Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quotes to Guide this Walk: “Political language … is designed to make lies sound truthful … and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” – George Orwell; and “If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble … So it is with the nation.” – Theodore Roosevelt.

Sudden flash floods hit Rasuwa in Nepal, near its border with Tibet, killing more than 780 people, with 3,000+ missing – many of them tourists, including 31 Canadians. Rescue efforts continue, though may be hampered by a second flash flood which some are now predicting. The scenes of devastation are truly remarkable and deeply saddening.

Iran and Oman have agreed how they will manage the Strait of Hormuz now that the US has clearly lost the plot and given up on the war with Iran. Iran says the US should leave and get out of the way. The US have declared the Strait a US territory (a meaningless statement, rather like renaming Lake Ontario). Iran and Oman will identify a safe passage through the Strait; ships will pay a fee, and the revenues will be split between the two countries. Qatar is trying to restart peace talks, though Trump has lost interest and is back focused on his ballroom and the Arc d’Trump.

Iceland’s electorate just rejected the idea of restarting talks for Iceland to develop deeper and closer ties to the EU. They saw how the EU (especially the French and Spanish governments) “shafted” UK fishermen and didn’t want the kind of things that happened to the UK to happen to them.

Meta (Facebook, Instagram) has agreed to a $18 billion (app.) settlement with several US States related to their legal case in California documenting the harm caused by social media to young people. It’s a big deal – a kind of tobacco/cancer moment.

Donald Trump’s trade war with China led to increased inflation, 15,000 farm bankruptcies and a $14 billion farm bailout with US tax dollars; his illegal war in Iran has led to skyrocketing energy prices, the depletion of our military resources and billions of dollars in debt. His trade war with Canada – The Lutnick Manoeuvre – will severely hurt a great many US states and the US agriculture and manufacturing sector. Trump is destroying the US economy with one failure after another. None of this is helped by roaring inflation (3.5%) and a US debt of $40 trillion – 30% of which is related to Trump’s policies. Carney, now widely seen as a true statesman, will need to have nerves of steel as Trump uses lies and nonsense (supported by several cabinet members who tell real big porkies) to stir things up.

Speaking of empty rhetoric, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to impose massive economic sanctions on countries that trade with Iran – China, Russia, India, UAE, Türkiye and Iraq. Iran’s response was to note how weak the US economy was, with the same man (Bessent) having to throw money at the bond market to stave off very high interest rates on bonds – a strategy that had no meaningful impact on the market. Scott Bessent’s intervention can only succeed if monetary growth is supportive of his action. During the first half of 2026, broad money has been growing at nearly double-digit rates. This fact will torpedo Bessent’s interventions, making them 100% pointless. But then, that describes the man. Despite the Iran sanctions being labelled by Bessent as the toughest D-day-like economic weapon “ever deployed” – no sanctions were actually announced. Blah-blah.

King Harald V of Norway died at age 89. His son succeeded him as King Haakon VIII (aged 53). The new King is supporting his wife, Queen Mette-Marit (53), who recently had a lung transplant.

A man I greatly respect – Gareth Malone (UK’s every-young Choirmaster and Classic FM Host) – observed that A-level (High School Diploma) music entries fell by 4.9% to just 4,635 pupils, while arts GCSE entries in state schools have dropped by 41.7% since 2010. He suggests that this is a medium-term crisis for music, choirs and arts in the UK. He is dead right to be concerned. Music and music education were central to my upbringing.

This is very worrying: Research from JumpCloud found that AI agents allowed to take high-risk actions without human review more than doubled in six months, from 11% to 26%.

Sports: The US Open Tennis is up and running. Carlos Alcarez is hopeful that, despite his enforced absence due to injury, he can win, especially given that Sinner will not be competing. He teamed up with Serena to play mixed doubles. They made the quarter-finals but lost to Italy’s world number six Flavio Cobolli and his Swiss team-mate Belinda Bencic, who won 5-4 (7-4) 4-1. We can expect fireworks across the tournament.

The first is the exit in round one of Novak Djokovic. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was overcome by emotion in the deciding set of a dramatic match where he struggled physically throughout and had to vomit into a towel bin. Djokovic, seeded fourth, showed the fight for which he has always been renowned before succumbing to a 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 4-6 6-2 6-1 loss in a humid New York. It is the first time the Serb had been beaten in the opening round at Flushing Meadows and the first time he had lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament since 2006.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Jon Batiste has never shown much respect for musical boundaries - and thank goodness for that. On his new album, Black Mozart, the Grammy and Oscar-winning musician takes some of Mozart’s best-known melodies and carries them into the Black American musical tradition. This is not Mozart with a jazz rhythm added on. Batiste treats the compositions as living material, reshaping them through blues, ragtime, stride and the rhythmic exuberance of his native New Orleans. Familiar phrases loosen, swing and occasionally stomp, revealing possibilities that may have been hiding in the music all along. This is the second release in Batiste’s Piano Series, following Beethoven Blues, and is also a quiet argument against the walls separating “classical” music from everything else. Batiste approaches Mozart with affection but without excessive reverence. The result feels less like a museum visit than a lively conversation across centuries - playful, personal and wonderfully free. (He was also a very supportive and creative mentor on the excellent UK TV series The Piano).

Whatever you think of country music, one of its legends has been Dolly Parton, who has died at age 80. A fascinating woman – songwriter (“I Will Always Love You” – made famous by Whitney Houston), actress, singer, philanthropist, raconteur, and fun person – she enlivened any stage or room she was in. She was also fearless and a champion of the underprivileged. Up to the end of June 2026, her charity The Imagination Library had given young people around the world (especially in the US) 325 million books and is funded to give away 3.5 million a month for the next 20 years. RIP Dolly.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: Sir Anthony Hopkins’s We Did OK, Kid is a candid and moving memoir that traces his journey from an unhappy childhood in Port Talbot, Wales (b. 1937) to international acclaim. Hopkins writes openly about insecurity, ambition, alcoholism and sobriety, while offering fascinating glimpses behind his celebrated performances. His voice is reflective, unsentimental and occasionally wry, though some episodes receive less depth than readers may expect. Ultimately, this is an engaging portrait of a gifted but complicated man looking back with gratitude, regret and wonder at the unlikely course of his life. He is a painter, musician, raconteur and terrific actor. In an upcoming film, The Species, he plays Charles Darwin with Charlotte Rampling as his wife, with Tim Hollander in a very key role. The drink is a James May Gin (Asian Parsnip) with tonic and cherry bitters.

TV & Film: September 10^th sees the final 3 episodes of Season 2 of Ludwig on BBC iPlayer and the Yuja Wang (pianist) documentary drop. We can also see, right now (BBC iPlayer) also see more episodes of Celebrity MasterChef which is well worth watching if you are a foodie. Season 3 of Vigil started. Season 4 of Reacher (Amazon Prime) is also up and available and, from Sept 3^rd. Season 3 of Guy Ricthie’s The Gentleman (Netflix) is available – not starring Meghan Markle (yet).

Dalliance (Paramount +) is a sharply observed Australian drama that finds rich emotional territory in lives television too often pushes to the margins. Hugo Weaving leads an excellent ensemble as Billy, a retired cameraman whose encounter with Dani draws together friends, partners and unresolved histories. The six-part series favours character over contrived suspense, letting decades of affection, resentment and disappointment surface through conversation and wonderfully rude humour. Its greatest strength is the credibility of its relationships. These people speak with the shorthand of friends who have survived marriages, mistakes, grief and changing bodies together. The performances make every joke and silence feel lived-in, while the writing treats ageing neither as tragedy nor as sentimental triumph. Some supporting characters receive less attention than they deserve, but the ensemble remains enormously engaging. Funny, tender and refreshingly adult, Dalliance shows that later life is not an epilogue, but a complicated, surprising chapter of its own.

The BBC is seriously looking at reviving Top Gear (first shown in 1977 and ended in 2022) with Jimmy Carr as host.

Food: I made a very simple Spanish omelette – 3 eggs beaten, 1.5 cups of potato chips, salt and pepper and some olive oil. Soak the chips in the eggs for about 1 minute before carefully placing the mixture in an oiled hot pan. Flip once the bottom is cooked and cook the top (or put in the oven under the grill).

Quick Thoughts:

· At the Washington Indy Grand Prix, Melania sat with Trump for 12 seconds, then left and flew back to New York. She wanted to get paid for showing up.

· Quote of the week: “We were a dumb, stupid country led by a very stupid person a year ago,” said Donald Trump. During the whole of that year he is talking about, he was President of the USA.

· Quote from Andrew Coyne (Globe & Mail) re US-Canada debacle: “Walking out of the negotiations was the easy part. Staying out is the test.”

· US government debt is 123% of GDP.

· Every vegetable in the US is being recalled except Mitch McConnell.

· Sen Mark Kelly is signalling that he is considering a run for the White House. Most promising candidate yet!

· Pierre Pullover (leader of Canada’s conservatives) is furious with Trump – Trump has united Canada behind Mark Carney.

· Trump is thinking about changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. Carney is thinking of calling it The Waterway to Sanity.

· Voter fraud in the US wasn’t a problem for 250 years until a fraud became its President.

· All of the worst things you can imagine about Donald Trump are true. Ugh.

· Iran has offered $10 million to anyone who executes Barron Trump. Do we think Ivanka might be tempted?

· Without his makeup, Trump looks like a tin of SPAM that has been sat on a counter for five weeks.

· I saw Dr Hook in 1975 – worst prostate exam I ever had.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55+ years and still going): Late Arrivals at the Geographers’ Ball

1. Mr and Mrs Palligo, and their son Archie.

2. Mr and Mrs Tainrange, and their daughter Anna.

3. Mr and Mrs Sippi, and their daughter Missy.

4. Mr and Mrs Tude, and their daughter Latti.

5. Mr and Mrs Isthmus, and their daughter Chris.

6. Mr and Mrs Atoll, and their daughter Coral.

7. Mr and Mrs Andes, and their daughter April.

8. Mr and Mrs Mapp, and their son Rhodie.

9. Mr and Mrs Sahara, and their daughter Dessie.

10. Mr and Mrs Hemisphere, and their son Weston.

New Definitions – the Growing Uxbridge Dictionary:

· Acoustic - Highland cattle prod

· Acoustic – Scottish bovine glue

· Diagnostic – an unconvinced Welshman

· Anaemic - Diminutive Irishman

· Cystic – my sister is present

· Celtic – a purveyor of insects in Scotland

· Bostic – a parasitic CEO

· Monolithic – a bumpkin under a spotlight

· Dramatic – having a serious drink upstairs

· Diabolic - intimate tattoo

· Fantasist – female family member of a beverage company

· Dipstick – encouragement to someone to lick an icy pole

· Antagonistic - a twig or small branch used for inflicting pain on small insects

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide this Walk: “The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.” – Antonio Gramsci, The Prison Diaries; “It is really true what philosophy tells us, that life must be understood backwards. But with this, one forgets the second proposition, that it must be lived forwards… life at any given moment cannot really ever be fully understood.”- Søren Kierkegaard, 1843 Journals.

Ukraine is finding it difficult to prevent Russian missiles landing – its stocks of defensive missiles are seriously depleted. Russia knows this and is keeping up daily attacks, killing 5-12 a day in cities across Ukraine.

Israel keeps pushing further into Gaza, already occupying 70% of the territory. “They are pushing us into the sea, “ said one Palestinian. No talks, no cease-fire in reality, just the abandonment of hope.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Ebola outbreak is now seen as the most rapidly spreading outbreak ever in the DRC – the 17th outbreak. 2,500 are dead, and over 5,200 have been infected, with new cases each day, and new locations every few days.

