From the Vaults: March 2010

Today's blog is another of my occasional retrospectives. This time, I've chosen a selection of posts from last March which give a flavour of what I was blogging about this time last year.

First up, a picture from the first in my (stalled) series of features on Great Buildings - the Modernist exemplar that is the Villa Savoye - you can see more here.

Next, an excerpt from my letter to my 60-year old self. If you could talk to your future self, what would you say? Here's how I started:

Dear Andrew,

How has it all worked out? On second thoughts, don't tell me - I'd rather find out for myself.

There are some things that I hope have happened, though.

I hope I managed to sort out my finances in time to enjoy some travelling and make some sort of half-decent pension provision. I know you've still got 7 years before you get the state pension (if there still is one!) but hopefully you've got a bit more put by!

Are you still blogging, or is the Internet completely outmoded? It's funny to imagine that could happen, but then 25 years ago it was hard to envisage it at all!!"

Finally, a link to some poetry, Yeats' Lake Isle of Innisfree.

Hope you enjoy, 

Andrew

From the Vaults: November 2009

This is the second in a series of retrospective posts looking back at previous posts, this time it's some from last November.

My first choice is a piece from Room 3 of my virtual gallery, which featured etchings by Erik Desmazieres:

 

The next choice is a link to a poem by the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. Warming Her Pearls is a fantastic narrative poem of unrequited - and forbidden - love.

My final choice is a post about positive thinking - Three Positive Things - which was inspired by a programme I heard on the radio just when I was feeling particularly down. For a while it inspired by other blog. More recently, things have been on a much surer footing but I do still want to explore positive thinking techniques more.

Andrew

From the Vaults: October 2009

Looking back on old posts is always interesting. There are some which you remember well and are particularly proud off, others that you've forgotten and enjoy reading again and, of course, some which make you wonder what you were thinking!

Following my recent "Mystery Blogs" entry, I've decided that I shall revisit some old posts on a monthly basis, but this time I'm going to at least do them the justice of giving them a chance to tempt you in...

Virtual Gallery, Room 2 

This featured the work of Rachel Whiteread, including this piece:

5 on the 5th - October

Ahead of the next 5 on the 5th, here's a look what I did on the 5th October last year! Including purchasing new shoes...

and finally, a more serious post, this time on the appearance of Nick Griffen on Question Time. I've posted the first couple of paragraphs:

Give them enough rope...

"On Thursday, the BNP leader will, controversially, appear on question time. Should he be allowed? Well, on balance, probably yes. The BNP somehow manages to stay the right side of the various laws which govern the line between freedom of speech of inciting racial hatred. In addition, they now have over a hundred councilors and two MEPs so they clearly speak for a section of the populous, however objectionable they may be.

"While their views may be, at the very least, distasteful they cannot now be ignored. To do so would risk them continuing to spread their bile at low level, letting it fester and spread like a cancer. It has reached a point where they need to be faced head on. They need to be given some (limited) exposure, a spade to dig themselves a hole and enough rope with which to hang themselves."

Hope you enjoy this selection from last year... you can find more of last October's posts here. Comments, as ever, are welcome below!

Andrew