese philosophy. I was attracted by the words of Lao Tzu, the founder of Daoism. In 2026, these
These inhumane times are hard to bear. It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of evil. There is one thing we can all do and that is to say or express, in any form we prefer, NOT IN MY
The need to tell the WHOLE story of Empire. The reason our country looks the way it does is because of Empire and it's not taught enough in schools or universities. We can’t properly understand this country without knowing about
Where is Good King Wenceslas when you need him? My just published feminist crime thriller is titled Reptiles begins with Toad Patrol. The amphibians in Bagley Woods are benign, the reptiles are snake in the grass humans. Advent is when