Saying a trade deal with Canada was imminent, Trump delayed the implementation of 50% tariffs on a range of goods to give negotiators more time. Another TACO moment It does look as if there was some significant movement. Mark Carney has asked Premiers to return US booze to liquor stores (it never left the shelves here in Alberta) and to remove some other barriers. Trump is musing about giving permission for the Keystone XL Pipeline (Alberta to Texas) to be built – it’s been on and off since 2008. But then, at the last minute, the talks collapsed with both sides blaming the other. So now we are in a full trade war – 50% tariffs are on and Canada intends to retaliate “dollar for dollar.” It will get worse before it gets better.

Tech stocks now make up roughly 40% of the S&P 500’s market value, and the Bank of England said in October 2025 that equity valuations looked “comparable to the peak” of the dot-com bubble, warning the risk of a sharp correction had “heightened”. The IMF separately warned the AI investment boom could burst in a way comparable to the dot-com bust. Palantir currently trades at a P/E near 147 and Broadcom near 65 based on Perplexity Finance data - levels far outside historical norms, even if Nvidia’s own P/E (about 34.6 today) has actually compressed from a 2023 peak near 120. JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon called elevated valuations “a category of concern,” Goldman’s David Solomon flagged a “likely” 10–20% equity pullback within two years, and Bank of America’s Global Fund Manager Survey has named an “AI equity bubble” the top tail risk (Yahoo Finance, CNBC). Capital Economics has gone further, projecting the S&P 500 to rally into a 2026 peak before collapsing roughly 21% by the end of 2027. Beware!

In the meantime, 29 US States are suing Facebook, Instagram and others (for aggressively promoting platforms that cause children to become addicted to the platform, with an impact on their wellbeing and mental health – profiting from harm. It could cost up to $1.4 trillion. This is about algorithmic engagement and data collection.

A lot of attention is being paid to the young woman who is always by Trump’s side – Natalie Harp (35), who has changed her looks over time to more closely resemble Ivanka Trump. Michael Woolfe suggests that the reason Melania is no longer around is that she sees Natalie as a rival for Donald’s attention and refuses to be in the same room with her. Others are “hinting” that Natalie just doesn’t change Donald’s diapers. Who knows (and who cares)? What is interesting is that she has been Dozing Donald’s side-kick since he began his second term, but only recently secured a security clearance. Wonder who she really works for?

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are to return to the UK so that their children (Archie and Lilibet) can attend school there – they are already enrolled and start in September. The couple will retain their houses in California and Portugal (at least for now), but it’s not yet clear just where they will live in Britain. Some of the wags are suggesting that Prince Andrew’s former residence – Royal Lodge – is available. They will not return to royal duties, however – they will just continue to be a pain in the neck for the rest of the royal family.

Speaking of Andrew, formerly known as Prince: also returning to Britain is Sarah Ferguson (formerly the Duchess of York). Apparently, she has come into money from her ex-boyfriend (pre her marriage to Andrew), Paddy McNally (88), who died recently leaving an estate valued at between £600 and £800 million. No one knows how much she may have secured or whether Paddy left her any property. She has nowhere to live - her daughters have made it clear that she will not be living with either of them.

Sports: The Williams sisters played doubles together for the first time since 2022 and lost. Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns beat the American pair 6-2, 1-6, 10-8 in Cincinnati. Venus said it was fun; Serena looked like thunder as she came off the court. Coco Gauff ended up winning the final against Pegula.

Also unhappy in Cincinnati (could be a film title?) is Aryna Sabalenka, currently ranked #1 in the world. She lost to Czech player Sara Bejkel. As a result, Rybakina is likely to take the #1 spot for the US Open. Sabalenka is 17-7 in wins and losses since the start of April, having reached one semi‑final and zero finals in her past seven tournaments. Some of these losses have been absolutely shocking, particularly her total collapse against Diana Shnaider in the quarter-final at the French Open, where she led 6-3, 4-1 with a double break before losing 12 of the subsequent 13 games.

Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper are out of the US Open (injury) just as Alcaraz confirms his intention to play.

Cocaine found in Nick Kyrgios’ (31) blood means he is banned from tennis for two years. He has admitted to the offence.

Max Verstappen, the Red Bull F1 driver, was thinking about quitting until Red Bull offered him a contract extension to 2030. He agreed. In the Dutch Grand Prix, Lando Norris beat Antonelli to finish 1^st with Russell 3^rd.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Friedrich Schwindl’s symphonies reveal a composer who deserves more than a footnote in the history of the Classical style. Written with the brilliance and forward momentum associated with the Mannheim school, these works favour crisp themes, sudden dynamic contrasts and buoyant, energetic finales. Yet their appeal is not merely technical. Schwindl often tempers ceremonial brightness with lyricism, especially in the slow movements, where the strings sing with an affecting, almost operatic tenderness. The orchestration is clear and economical. Oboes and horns add colour and weight without overwhelming the strings, while the compact forms keep the music moving. Inevitably, some gestures recur, and listeners seeking the depth or dramatic surprise of Haydn may find Schwindl much more conventional. Nevertheless, the craftsmanship is assured, the melodies are immediately attractive, and the rhythmic vitality rarely flags. Taken together, these symphonies offer a vivid glimpse of the fertile musical world surrounding Mozart and Haydn.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: In The Score, philosopher C. Thi Nguyen examines how measurements, rankings, targets, and games quietly reorganize our desires. A score can clarify what matters, motivate action, and make complicated activity legible. Yet it can also replace the richer purpose it was meant to represent: education becomes grades, health becomes step counts, influence becomes followers, and work becomes performance metrics. Nguyen’s central insight is both simple and unsettling: when somebody else designs the scoreboard, they may also design the person we become while pursuing it. He moves confidently between philosophy, history, technology, and everyday experience, making abstract arguments feel immediate without flattening their complexity. The book occasionally ranges so widely that its momentum loosens, but its intellectual playfulness keeps the journey engaging. Rather than rejecting goals or competition, Nguyen asks readers to choose their games consciously - and remain capable of walking away. Original, humane, and relevant, The Score is an illuminating guide to reclaiming agency in a world increasingly governed by numbers. Something we teach in our graduate classes on AI, the future and education and the subject of a book I am working on. The drink is a variation of my personal favourite – the Negroni. It is a Black Sesame Negroni – the usual mix (gin, vermouth, Campari) and add 5ml of black-sesame syrup and a pinch of salt. Finish with some orange bitters and a bit of orange peel.

Food: An interesting Mexican soup. Cook the onion in oil for five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, and chipotle in adobe; stir for 30 seconds. Add chunks of sweet potato, black beans, tomatoes (we use passata), and stock. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potato is tender. Stir in a tablespoon of peanut butter and lime juice from half a lime. Blend one or two cups of the soup, then return them to the pot for a creamy - but still chunky - texture. Top with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, avocado, and crumbled feta or cotija. The peanut butter adds richness without making the soup taste overtly peanutty.

TV & Film: The second season of Ludwig, with David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Davis, has started, as has the 21st Season of UK Celebrity MasterChef, now hosted by Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli (chef patron at the National Gallery). The problem with this latter show is that all of those labelled “celebrities” are people we have never heard of (well, except the comedian Joe Pasquale). Giorgio is an outstanding Michelin chef, but has an ego the size of a planet – it gets in the way. Grace Dent is playing a version of herself – the upscale lady, when in fact she is a nice lass who grew up in Carlisle, Cumbria – real north. Still – a fun show with some real skill demonstrated by Giorgio and some of the contestants. Ludwig is outstanding TV – Mitchell is in his element (it’s a wonderful role for him), and Anna Maxwell Davis (who seems to be in everything) is a great foil for him. It’s a crime drama, with a twist. Must-see TV (BBC iPlayer).

Jon Erwin’s Young Washington tackles a fascinating, seldom-dramatized chapter in the life of America’s first president: his ambitions, mistakes, and military apprenticeship during the French and Indian War. William Franklyn-Miller gives Washington youthful confidence and vulnerability, while Andy Serkis, Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammer, and Mary-Louise Parker lend authority to the supporting cast. Handsome locations, polished battle scenes, and brisk pacing give the film the surface appeal of a historical epic. Unfortunately, the film often treats its hero less as a complicated man than as a monument waiting to be unveiled. The screenplay acknowledges Washington’s vanity and failures yet repeatedly converts them into reassuring signs of providential greatness. Native perspectives and the colonial conflict receive inadequate attention, narrowing an intrinsically complex story. Still, the film is accessible, sincere, and likely to spark curiosity about Washington’s formative years. As a history, it is selective; as patriotic entertainment, it is competent, handsome, and annoyingly uncomplicated.

September 10^th sees the release of the documentary about one of the greatest pianists of the modern era – Yuja.

Quick Thoughts:

· Donald Trump: “If you don’t have a plan, nothing can go wrong!”

· Mitch McConnell has missed 51 Senate votes. No one seems to care that he can’t represent his constituency. Some democracy.

· “Trump treats North Korea and Russia better than he treats Canada.” Hilary Clinton.

· 45% of the days of Trump’s Presidency so far saw him playing golf.

· Doctors in Rotherham, Yorkshire were surprised how quiet it was – not many appointments. Then they realized why. Their new AI receptionist couldn’t understand what the local people were saying, so didn’t book any appointments. Bias? Nah, stupid – yes.

· Interest on the US national debt (now $40 trillion – 30% due to Trump) is $2.2 million a minute.

· After we got a waterbed, we started drifting apart…..

· So far this year, Barron Trump has added $150 million to his bank account.

· A Catholic Bishop in San Diego – Emmanuel Shelata (69) – has been arrested for embezzling $1 million in church funds. Some of these funds were used to pay prostitutes in a Tijuana brothel where he was a VIP guest. He has resigned.

· Prince Harry, Elton John, Liz Hurley and others will need to pay £34.5 million in legal fees following their High Court loss to the Daily Mail. £9.54 millions of this is due in the next few days. They had insurance to cover up to £16.2m of Association Newspapers’ costs in the event of losing the case, but that’s not going to cover it. Each defendant will need to find close to £4 million. All of them have more than enough to do so. (Elton John has enough cash to buy out the High Court).

· El Niño is going to be “huge” this coming year, with major impacts on climate and water systems around the world on a scale never seen before. One victim: Panama Canal. No more than 32 ships a day will be allowed to pass, down from 38 now and much lower than its peak of 42 a day. Panama fears the water in te canal will be lower than it has ever been.

· World Cup losers Argentina have been fined $321,000 and several players suspended from international competition (one for 10 international games) following their disgraceful behaviour at the end of the FIFA World Cup final.

· Rumours from film-land. The next James Bond could well be Gillian Anderson.

· Ethel Caterham lives in a care home in Surrey, England. She is 117, which makes her the oldest woman in the world. She survived COVID and every episode of East Enders.

· Barry Davidson (82) of Connecticut is being divorced by his wife of 62 years. She just found out that, all this time, he was pretending to be deaf.

· Rosie O’Donnell, guest host of the Jimmy Fallon show, said “Its time for you, Donny, to hang up your wig and get Natalie to tuck you in!”

In the spirit of I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55+ years and still going): Films connected to or about motoring:

· Lexus Chain Saw Massacre

· Look Back in Anglia

· The Devil Drives Prado

· Lada Land

· Toyota Story

· Poca Honda’s

· Tesla of the D’Urbevilles

· Silence of the Lambos

· Citroen Kane

· Beetle Juice

· Remains of the Daewoo

· The Da Vinci Skoda

· Austin Translation

· Dial MX-5 for Murder

· Happy Fiat

· Ferrari from the Madding Crowd

· Hyundai Another Day

· How Green was my Volvo?

· 55 Daewoos in Beijing

· Daewoo of the Jackal

New Definitions: New definitions of ecclesiastical terms:

· Sermon – the husband if Lady Mon

· Hymn Number 1 – best looking man at the church

· Apse – the software used by the church

· Vespers – the way Father Connolly travels around the Parish

· Deuteronomy – the money that Ronald and I are owed

· Isaiah – unequally placed eyes

· Hassock – in possession of footwear

· Pilgrim – anti-depressant for the religious

· Pulipit – a South African name for a Cambodian dictator

· Hosanna – what to do if Anna catches fire

· Offertory – where candidates for the Reform Party UK get their votes from

· Compline – a substitute meal full or protein shake

· Rood Screen – toilet door

· Verger – the man who cuts the edge of the lawn outside the church

· Episcopal – two drunks

· Matins – my tins

· Evensong – the opposite of odd song

· Curate – the established measure for the number of souls saved each week

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide this Walk: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” - C. S. Lewis; “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” - William James

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Flores, killing at least 53 people, damaging buildings and forcing residents to flee their homes. It seems like such events are now a regular occurrence around the world.

Iran has indicated that, despite the fact that the cease-fire they agreed to runs out this week, they will not negotiate with Trump since he cannot be trusted and, in their eyes, he is basically senile. Trump says that he might declare the Straits of Hormuz a US territory, despite it being an international waterway under the Law of the Sea. You can see what the Iranian’s mean. Meanwhile, Oman and Iran are negotiating to take direct control of the Strait. Remember: ships flowed through the Strait at a rate of 130 ships a day before Trump attacked Iran. Remember: the Obama “deal” inhibiting Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Trump’s ego got the world into this mess; it will not get us out of it.

Following the rejection by Israel of the Board of Peace plan for the West Bank and Gaza, Israeli settlers have become more emboldened and are seizing properties belonging to Palestinian families. Such settlements are illegal under international law, but the Israeli government has promoted their recent rapid expansion. Another example of Israel as a rogue state.

Kyiv was bombed again by Russia – this time, a popular market. Gone are the book, CD, and toy stalls that many relied on for second-hand goods. Also gone are 5 citizens, and 12 are seriously injured.

America’s next election crisis may begin long before ballots are counted. Donald Trump’s false claim that the 2020 election was stolen never disappeared; it became a blueprint. Now the Justice Department, led by Trump’s former lawyer Todd Blanche, is positioned to turn that lie into government power. The warning signs are unmistakable: demands for state voter data, requests for ballots and election equipment, the removal of the Justice Department’s election-offences manual, and Blanche’s refusal to rule out deploying federal agents near polling places. Each action can be presented as “election integrity.” Together, they risk intimidation, selective enforcement, manufactured suspicion and federal interference in elections traditionally administered by states.

This is bigger than one official or one party. The rule of law depends on prosecutors serving the Constitution, not a president’s political survival or whim. Elections cannot remain free if the government can investigate opponents, pressure election workers or cast losses as crimes.

Americans should not wait for election night. Congress, courts, officials, journalists and citizens must demand transparency, defend nonpartisan election administration and document abuse. Democracy is not protected by assuming institutions will hold. It survives when people insist - early and relentlessly - that every lawful vote counts and no president stands above the law.

Canada and the US are engaged in serious negotiations over trade arrangements between the two countries. On Wednesday, 19th August, unless a deal is reached, 50% tariffs will take effect on items such as hockey sticks, wine & beer, pulp & paper, wood products, automotive parts and vehicles, and sausages. The two sides seem to understand the world differently, which is a key part of the problem. One side sees Canada as a socialist state that subsidizes its industries (e.g., wood & pulp, dairy, farming, auto) and health care. The other sees Canada as a civilized, smart society that cares for its people. Trump, wrongly, says that the US needs “nothing from Canada” and that, without the US, Canada could not survive as an independent economic entity. When Canadians reject this nonsensical rhetoric and stand up to this bully, Trump calls Canadian leaders “nasty people” – code for those who don’t accept his nonsense. In 44 US states, exports to Canada rank #1 or #2 (#1 in 32), and in some, their economic well-being is based on mutuality. A deal looks unlikely – dairy, lumber and auto tariffs remain the key stumbling blocks – so the trade war will likely become very serious.

Around 16,000 more people than usual died in Europe during the heat wave, according to an analysis by the European Mortality Monitoring Network. Most of the deaths were in northern countries - France, Belgium and Germany - that are not accustomed to such high temperatures and struggled to respond.

SpaceX market value has dropped by the equivalent of a Tesla since launch – down $1.2 trillion. Shares are hovering between $130 and $140, down from the $210-$250 on launch day. A lot of investors have lost a lot of money. HSBC suggests that a realistic share value is between $110-$115. A lot of people are paying for bullshit rhetoric.

Andon Labs says Luna, its Claude Opus 4.8-powered manager running a San Francisco boutique, became the first known AI boss to fire a human employee. The worker was late for 17 of 23 shifts, but Luna acted only after developers reminded it to search its policies and reconsider the employee’s fit. The company warns increasingly goal-driven AI managers could become more ruthless.

Sports: Drama in Cincinnati. Novak Djokovic was beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Thiago Agustín Tirante of Argentina, who took this opportunity to register the biggest win of his career – he is 25. The heat, humidity, and a fit, younger player took their toll on Novak. Not a good preparation for his US Open, which starts soon. Also out early are Denis Shapovalov, Cameron Norrie and Matteo Berrettini.

The Dutch Grand Prix begins this Friday – may well be the last race of the season.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Bruckner was an odd man, but he wrote (and rewrote) some wonderful music. I am listening to a fascinating new recording that returns to Bruckner’s Third Symphony in its original 1873 form - the score he took to Bayreuth and subsequently dedicated to his musical hero, Richard Wagner. Pablo Heras-Casado conducts Anima Eterna Brugge, using gut strings and period woodwind and brass to recreate a sound closer to what Bruckner himself might have imagined. The result, praised in The Guardian, is anything but antiquarian: muscular, dramatic and remarkably transparent. The Wagnerian echoes emerge naturally, while Bruckner’s huge architecture seems lighter and more theatrical. Heras-Casado reveals an unexpectedly lyrical, colourful composer beneath the monumental Bruckner we have come to expect. This same combination of orchestra and conductor has also recorded Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony, equally compelling.

A friend asked me an interesting question: what is the one recording you couldn’t live without? Tough. I have a very large collection, both of physical CDs and streamed via iPlayer (around 5,000 CDs combined). My answer, after some thought, was Bach’s The St. Matthew Passion – the Sir John Eliot Gardiner recording with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir. Even the recording was a tough choice – I have five different versions. But this one reminds me of my upbringing, my discovery of the richness of music (especially big choral pieces) and the subtleties of Bach.

A Book and a Drink at the End of this Walk: In keeping with our Mexican menu (see below), the drink is a Paloma - 2 oz blanco tequila, ½ oz fresh lime juice and 3 or 4 oz grapefruit soda (Jarritos is ideal). Build over plenty of ice in a tall glass and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with lime. As you may know, I am a psychologist (Fellow of the British Psychological Society no less). I was intrigued by the book A World Appears. Author Michael Pollan turns his gift for lucid inquiry toward consciousness, one of the most elusive subjects of all. Moving among neuroscientists, philosophers, and botanists, he maps competing explanations without pretending that the mystery has been solved. The book’s strength lies in Pollan’s ability to translate ideas into questions: How does physical matter produce subjective experience? Where does awareness begin and end? Could a plant, lacking a brain, nevertheless possess something resembling thought? His reporting gives these debates personality and momentum, while his curiosity keeps the argument open rather than forcing a tidy verdict. At times, the abundance of theories can feel more stimulating than conclusive, but this uncertainty is the point. Pollan presents consciousness not as a puzzle awaiting one clever answer, but as a frontier that unsettles our assumptions about minds, nature, and ourselves. Intelligent, accessible, and consistently wondrous, this is science writing at its most inviting. Good read.

Food: Friends came for dinner, and we cooked Mexican – shredded beef in tortilla bowls (we have moulds that make them easy to make) with lettuce, a Mexican slae, avocado, pickled jalapeños, queso fresco cheese. We popped into the Latin supermarket on Alberta Avenue and picked up some empanadas de carne (beef) or empanadas de pollo (chicken) and then went down to the Portuguese bakery for some custard tarts (pastéis de nata). The beef we cooked with a recipe from Rick Bayless using the tip of a tenderloin, slow-cooked in a spicy beer and beef stock broth, shredded and spiced the day before. Lovely.

TV & Film: Professor T returns for a fifth series (PBS) with its peculiar mixture of murder mystery, psychological drama and dry comedy very much intact. Ben Miller remains excellent as Professor Jasper Tempest, the brilliant Cambridge criminologist whose formidable powers of deduction coexist with obsessive habits and profound difficulty navigating ordinary human relationships. This time, however, romance intrudes: Jasper and his former therapist Helena, beautifully played by Juliet Stevenson, attempt to explore their feelings for one another - with predictably complicated results. The crimes remain ingenious, but they have never really been the principal attraction. Professor T works because its eccentricity is accompanied by genuine emotional depth. Miller resists turning Tempest into a collection of comic mannerisms, while the supporting cast gives the series warmth. Stylish, intelligent and pleasingly different from conventional British detective drama, this remains an engaging and surprisingly touching series. We also eagerly await the next series of Patience (likely January 2027), The Diplomat (October) and Ludwig (this week).

Jan Komasa’s film - Good Boy - is a deeply unsettling psychological thriller that begins with a young man behaving appallingly and then asks how far anyone has the right to go in “correcting” him. Tommy (Anson Boon), 19, is violent, drug-fuelled and spectacularly unpleasant. After a night of excess, he wakes chained in the basement of a remote Yorkshire home, where Chris (Stephen Graham) and his wife Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough) have devised their own disturbing programme of rehabilitation. Graham is superb: outwardly reasonable, almost kindly, yet capable of becoming terrifying without warning. Riseborough is equally effective as his damaged, strangely detached wife, while Boon makes Tommy more complicated than the rough thug we initially encounter. Part black comedy, part captivity thriller and part warped family drama, Good Boy has echoes of A Clockwork Orange. It doesn’t entirely resolve its provocative ideas, but it is original, uncomfortable and very difficult to forget.

Quick Thoughts:

· Quote of the week from US Senator Mark Kelly: “Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best - ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bullshit.”

· Trump said that democratic candidate Abdul El Sayed (Michigan) was “full of shit.” El Sayed’s response: “At least I don’t let mine go in the middle of the Oval Office!”

· Food-based illnesses in the US have risen 400% since RFK Jr. decimated the FDA and became Secretary of State for Nonsensical Health Care.

· In a typical year, the White House maintenance budget is $2.5 million. In the last 12 months, Trump has spent $875 million – 350 years of the normal budget!

· A Canadian artist, Wendy Chartrand, painted a portrait of Donald Trump using horse manure. It just sold for $1,800. Pretty sure J D Vance bought it!!

· A university analysis of Trump’s speeches against facts suggests that he tells the truth around 3% of the time and lies, on average, 21 times a day.

· Trump has, so far, defeated Iran 106 times and opened the Strait of Hormuz 75 times, all since February. Must be a shoe in for the Nobel Peace Prize.

· Canada’s climate change efforts are not doing well – we generally rank around 21st in the OECD “action league” table. We need to do much better.

· I told my personal trainer at the gym that I was “totally exhausted”. She pointed out that we had just walked around the gym so that she could show me all of the equipment. Duh.

· When Trump took office at the start of his 2nd term, US national debt was $28.9 trillion. There is a 35% chance that it will be $50 trillion on the day he leaves office. Even a conservative estimate suggests it will be $45 trillion.

· I think my favourite biblical passage is the one where, following a threat to his life, Jesus hid in a food cart and sent decoy donkeys into Jerusalem.

· Count Binface (aka John Harvey), who came second in the UK Clacton by-election with 9,455 votes, promised he would bring the Eurovision Song Contest to Clacton if elected. Bet he’s relieved he lost. Even more relieved – the people of the Clacton constituency (app. 104,000).

· Every 4.23 seconds, Elon Musk is paid the average salary of a Tesla worker. Obscene.

· What’s the difference between the Vietnam war and the current war with Iran? Trump had a clear plan to get out the Vietnam war.

In the Spirit of I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55+ years and still going) - It’s been reported in the press that Hassan Azteca, a 21-year-old Argentinean influencer, has sparked a heated online debate after saying he does not believe he should be expected to work because he never consented to being born. Here are some jobs that might suit him:

· Leader of the Netherlands Mountain Rescue Team

· President of the Riyadh Licensed Victuallers Association

· Director of the Pyongyang Chamber of Commerce

· Head of Midwifery Services, Vatican City

· Editor of the Uxbridge Dictionary of Chinese Acronyms

· Ethics Advisor to the UK Reform Party

· Head of Ethical Oversight and Anticorruption, Office of the President of the United States

· Cleaner, Fulham Football Club Trophy Cabinet

· Head, FIFA Peace Prize Committee

· Admiral, Mongolian Navy

· Head of Emissions Control and Reporting, Volkswagen

· Professor, Supermarket Trolley Design

· President, SPAM Fritter Cordon Bleau Club

· Assertiveness coach to Gianni Infantino

· Chief Auditor & Compliance Officer, Trump Co bank accounts

· Chief Translator, The Encyclopedia of German Comedy

· Chair, Boris Johnson Truth Commission

New Definitions:

· CD Drive – kerb crawling

· Disinterred – enema

· Adverse – a publicity poem

· Subscribe – a writer who lives in the apartment downstairs

· Remember – a limb replacement

· Tulips – not a great kisser

· Rhinoplasty – decorating a Zoo

· Hyperbolic – an overactive testicle

· Altercation – when some tercation isn’t enough

· Infer – a fuzzy mammal

· Remind – a brain transplant

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quotes to Guide this Walk: “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
- Václav Havel

The gap between the world Donald Trump describes and the world Americans actually inhabit is becoming increasingly difficult to bridge. Take the economy. Trump continues to describe an America enjoying extraordinary prosperity and suggests that Americans who say otherwise simply do not understand how well they are doing. There is a problem with that argument: people experience an economy rather than a set of presidential talking points. They pay the mortgage, buy the groceries, fill the car, renew the health insurance and discover whether there is another job available when theirs disappears. Telling people that they are prosperous when their household accounts tell them otherwise is politically dangerous. It asks voters to believe the President rather than their bank balance.

The same disconnection is visible elsewhere. When Abdul El-Sayed emerged as the Democratic Senate candidate for Michigan, Trump reached immediately for the familiar vocabulary of an existential threat: Muslim, communist, dangerous, somebody who wants to destroy America. The labels matter less than the method. Every opponent must become not merely wrong but an enemy; every election becomes a battle to save civilization. The difficulty with permanently setting the political alarm to DEFCON 1 is that eventually people stop listening to it.

Then there is Iran. Trump has declared, in one form or another, that America has won the war repeatedly (over 40 times). Yet the war stubbornly refuses to behave like something that has been won. Iran continues fighting and negotiating, the Strait of Hormuz remains central to the confrontation, and Washington is still trying to discover the diplomatic exit from a conflict that was originally presented as a short and decisive, shock-and-awe war. There comes a point at which repeatedly declaring victory while the fighting continues ceases to look like confidence and starts to look like detachment.

This is why Chris Christie made perhaps the most interesting political observation of the week. His argument was essentially that the Trump show is losing its audience and is committing political suicide. For, Christie the Trump “show is over” and that people were becoming bored with the clown act. That may prove much more important than Trump’s latest insult, exaggeration or threat.

And it suggests something the Democrats still seem remarkably reluctant to understand. Stop making Donald Trump the main character in your own political story.

Trump is perfectly capable of talking about Trump. He has been doing it professionally since he was twelve. Democrats gain surprisingly little from spending every waking hour explaining why yesterday’s Trump statement was outrageous before moving seamlessly to today’s Trump statement. In doing so, they remain trapped inside Trump’s political theatre: he writes the script, chooses the subject and determines when the scene changes.

The more interesting strategy would be to let Trump own his record. If Americans believe their living standards are deteriorating, tell them what you would do about housing, health care and household costs. If they are worried about a seemingly endless war with Iran, explain what an American exit strategy should look like. If they are exhausted by permanent political warfare, offer competent government rather than another instalment of the culture war.

Christie may therefore be pointing towards a paradox. The most effective Democratic response to Donald Trump may be to respond to Donald Trump less. Let him explain why an economy that feels difficult is actually wonderful; why another military setback represents another victory; and why each new political opponent is supposedly a communist, extremist or existential threat. Then talk about something else. Talk about what government could actually do. It is now just 85 days to the mid-term US elections.

In other developments:

Israel has said no to the proposal from the US and Hamas with respect to Gaza. It prefers to continue to destroy Gaza, kill Palestinians and abuse its own agreements. Like the Iran war, the US has no strategy to end this forever war. So much for the Board of Peace.

This also looks like the case with Russia-Ukraine war. Poo Tin has too much invested in the war and is looking for a legacy win of territory which he has all through his career belongs to Mother Russia. It’s complicated, but nothing much will change until there is a generational leadership change in Russia, provided Ukraine and its allies hold on.

In Shanghai, 175 mm of rain fell in 36 hours, flooding homes in several districts. Close to 1 million have been forced to evacuate and spend time in one of the 150 temporary shelters.

In Colombia, the worst earthquake to hit in 100 years – 7.4 on the Richter scale – hit, and some 250+ have died, with more deaths expected as the search continues for survivors. 2,700 are missing.

Hungarian lawmakers elected former Supreme Court Justice Andras Baka as the country’s new president, in a key step toward dismantling the political legacy of former Premier Viktor Orban.

In Syria, the High Court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death for his actions during the 14-year civil war. Some dentist he turned out to be.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) the Ebola outbreak has taken hold. 2,000 are now dead and more will join them as the attempts to contain the outbreak fail. It doesn’t help that the US is in the process of pulling out of the World Health Organization and has cut funding and support.

In Britain, leader of the quasi-Fascist Reform party, Nigel Farage (pronounced Farrrrrage) stood in a by-election in Clacton against an array of nutters and vagabonds. His main rival was Count Binface – a satirist who wears a galactic dustbin on his head. This election was triggered by Farage resigning over an ethics inquiry into funds he received from other nutters and vagabonds. What he had not realized (say no more) is that, should he win, that ethics inquiry will immediately resume. A pointless and expensive bit of grandstanding and theatre. Turnout was low (43%), Binface got around 9,500 votes, and Farrrrage won easily. Now back to the Star Chamber.

Sports: The Dutch Formula 1 Grand prix will take place 21-23 August and may be the last race of the season, given that the planned Middle Eastern leg of the tour will not happen unless the Iran war ends.

In Canada, the Open Tennis has been well worth looking at – both Sabalenka (who has had a not too great a year) and Pegula lost out, as did Cameron Norrie. Italian Darderi used a mid-match changeover to enjoy an espresso as he battled to a 4-6 6-3 7-5 win.

A series of good games led to very strong semifinals for the women – Rybakina vs Gauff and Svitolina vs Swiatek. This led to a very good final between Rybakina and Swiatek, which Swiatek won. On now to Cincinnati.

Jared Kushner’s brother is now a part-owner of The Lakers, and Jeff Bezos is a part-owner of Liverpool Football Club. Neither is good news for sports.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Ernest John Moeran is one of those twentieth-century British composers whose neglect seems increasingly difficult to explain. Born in England to an Irish father, wounded during the First World War and later a pupil of John Ireland, Moeran absorbed English pastoralism, Irish folk music and something of Sibelius’s ruggedness into a distinctive musical voice. He spent much of his later life in Kenmare, County Kerry, and Ireland’s landscapes haunt some of his finest music. His masterpiece is the powerful, sometimes dark Symphony in G minor, splendidly recorded by Vernon Handley and the Ulster Orchestra for Chandos. Equally rewarding is the lyrical Violin Concerto, especially Lydia Mordkovitch’s Chandos recording with Handley, coupled with the haunting Lonely Waters. The Cello Concerto, Sinfonietta, In the Mountain Country and orchestral Rhapsodies are also well worth exploring, while his string quartets reveal a gifted chamber composer. For newcomers, start with Handley’s Symphony in G minor, then the Violin Concerto. Moeran deserves rediscovery.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: I’ve just offered unsolicited advice to two super-smart former broadcast journalists who left mainstream media to become social influencers and podcasters (see them at Off Air Talks on You Tube). They are doing well, but as a subscriber I am concerned about sustainability and revenue streams. I should also have advised them to read a key book. Emily Hund’s The Influencer Industry: The Quest for Authenticity on Social Media (Princeton University Press, 2023) is a compact and clear-eyed account of how a scattering of recession-era bloggers became a multibillion-dollar business. Drawing on dozens of interviews with influencers, brand executives, marketers, talent managers and trend forecasters, Hund shows early creators turning personal branding into a hedge against acute economic uncertainty. The book’s organising insight is that authenticity is not a personal quality but a commercial construct, one the industry redefines whenever the redefinition pays. The people we take to be real, Hund argues, are simply those who have learned to exploit the prevailing version of realness - a claim she makes without contempt for her subjects, whose precarity she treats seriously. At 232 pages the treatment is brisk, and readers hoping for prescriptions or a view from outside the American market will find little here. What Hund does offer is the missing history: a persuasive account of how the machinery behind our feeds was assembled, and of the cultural and economic costs its builders never anticipated. My two ladies like their cocktails, but they are also trying to lower their booze intake, so I recommend a summer non-alcoholic classic – a blackberry ginger fizz: fresh muddled blackberries, lemon juice, honey, ginger beer and some cherry bitters.

TV & Film: A satisfyingly old-fashioned Western thriller that understands that tension doesn’t require two-and-a-half hours. Set in 1865, The Isolate Thief stars Mackenzie Foy as Ada, a young woman left alone at an isolated Union Army outpost after her father’s death. Then she discovers stolen gold and a group of supposed soldiers arrives looking for it. Director John Suits makes excellent use of the bleak winter landscape and the claustrophobia of the remote outpost. Foy, whom many will remember as the young Murph in Interstellar, carries the film remarkably well, but the real pleasure is Sean Bean as the menacing Fiddler John. Joe Pantoliano is almost unrecognizable. There is nothing revolutionary here: hidden gold, bad men, guns, deception and an increasingly dangerous battle of wits. But sometimes competent genre filmmaking is exactly what is required. At a brisk 95 minutes, it builds steadily, doesn’t outstay its welcome and delivers a satisfyingly brutal conclusion. Worth your time. As for TV, we are still engaged with The Piano (Channel 4), the Yorkshire Auction House and its sister program The Derbyshire Auction House (both on Discovery +). Also still watching the Dish Podcast from Waitrose (YouTube) with Angela Hartnett and Nick Grimshaw, despite not being able to understand a word said by their last guest - the very Derry girl, Jamie Lee-O’Donnell (she was speaking English, apparently). August is an odd time for TV. We await the new season and new series – Professor T, Slow Horses, Patience, Ludwig. It’s waiting time ( feel a Leonard Cohen song coming on!). All coming soon.

Quick Thoughts:

· Don’t mention Trump’s new hairpiece (aka a wig) – there will be hell toupee.

· If you hold your foot close to your ear, you can hear the sound of your hip dislocating.

· Tom Jones, who is still performing, is now 86. The panties women throw at him are much larger than they used to be. The same is true for Rod Stewart, now 81, who just had “routine” heart surgery.

· British people don’t have emotions; they have tea and biscuits.

· Being retired means watching young people celebrate Thank Goodness it’s Friday while you are working hard just trying to remember which day it really is.

· Sign on a building in Leeds: “In 1757 on 19th June at 6pm nothing happened in this vicinity.”

· Karolying Leavitalone is leaving the White House – a mum with a very new baby, she would like someone else to be lying to the American people on a daily basis.

· Ontario has 76 licensed online betting companies. In the last year, Ontarians bet $103 billion, giving these companies $4.3 billion in profits, 20% of which revert to the Provincial government ($860 million), some of which goes to the treatment of gambling addiction and the costs of investigating the rising number of gambler suicides.

· The US Federal Aviation Authority has hired 2,000 gamers as Air Traffic Controllers – don’t be surprised if you end up in Archernon.

· Trump leaves NATO in a food cart: I bet it’s not the first time a food cart has been used to move unwanted pork.

· A drill achieves its goals bit by bit.

· In the US, wine is cheaper than gas – drink, don’t drive!

· New brain-scan research shows that dogs can detect a wide range of human emotions. This is why Donald J Trump (the J is for genius) doesn’t have a dog (or emotions, other than anger, bitterness and delusions of wonder).

· Martha Stewart nails Meghan Markle: “a second-rate actress playing an exiled Duchess who pretends to host a lifestyle & cooking show filmed in a borrowed home – a show which very few people watched and even fewer liked.”

In the spirit of I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and counting). Films, songs and books for medical specialisms

· Thoracic Park

· Dial M for Melanoma

· Obstetric Avenue

· The Lung and Windpipe Road

· Back to the Suture

· The Hungry Catheter

· Like a Surgeon

· Cry me a Liver

· A Womb with a View

· From Here to Maternity

· Bram Stoker’s Scapula

· Gall Stone Cowboy

· Gonorrhea with the Wind

· Lady Chatterley’s Liver

· Your Sore Veins

· It’s Been a Good Year for Cirrhosis

· Whose Sore Rear Now?

· The Gums of Navarone

· Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Kidney Stone

· 24 Hours from Ulcer

· One Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

· Up Stethoscope

· Purple Vein

· The Importance of Being Incontinent

· The Bunyons of Navarone

· Howard’s Endoscopy

· Liver and Let Die

· The Bourne Colonoscopy

· The Sound of Mucus

· A Fistula full of Dollars

· Mystic Liver

New Definitions:

· Abdominal — exceptionally bad at doing sit-ups

· Acupuncture — a very accurate puncture

· Adrenaline — a queue outside a kidney

· Amnesia — I had a definition for this, but it’s gone

· Antibiotic — someone opposed to yoghurt

· Bankruptcy — the financial policy immediately following optimism

· Bipartisan — two craftsmen sharing the same workshop

· Capillary — a small hat worn on top of a column

· Catatonic — an expensive mixer designed specifically for cats

· Chiropractor — a farmer specializing in very small crops

· Colonoscopy — an expedition to discover where punctuation comes from

· Contraception — something architects use when designing prisons

· Democracy — the opportunity to choose which people will subsequently ignore you

· Dermatology — the study of German moles

· Diarrhoea — an extremely unsuccessful attempt at keeping a diary

· Diplomacy — telling someone to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions

· Endoscopy — looking for something you’ve lost at the far end

· Flatulence — the prevailing atmosphere at an unsuccessful estate agency

· Haemoglobin — a small red creature that lives in your bloodstream

· Immunology — the study of people who refuse to accept responsibility

· Inflation — the economic process by which $100 becomes the new $50

· Menopause — when men finally stop and think

· Neurology — the study of things you only recently discovered

· Orthodontist — a dentist who insists everything must be done in the correct order

· Parliament — a place where speaking and saying something are entirely different activities

· Psychiatry — attempting to discover why the other branches of medicine have driven you mad

· Rectify — to improve one’s bottom

· Scandinavian — a person who carefully examines camper vans

· University — an institution devoted to reducing administrative costs by hiring more administrators

· Vasectomy — an economic policy for reducing the number of little expenses

164 Days Later: How Is That Working Out?

Read more

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide the Walk: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw; “Between what is said and not meant, and what is meant and not said, most of love is lost.” – Khalil Gibran

Russia continues to pound Kyiv, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure. Despite promises made, the US and Europe are yet to hand over blueprints that would enable Ukraine to build its own Patriot Missiles and missile defence systems, though both the UK and France are in the process of doing so. Trump, as usual, said yes, then no, then maybe, then…well, you know how he is.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Bibi Bop, has made clear that he has no intention of abiding by the peace deal he struck with the US and Hamas and that he will not withdraw a single Israeli soldier until Hamas is completely disarmed and dissolved. So, no progress on peace in Gaza. Remember: there is an election in Israel in October, and Bibi is standing for the 47th time (it feels like).

A New York State Assembly bill (A11501), introduced by Assemblymember Nikki Lucas, would require “food retail establishments” -supermarkets and other retailers that sell food - to give customers a 10% discount when they use self‑service checkout kiosks. The rationale is that shoppers are now doing part of the checkout labour themselves and should share in the savings created by automation. I tried to get into the Walmart staff Xmas party on the grounds that I was a frequent user of self-checkout at their Meadowlark store but was denied access.

In The New Statesman, Freddie Hayward suggests that Trump is now utterly bored with being President, finds the whole of the work he has to do annoying, and is more prone to temper tantrums and fits of high anxiety-fuelled rants. He is looking for a legacy. He spends around 70% of his time on the ballroom, the Arc de Trump, the new helicopter landing pad, and the remake of Washington, DC and Dulles Airport. Given that he spends 20% of his time on the golf course, it doesn’t leave much time for the work of government. In his mind, he is the “great leader” of our age: an easily bored narcissist reared on television and gossip who doesn’t read or have any ideological depth. His fleeting interest in the Iran war did not prevent him from launching it in the first place. He emotes, shouts and signs executive orders and the world spins. His legacy will be one of disgrace, but in his mind, he is already a superhero.

Singer and artist Ariane Grande (33) has had enough of journalists, influencers and media reporters commenting on her body and its seeming fragility. She is stepping away from public life so that she can have some privacy and respect. Good for her. Let’s hope Meghan Markle (aka Duchess of Sussex) does the same. Her body looks even more fragile than Ariane’s.

The US Congress, which has obviously nothing to do, will soon pack up for the summer and will be back in the first few days of September. Just before they left, they managed to pass a budget bill which funds the government till December, avoiding a shutdown.

At last, a good use for AI: While travelling abroad, user asked an AI-powered agent to keep searching for her missing cat. The agent scheduled recurring checks of humane society listings and relevant forums, then alerted the owner days later to a likely match. The cat had been found. Hurrah: one positive use!

The youngest ever black Professor of the Sociology of Education at Cambridge – Jason Arday (41) – has resigned following intense scrutiny of the largely ridiculous claims made on his CV and in public statements as well as serious issues of plagiarism in his published work. For example, he stated that he had appeared in the long-running documentary series 7-Up, which actually began 21 years before he was born, and the premise of the documentary would exclude him from it. It’s all a bit embarrassing for Cambridge and even more so for him.

Princess Eugene (36) and her husband Jack Brooksband (40) have announced the arrival of their third child – a daughter. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, where the family spends a lot of their time in a house they own as opposed to the one they live in rent-free in Kensington (Ivy Cottage – paid for by King Charles). The new baby joins two brothers – August (now 5) and Ernest (now 3). The baby is 15th in line for the throne. Princess Eugene is a director at London art gallery Hauser & Wirth and her husband works for property tycoon Mike Meldman’s Discovery Land Co., which operates 35 high-end properties around the world. Meldman is a close friend of George Clooney – and was cofounder with George and Rande Gerber of the Clooney Tequila brand, which they sold to Diageo for $700 million in 2017.

Sports: FIFA’s next president will be confirmed at the organization’s 77th Congress in Morocco next March or sooner if an emergency meeting is called. Candidates have until 18^th November to put their names forward. The winner will need to secure 106 votes from the 211 voting delegates. This could all happen sooner if Gintonic Infantile steps down or is forced to resign (very unlikely). The likely candidates are Victor Montagliani is the president of Concacaf, which runs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean – he is Canadian and based in Vancouver; Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Kalifa, AFC President – the Bahraini has presided over significant growth within the Asian confederation, through the Champions League Elite, Champions League Two, the Challenge League and the Women’s Champions League, which was launched in 2024-25 plus the Asian Cup has been expanded to 24 teams; the Paris St-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi – though his close friends say he doesn’t want to top job; and Mattias Grafstrom, appointed Fifa secretary general in May 2024, he has become an increasingly influential voice around the Fifa table. Right now (and yet again), FIFA is a mess. Who wants to sort it out and is willing to do what is needed to clean house?

Emma Raducanu, the Canadian | British tennis player, is out of the US Open – she is still recovering from her leg injury. The good news is that Carlos Alcarez will play – at least it looks that way right now. He has missed most of the season this year due to a wrist injury. The Williams sisters will play doubles at the US Open.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Hiromi Uehara’s piano playing is a vivid collision of virtuosity, curiosity, and theatrical energy. Her performances move effortlessly between delicate introspection and explosive, almost rock‑like intensity, often within a single piece. Trained from childhood with an emphasis on intuition as much as technique, she treats the piano as a storytelling instrument: every phrase feels like it is searching, questioning, and then joyfully resolving. Stylistically, Hiromi draws from stride, post‑bop, classical, progressive rock, fusion and pop, but the synthesis is entirely her own. On albums like Another Mind, Brain, Spiral and Spectrum, rapid-fire left-hand ostinatos underpin right-hand lines that stretch across the keyboard in long, harmonically adventurous arcs. She frequently shifts meters and textures, yet the sense of groove never disappears. Even at her most complex, the music swings or pulses with an almost physical momentum. Hiromi’s playing is famously kinetic: she leans into the instrument, lifts off the bench, laughs at a surprising modulation, and seems to experience each climax with the audience. Reviewers often describe her runs as “otherworldly,” comparing their length and intensity to the most demanding Herbie Hancock or Chick Corea solos, but with a rhythmic and emotional clarity that keeps listeners oriented. Solo projects like Spectrum explore colour and atmosphere, turning the black‑and‑white keys into prismatic sound, while electric ensembles such as Sonicwonder and Sonicbloom let her deploy synths and keyboards to expand the piano’s timbral universe. Across formats, Hiromi’s music insists that virtuosity is meaningful only when it serves feeling, surprise, and connection. Given her recent appearance on The Piano (Channel 4) as a judge, she is also a very warm and caring person. Listen and enjoy.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: Thane Gustafson has spent decades studying Russia’s economy and energy sector. Rather than focusing solely on Putin, he explains why Russia’s post-Soviet opening to the West ultimately failed, how sanctions and the Ukraine war reshaped the economy, and what the country’s long-term prospects are. It is analytical rather than polemical and particularly valuable if you’re interested in the interaction between economics, technology and geopolitics – the book is Perfect Storm: Russia’s Failed Economic Opening, the Hurricane of War and Sanctions, and the Uncertain Future (Oxford University Press). Reading this, I needed a vodka-based drink. I chose a Black Russian – vodka (50 ml) and a coffee liquor (20 ml) on ice. Scary stuff.

One the best writers on contemporary issues in the UK was Rod Liddle, who wrote for The Spectator amongst other things (The Sun, Sunday Times). His column was one of the first I read whenever the new edition of the Speccie arrived. Sadly, Rod died in hospital aged 66. I will miss his devilish mind and creative use of language. RIP.

TV & Film: The Chelsea Detective is back on Acorn TV, with Adrian Scarborough continuing his lead role as DI Max Arnold and Vanessa Emme as DS Layla Walsh. Love this show – serious crime drama, gentle humour, layered mystery and Chelsea as a backcloth. Frances Barber returns as Max’s ferocious but also friendly Aunt. What’s not to like? In the film front during yet another wet day, I sat and watched Disclosure Day. It is a sprawling, earnest sci‑fi thriller that feels like both a chase movie and a late‑career reflection from Steven Spielberg. The first hour, with Josh O’Connor’s Snowden‑esque tech whistleblower dodging Colin Firth’s government hunters, snaps along with real tension and a satisfying conspiracy‑thriller undertone. As the plot widens into UFO lore and decades of cover‑up, the film becomes a real mess; narrative threads and tonal shifts occasionally blur its focus, and the 2h 25m runtime just feels padded. What holds this mess of a movie together is Emily Blunt’s Margaret, a weather presenter drawn into alien contact whose grounded confusion and eventual resolve give the story emotional weight. Spielberg’s hallmark optimism - his belief that disclosure might deepen our humanity rather than destroy it - lands with warmth, even if the path there is uneven. Imperfect, messy and too long, but ambitious, Disclosure Day is engaging enough to merit the conversation it wants to start.

The second series of Ludwig (BBC iPlayer) will begin on August 20th – 6 episodes. David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Davis lead this ensemble, and it is well worth your time.

Food: To celebrate Heritage Day, Lady Lynne and I went to a local Vietnamese restaurant for lunch – the Dac Biet (142^nd Street next door to Friesen Brothers, Glenora). We had Pho - excellent. Pho is a bowl of quiet joy that arrives in a cloud of fragrant steam. Clear yet deeply savoury broth, long rice noodles, herbs and thin slices of brisket or chicken combine into a comforting, almost meditative meal. The first pleasure is aromatic: star anise, cinnamon, toasted spices and slow‑simmered bones create a perfume that seems to warm you before the first sip. Then comes texture - the soft tangle of noodles you lift and slurp, the crisp bean sprouts, the tender meat, all playing against each other in the bowl. Part of pho’s joy lies in participation. You shape each bowl with basil, lime, chili, hoisin or sriracha, finding exactly your balance of brightness, heat and sweetness. It is generous, adaptable, and somehow both light and satisfying, a food many describe as restorative when tired, cold, or unwell. Beyond flavour, pho carries the warmth of Vietnamese hospitality: families gathering over breakfast, friends talking over late‑night bowls, a shared ritual of comfort and care. In that sense, the joy of pho is not only in eating, but in belonging. Try it. Our city (Edmonton) has over 100 Vietnamese eateries.

Celebrity MasterChef (BBC iPlayer) begins on 18^th August – should be fun, Georgio Locatelli and Grace Dent are fronting this series.

Quick Thoughts:

· My long-lost uncle left me a stately home in Scotland in his will. I have no idea where Sod Hall is, but I’ll find it!

· A friend said he was going to cut off the bottom of my best trousers and put them in a library. I thought, “Well, that’s a turn up for the books!”

· “The conflict in Iran would be over by now if President Trump had better intelligence” – Karoline Leavitt, White House Liar and Press Hater.

· Iran says it has no idea if anyone is in charge of the USA. Most Americans agree.

· “This is Iran’s last chance, until next week.” Said Donald Trump (not).

· RFK claims the democrats must have spent millions to make him look crazy. They didn’t have to spend a dime.

· The Melania movie cost $75 million to make. Its total revenues are $16.6 million. A lot to pay for access to the President and his Slovenian escort.

· History didn’t die; it just changed uniforms and hats.

· Polling data shows that Trump is less popular than explosive diarrhea.

· Donald Trump is furious that his own Justice Department told the truth. So furious, according to CNN, that he’s now considering firing Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. and one of his longest-standing allies, simply because her office did its job in dropping the reflecting pool vandalism charges on the basis of there being zero evidence of vandalism.

· Donald Trump promised supporters he would immediately ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision protecting birthright citizenship, calling the ruling an “absolutely insane” miscarriage of justice. He didn’t file an appeal. The deadline to do so has now passed. All of his children – all birthright citizens – are safe.

· Note to the Government of Israel: just because your people suffered a horrendous genocide does not give you the right to commit another one.

· Two weeks into his role as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Andy Burnham is taking a two-week foreign vacation. Britain is in good hands – Louise Haigh (39), First Secretary of State, is now in charge. She is known as “Red Lou.” What could possibly go wrong?

· I’ll just leave this here: “I didn’t lose my trousers in a scandal. I lost them in a tragic misunderstanding involving an MP, a hotel room and a draft.” Simon Farnaby (Edinburgh Fringe).

· Sad to hear about the closure of “Pins and Needles” magazine – apparently, due to poor circulation.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and still going): Change a word, change a well-known radio program:

· The Archies

· Prick of the Week

· Litter from America

· Women’s Tour

· Composter of the Week

· Desert Island Whisks

· The Fool Program

· The Shopping Forecast

· Just a Minuet

· Mrs. Dales Diarrhea

· Brian of Britain

· The Gravy Lark

· Mrs. Dales Diarrhoea

New Definitions (contributions to the Uxbridge English Dictionary):

· Propaganda – when a Yorkshireman has a right good look.

· Cardiology – the study of knitwear

· Platypus: To give your cat pigtails

· Flemish: Rather like snot

· Celtic: A prison for fleas

· Cardiology: The study of knitwear

· Barbecue: A long wait for a haircut

· Diphthong: Fondue underwear

· Analogy: Something that makes you itchy and sneezy

· Buggery – the study of insects

· Norway – a Geordie exclamation of surprise

· Economy – a claim by one Italian man that he has been defrauded by another Italian man

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quotes to Guide this Walk: “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.” - Napoléon Bonaparte; “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”- Tom Lehrer; “Because no battle is ever won. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair; victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools” – William Faulkner in his novel The Sound and the Fury.

The US backed off a major set of strikes on Iran at the request of the Saudi’s and others in the Middle East. They want a diplomatic solution. They are unlikely to get one, since the Iranians have zero trust in the US government’s integrity. They point to the frequency with which the current US administration breaks its own laws, its own agreements and its own standards for behaviour.

Russia blasted Kyiv with ballistic missiles and drones, killing 9 and injuring 33. Anyone who thinks Russia wants or needs a peace deal doesn’t understand Poo Tin’s mindset. Meanwhile, a bomb was detonated at a well-known restaurant in Moscow, killing three and injuring 21. It also killed six people and injured forty on a beach with drones in the Russian seaside resort of Gelendzhik – near one of Poo Tin’s known palaces. Ukraine is continuing to pursue its campaign of bringing the war to everyday Russians inside Russia. It has been attacking the warehouses and distribution networks of Russia’s Amazon – Wildberries. If Ukraine can cripple this company, it will have ripple effects across the Russian economy, with some bank failures anticipated. Smart stuff.

As predicted, Israel is concerned about the disarmament deal offered by Hamas following negotiations with the US – it requires them to stop bombing (not going to happen), leave key areas of Gaza (not going to happen) and accept an arrangement for Palestinian self-government (not acceptable to Israel). Bombing continues – Israel destroyed a medical materials storage centre and killed another dozen Palestinians. Settlers continue to seize land and build. Israel goes to the polls in late October in the first general election held on schedule since 1988. Current polling suggests a highly competitive race. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking another term, but opinion polls indicate that his coalition faces a difficult contest. Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, along with other opposition leaders including Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, are among the principal challengers.

In Britain, 34 people are standing in the Clacton by-election, caused by Nigel Farage’s resignation. He calls it a referendum of the people vs the deep state. It is the largest number of people ever to stand in a UK parliamentary election – the ballot paper is 90 cm (app. 3 foot) long. The Monster Raving Loony Party is fielding three candidates. The Conservatives, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens are not fielding any. The real contest is between Farage and Count Binface (a satirist who wears a refined dustbin on his head). The election is on August 13th. I am backing Binface.

The Olympian canoeist (Davey Hearn) who had been charged with vandalism at the Washington DC Lincoln algae cess-pit had his case dismissed, following its withdrawal by the US Justice Department. The real cause of the reflecting pool mess has been identified as contractor incompetence and the President’s motorcade driving over the new surface. There is no evidence of vandalism at all. More lies exposed. Trump is as mad as a hatter over this, still claiming that vandalism is the cause. They will be coming to take him away soon.

They should also take away Robert Kennedy Junior, US Secretary of State for Health, who just spent 22 minutes on CNN lying to the American people about COVID, measles, and food safety. The guy came across as mad as a hatter, attacking Dana Bash for the way CNN covered COVID and health in general. This is a man who believes that ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVD, despite the fact that, after roughly five years and dozens of trials, the evidence clearly does not support it as an effective treatment for COVID-19. His fearmongering over the MMR vaccination had led to the US having the highest levels of measles cases (which can be fatal) – the worst level in 25 years. And his proposed changes to food regulations in the US will likely lead to a less safe food supply. Dangerous man. Certainly no scientist.

In Calgary (Alberta, Canada), a young boy named Parker, eleven, autistic and non-verbal, left his day care home and disappeared. Police and thousands of Albertans searched for Parker for thirteen days. Apps were developed to map the search – probably the largest missing person search in Canadian history. Over 1,000 people (police and volunteers) searched for 11 days both systematically and thoroughly. His body was found in a culvert, deceased. Extracting his body required specialized equipment. This boy brought the province together, and his loss touched us all. RIP Parker.

Sports: Gintonic Infantile of FIFA has abandoned his plan to denude FIFA and enrich himself and is now fighting to survive the March 2027 FIFA Presidential election. It’s doubtful he will win another term after the debacle over his proposal to privatize the World Cup. He blames “fake news” for it all – wonder who gave him that idea? Several football associations are calling for his immediate resignation, and some are working to identify a successor candidate for the election. Infantile has been in office for just over 10 years (seems like it’s long enough). He is paid app. $4.8 million a year (including bonuses). I could make myself available.

In tennis, the Filipino player who impressed us all at Wimbledon – Alexandra Eala – reached the finals of the Washington Open, where she faced world #1 player, Jessica Pegula. Play on Sunday was suspended due to weather conditions, and the game was finished on Monday. She won (4-6, 6-4,6-0)! Eala won her first ever WTA event!! Well done Ela, and well done for the Philippines.

In Mexico, Canadian Denis Shapovalov was beaten by Arthur Gea in straight sets in the men’s final.

Canada ended up third in the Commonwealth Games medal table with 62 points (19-20-23) behind Australia (171) and England (110). Some spectacular performances – well done all.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Douglas Weiland’s latest release – Chamber Music Volume 1 (Toccata Label) - is another significant milestone in the growing legacy of one of Britain’s most individual contemporary composers. Performed by musicians who clearly understand both the architecture and emotional depth of his music (Markiyan Maelnychenko and Rhodri Clarke), the recording reveals a composer whose voice is unmistakably modern while remaining firmly rooted in the great European tradition. The performances combine technical assurance with genuine expressive warmth, allowing Weiland’s distinctive musical language to unfold naturally and without affectation. This beautifully produced release confirms Douglas Weiland as an important creative voice whose work deserves a far wider international audience and further strengthens an already distinguished catalogue of composition.

A book and a Drink at the End of this Walk: The Disappearance of Percy Fawcett and Other Famous Vanishings is an engaging introduction to one of history’s most enduring fascinations: people who vanished without leaving a convincing explanation. Rather than dwelling on sensational speculation, Jane Clapp presents a series of well-known disappearances - from Amazon explorer Percy Fawcett and aviator Amelia Earhart to Ambrose Bierce, Judge Joseph Force Crater and Richard Halliburton - placing each within its historical context before examining the competing theories surrounding their fate. History writer Evan Andrews contributes an informative foreword that adds useful perspective. The book is concise, making it ideal for readers seeking an accessible overview rather than an exhaustive scholarly treatment. Each chapter is clearly written and moves at a brisk pace, balancing established facts with the enduring mysteries that continue to fascinate historians and amateur sleuths alike. While readers already familiar with these cases may wish for deeper analysis, newcomers will appreciate the breadth of material and the absence of excessive sensationalism. Entertaining, informative and thought-provoking, this is an enjoyable collection that reminds us why unexplained disappearances continue to capture the human imagination nearly a century after many of them occurred. Not included is the vanishing act of Lord Lucan, who disappeared on 8 November 1974, just hours after the murder of his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, and the attempted murder of his estranged wife, Lady Lucan (Veronica), at the family’s Belgravia home in London - a case that gripped a nation. As I am writing this it is very hot (31C) and humid – so I am drinking a Paper Plane – bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino (Italian herbal liquor), lemon juice over ice. Refreshing.

TV & Film: The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford film is an eccentric, bittersweet Scottish “comedy” that gradually reveals itself to be something deeper: a meditation on grief, identity and the uneasy relationship between history and modern celebrity culture. Peter Mullan is solid as Kenneth McKay, a widowed tour guide whose devotion to the almost forgotten Sir Douglas Weatherford is threatened when his village becomes the unlikely setting for a wildly successful fantasy television series. As souvenir shops replace history displays and tourists’ queue for television locations rather than local heritage, Kenneth’s world begins to unravel. Director Seán Dunn skilfully balances gentle humour with genuine melancholy, creating a film that recalls the quirky charm of Local Hero while embracing a darker emotional undercurrent. The screenplay occasionally struggles to reconcile its satire with its more intimate character study, but Mullan’s humane performance anchors every scene, making Kenneth’s stubbornness both comic and profoundly moving. This is not a broad comedy but a thoughtful exploration of how communities reinvent themselves, often at the expense of their own past. Quietly funny, poignant and unmistakably Scottish, The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford rewards patient viewers with a rich and memorable portrait of loss, resilience and the stories we choose to preserve. Not a great film, but intriguing. As for TV, I started to watch the Big Bang Theory sequel, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe and gave up after two episodes. I prefer the BBC’s Fake or Fortune (new series on now) or the new season of Van der Valk (ITV).

Food: Great gravy is one of the quiet triumphs of good cooking. It is not simply a sauce but the concentrated essence of the meat, vegetables and herbs that have shared the roasting pan. The best gravy begins with well-browned roasting juices, to which finely chopped onion, carrot and celery are added and gently caramelized. A spoonful of flour cooked briefly with the fat creates the foundation before good-quality stock and some wine is whisked in gradually (we like veal stock). The secret is patience: allow the gravy to simmer slowly so the flavours deepen and the texture becomes silky rather than thin. A splash of red wine, port or sherry can add complexity, while a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce or redcurrant jelly provides subtle depth without dominating. Finally, strain for a smooth finish, season carefully with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then whisk in a small knob of cold butter immediately before serving for exceptional richness and shine. Alternatively, you can buy a packet of Poutine Gravy from A Spice Affair for $10. (If you live in the UK, Guinness makes gravy in a can which you can find at Morrison’s).

Quick Thoughts:

· I put my name down for the hard-of-hearing ornithologist walk in the River Valley. So far, I haven’t heard a dickie bird.

· If you think Dr. Fauci is a criminal and President Trump isn’t, you are a particular kind of stupid.

· RFK Jnr is to host a cooking show. I assume it will be called Tasty Roadkill.

· It will take Meghan’s best skills to sell 2.57 million jars of her jam to pay off the £18 million in legal fees which Harry has to find, given his recent High Court loss.

· The longest drum solo ever performed was 12 hours and 18 minutes – performed by a very annoying child sitting behind me on Air Canada 33 to Sydney, Australia in 2025.

· My summer body has failed, yet again, to materialize. Will try again next year.

· Since Jan 1st 2026, Melania has attended just 14 public events. Princess Charlotte of Windsor, who is 11, has done many more.

· Vaccines save lives but cannot cure Rand Paul’s Fauci obsession.

· Andy Burnham has made a major policy commitment: all chip shops in Southern England will start to sell gravy and curry sauce with their chips (fries) by 2027. A good Northern lad he is (born in Aintree, Liverpool).

· At aged 14, Kate Middleton was being bullied at school (Downe House) – she was a very shy, reserved girl. She transferred mid-year in 1996 to Marlborough, where she did well academically, in sport and was a very popular young lady. Hope for us all, especially given her current role as Princess of Wales.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and still going): New TV or radio shows panelists would like to see (from an actual recording of the show, with some additions from me):

· On Channel 5 – a show that ranks all vicars and priests in the UK by height – All Preachers Great and Small.

· BBC 4 – Jeremy Irons plays the part of a wealthy man who tries to fix the face of his tin fiancé which has been damaged – Brideshead Rerevitted.

· Jeremy is also in the sequel, where he is seen stamping his late wife’s metal cranium into the ground in Brideshead Redivotted.

· BBC 3 – Mary Jackson is blown away as she explores parking lots and lay-bys and the behaviour of neanderthal men and women in her new series, Dogging for Britain.

· HBO Max – a film starring President Trump staying at a seven-star hotel in Dubai, but he has forgotten to pack his fake tan. The show is The White POTUS.

· On BBC 1 a documentary looking at the difficult choices men face between cool and fresh boxers, high-waist briefs, modal stretch trunks, bamboo and cotton-rich hipsters: 24 Hours in Marks & Spencer’s.

· On ITV 2, a topical drama set on the high seas off the coast of the Kingdom of Narnia where an impetuous Captain is accused of committing an act of public indecency with Mrs. Tumnus – Faunblower.

· Channel 4 – Gregg Wallace tours Britain sampling nothing but motorway service station sandwiches while becoming increasingly emotional. The Filling of Britain.

· ITV1 – A tense six-part thriller in which a parish council wages war over whose turn it is to refill the church biscuit tin. Line of Scone.

· BBC Four – Professor Alice Roberts investigates whether medieval monks really invented the duvet by interviewing historians from underneath a 13.5-tog quilt. Time Comfort Team.

· Sky Atlantic – Brian Cox stars as a billionaire physicist who loses his hearing and mistakes every scientific conference for a village fête. Succession - Planning Permission.

New Definitions:

· Depend – a part of a swimming pool

· Cantaloupe – unable to run away with the girlfriend and get married

· Canterbury – she is not dead yet, unfortunately

· Counterfeit – I did and she has two

· Titulate – when Nigel Farage misses his appointment

· Reformed Ham – a very thin slice of gammon

· Discount – what the Reform party are doing in Clacton where they are fighting Count Binface in an election

· Rampage – the length of time a particular slope has existed

· Rummage – the amount of time a bottle of spirits made from sugar cane has existed

· Political Asylum – the US Senate or British House of Lords

· Sedentary – I already told you to come on in

· Sausage – the age of the sauce

· Cabbage – the number of years a taxi has been on the road

· Postage – the time it takes Canada Post to deliver an ordinary letter

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide this Walk: “Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.” – Greek proverb; “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.“ – Hamlet.

Fires across Europe are the worst for hundreds of years. Over a quarter of a million were evacuated in France, with fires raging across southern France, almost reaching Bordeaux. Spain, Portugal are also hit hard. Its still hot! Across the major regions of Canada, there are now 420 out-of-control wildfires.

Iran continues to challenge the US and its allies. Saudi Arabia is now dragged into this war, bombing Iran-backed militants in Iraq. The US is running out of meaningful targets, ammunition and ideas – diplomacy is stuck, and Trump has few options. The Iran war will impact the mid-term elections in the US – voters don’t like this mad cap adventure – which are now less than 100 days away.

In Gaza, Hamas is reported to have agreed to handover their weapons and cede policing of Gaza in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. Trump says this is Nobel peace prize work. Israel is unlikely to agree. Don’t get excited.

In Japan, a 7.1 earthquake hit Kyushu Island, and many are trapped in a collapsed shopping mall. At least 13 are reported dead with this number expected to rise. This island is also home to the world’s second largest chip manufacturing plant.

In Peru, the daughter of a disgraced President has become its new President. Keiko Fujimori joins the Presidents of Colombia, El Salvador and Ecuador as Trump-like right-wing leaders of precarious Latin American states.

Andy Burnham is still Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – and is making his moves. He wants to change property taxation from the current tax system to a % of the market value of the property and to increase taxes to pay for social care. He also has made comments about education, making it clear that he (a Cambridge grad in English) sees universities as less important to the economy than the trades and TVET (he is not wrong).

The United Nations – yes, it’s still around – is working to elect its next Secretary General and something unusual is happening. The two leading candidates are both women – Rebecca Grynspan (Costa Rica) and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana). If one of these women is chosen, she will be the first female to lead the UN. In the first ballot, Rebecca was ahead. Of the six official candidates, four are females.

The person the White House is most afraid of is Melania. She knows a lot about Trump, “dirty dealing”, Epstein and, well everything. She and the Donald are hardly speaking, and she makes no pretense of living with The Donald – she has her own life in New York. She is suing Michael Wolff, who is writing her biography (and he tried to counter sue her, but his case was thrown out). She sometimes turns up to events – the World Cup, for example – but not often (she was not at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner or Lindsay Graham’s funeral). She remains “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,” as one might say. She has come a long way since her days as a Slovenian escort.

In an unusual move, the US Senate unanimously agreed that a pardon, clemency or any kind of lightening of her sentence should not be granted by the US President to Ghislaine Maxwell, pimptress for Epstein. Trump keeps saying he’s thinking about it. There are (app) 1,000 women victims of the abuses Epstein and his friends perpetrated, and Maxwell is implicated in many of these cases. Not one male has been prosecuted for these actions (Epstein was awaiting trial when he was found murdered dead).

Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s (born on Halloween 1950), comedy was important – it helped us grow up with a hint of madness and a lot of self-depreciation (aided, in my case, by being Catholic). In addition to I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again (radio), The Frost Report, At Last the 1948 Show, Do Not Adjust Your Set, and Monty Python there was The Goodies – odd and zany comedy from Tim Brooke Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie (alumni from the radio show I’m Sorry I’ll Read that Again, which also starred John Cleese). Only Graeme Garden is still alive – Tim died from COVID in 2020. Bill Oddie was bipolar and also depressive – he died this week. After the end of The Goodies, he went on to front nature shows like Springwatch and was probably one of Britain’s leading birdwatchers. RIP Bill. You did good.

Sports: The 23rd Commonwealth Games were held in Glasgow – home of the deep-fried Mars Bar. Canada ended up third in the league table with 15 gold, 13 silver and 17 bronze medals across a number of events. Ahead of us is Australia and England. The games end on 2nd of August.

FIFA (well, more likely its hapless President, GinTonic Infantile) is exploring privatizing its major competitions by placing them in the hands of a spin-off company which will then seek private capital to support expansion. The idea was floated by Gerard Kushner to President Infantile, so it is obviously a scam. According to some reports, Infantile could personally make around €20 million if this goes ahead. Follow the money. UEFA lost its mind over all of this, and even Andy Burnham, an avid football fan, spoke out against it.

Various tennis matches taking place, but the big event we are waiting for is the US Open (starts 24th August). On the F1 side, the next race is the Dutch GP (21-23 August). It looks like the F1 season may end in Europe, given how unsettled the Middle East is.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Ernest Chausson (1855–1899) occupies a distinctive place in French music, standing stylistically between Jules Massenet and the impressionistic world of Claude Debussy. Although he died tragically in a cycling accident at just 44, he produced a small but remarkably refined body of work marked by emotional depth, harmonic richness, and exquisite orchestral colour. His music combines the elegance of French tradition with the influence of Richard Wagner. Among his finest works are the Poème for violin and orchestra, one of the great masterpieces of the violin repertoire, the Symphony in B-flat major, admired for its structural mastery and rich and intense orchestration, and the song cycle Poème de l’amour et de la mer, a deeply moving meditation on love and loss. His chamber music, especially the Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet, reveals an exceptional gift for lyrical invention and sophisticated interplay between instruments. Though his output was relatively modest, Chausson’s music is treasured for its sincerity, nobility, and understated passion. It bridges the Romantic and Impressionist eras, rewarding listeners with music of haunting beauty and quiet emotional power.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: Donna Leon has become one of the world’s most admired crime writers through her elegant series featuring Comisario Guido Brunetti, the thoughtful Venetian detective who has appeared in thirty two novels since Death at La Fenice (1992). Rather than relying on high-speed action or graphic violence, Leon crafts richly atmospheric mysteries that explore corruption, environmental issues, family life, art, and the moral complexities of modern Italy. Venice itself is as important a character as Brunetti, its canals, cafés, churches, and hidden corners providing a vivid backdrop to every investigation. The most recent Brunetti novel, A Refiner’s Fire (2024), finds the Comisario investigating the suspicious death of a veteran glassmaker on the island of Murano. What begins as an apparent accident develops into a subtle exploration of family loyalty, greed, and the decline of traditional craftsmanship in the face of commercial pressures. As always, Brunetti’s intelligence, humanity, and quiet persistence prove more effective than dramatic heroics. Leon has confirmed that no new Brunetti novel appeared in either 2025 or 2026, although a thirty-fourth case is in progress. The long pause has only heightened anticipation for the detective’s welcome return. Can’t wait – have read them all (and also her biography and a book of essays on writers and writing). The drink is one I had a few times during a Jamaican holiday – The Saturn – gin, lemon juice, passion fruit syrup, orgeat and falernum. The result is tropical without being sugary: juniper and citrus sit beneath passion fruit, almond and clove. It is essentially what happens when a serious gin cocktail takes an unexpected holiday in the Caribbean.

TV & Film: Continuing its tradition of drama that requires viewers to engage and think, the BBC offers an outstanding series – The Rapture - an ambitious psychological thriller that succeeds by refusing to offer easy answers. Adapted from Liz Jensen’s novel, the five-part drama combines mystery, faith, climate anxiety and psychological suspense into a compelling narrative that keeps viewers questioning what is real and what may lie beyond conventional explanation. At its heart is an outstanding performance from Ruth Madeley (recently featured on Who Do You Think You Are?) as forensic psychologist Dr Gabrielle Fox, whose own personal trauma gives depth and humanity to a story filled with uncertainty and foreboding. India Amarteifio is equally impressive as the enigmatic Bethany, creating a character who is by turns vulnerable, unsettling and utterly fascinating. Critics have particularly praised the psychological duel between the two women as the emotional centre of the series. Visually striking and atmospherically unsettling, The Rapture captures the anxieties of our age while remaining an engrossing human drama. It asks provocative questions about belief, reason, grief and hope without becoming preachy, rewarding viewers who enjoy intelligent television that lingers in the mind long after the closing credits.

Quick Thoughts:

· Everyone is entitled to my opinion

· Mitch McConnell is said to be resting comfortably after his embalming.

· I’m looking for a muzzle for my pet duck – if you have anything that would fit the bill…

· I saw a documentary on how ships are held together – riveting.

· I have kleptomania – when it gets bad, I take something for it.

· Whoever told Bill not to drive but to take the bus after an evening at the pub made a mistake. Turns out he was in no fit state to drive the bus either.

In the Spirit of I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (in BBC Radio 4 for 55+ years): Testing what happens when you change 1 letter in a film title:

· Drainspotting

· The Beer Hunter

· The Third Nan

· Pop Gun

· Our Man in Havant

· Tiddler on the Roof

· The Nuns of Navarone

· A Fridge on the River Kwai

· The Pound of Music

· Three Men in a Coat

· Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

· Wicked Little Pies

· Schindler’s Lust

· The Last Mango in Paris

· Enema at the Gates

· Three Men in a Goat

· The Fridges of Maddison County

· Muriel’s Weeding

· About a Buoy

· Pocket Man

· Stir Wars

New Definitions:

· Pilot – a collection of filled pastries at an auction

· Tapas – very mild S&M

· Aspect – when your bottom has been bitten

· Dilate – to live for a very long time

· Assassin – gay donkey’s copulating

· Train – wet weather observed by a Yorkshireman

What Idi Amin and Donald Trump reveal about the grammar of authoritarian power

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Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide this Walk: “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”- HL. Mencken; “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuki

Larry the Cat welcomed the sixth Prime Minister to 10 Downing Street in London. Andy Burnham received his seals of office from King Charles III, who had quickly rinsed them when he got them back from Sir Keir Starmer. Andy and his wife - Marie-France van Heel (a Dutch marketing executive and mother of their three children) – have a difficult challenge. They have to look as though they know what they are doing. Given past history – Boris, Liz Truss – you’d think it would be straightforward. But no, none of the six really got a grip and held it.

His initial cabinet appointments don’t bode well. Ed Milliband, whose only experience of international relations is falling out with his brother who then dashed off to live in the US, is now Foreign Secretary. The new Chancellor of the Exchequer is John Healey, who recently quit as Defence Secretary under Starmer. Yvette Cooper finds herself at Health. His right-hand helper, Louise Haigh (a convicted fraudster) is 1^st Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – a key political engine room role. Angela Rayner, the red menace, is back. All this is about as inspiring as watching deck chairs move on the Titanic. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador.

Oil reached $100 a barrel as the Iran war intensifies, with more American’s injured and dead (according to the NYT more than we have been told). Since the US has no plan, no clear war aims and has low stocks of munitions, it is difficult to see how this might end. Talks are continuing, but no one in Iran has any trust in Trump, the US or the team engaged in negotiations. Iran is intensifying its attack on US based and allies across the Middle East and the US continues to (illegally) bomb civilian infrastructure. Ugh. It is clear that the US President has no clue what he is doing. He now says if Iran doesn’t accept his latest ultimatum, he will deliver a new ultimatum.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s abrupt dismissal of Ukraine’s youthful and innovative defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov (35), at precisely the moment Kyiv appeared to be gaining advantages in several spheres of its war with Russia has exposed, not for the first time, a troubling flaw in the president’s leadership. The move startled senior European officials and caused consternation, and massive demonstrations across Ukraine. It is truly shocking given Fedorov’s role in pushing a clear strategy to prosecute the war, leveraging Ukraine’s rapidly developing technological advances in drone and missile technology. It seems the old guard military people helped push him out. The culprit behind the scenes: 60-year-old military chief of staff Oleksandr Syrski, a graduate of Moscow higher combined arms command school, who began his career as an artillery officer. He was just fired. Not good.

Not being satisfied with destroying peace in the Middle East, Trump us back on his Tariff Crusade, with 50% tariffs on certain Canadian goods and new tariffs for some 60 countries. Some of the Canadian tariffs are on goods Canada does not produce and many are illegal under CUSMA. But Trump, who has the reading ability of a racoon hit by a truck, doesn’t care (or understand). He also doesn’t have a sense of humour, hence his stand-up act bombed at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Hungary’s President, Tamás Sulyok, signed a bill ending his term – the last holdout of the Viktor Orbán regime. There will now need to be a Presidential election.

A bridge linking Windsor (Canada) to Detroit (US) will open after a big argy-bargy with the US. The Gordie Howe Bridge, funded 100% by Canada, will open following an agreement to share net revenues with the US. Notice “net revenues” – this is interpreted by Mark Carney as after the building and operating costs are recouped. The US, who we know don’t understand their own negotiated cease-fire agreements, means after the toll booth attendants’ burgers are paid for. Expect more mayhem.

Forest fires in Oregon and Washington State are causing BC to issue air quality warnings to residents in the lower mainland. The US needs to take better care of its forests. Also, someone needs to do something about the direction of the wind. Mark Carney is not considering imposing tariffs on US goods from these two States. Fires are also burning across Europe and in the UK, with France and Spain badly hit. The City of Bordeaux is under threat. Climate change, nature and idiots are to blame.

Usha Vance gave birth to J D Vance’s baby – a boy they have called Alec Neal – he becomes the first baby to born to a sitting Vice President in 156 years. Not much sitting time now, JD. This is their fourth child.

Sports: Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot at the World Cup and, in doing so, became the first player to have ever won two.

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez, who was sent off in the FIFA Cup Final following his two yellow cards and a red card after an abusive tackle of a Spanish player. Enzo is clearly in need of help – he plays prison football using the “take no prisoners” rule book. Not a nice man – very angry. His teammate Leandro Parades also got a post-match red card for misconduct. Across the World Cup matches, Argentina received 15 yellow cards, six of them in the final. Even the coach got a yellow card. Trump pointed out that “they had all the cards.” I put it down to all that tinned Corned Beef.

AS we look to the start of the Canadian Open tennis, we ask the same question every year – who is not coming! The tournament comes soon after Wimbledon and before the Cincinnati and US Open. Players are worn out and take a pass – Djokovic, Sinner, Muchova are all out, for example. Someone needs to take a serious look at the demanding player schedule. Alcarez, also not playing in Canada due to his ongoing injury, has said without a change, “the schedule will kill one of us one day.”

F1 was in Hungary. Lando Norris won his first Grand Prix of 2026. Verstappen and Antonelli (clearly a champion driver) completed the podium. Mercedes are streets ahead in the constructors league table.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Steve Elcock has quietly become one of the most original voices in contemporary British orchestral music. Largely self-taught, he writes on a symphonic canvas of remarkable ambition, producing music that combines the sweep of Sibelius and Nielsen with echoes of Vaughan Williams, Bax and Shostakovich, while remaining unmistakably his own. His scores are rich in contrapuntal detail, dramatic tension and memorable melodic invention, rewarding repeated listening. Much of Elcock’s growing reputation has been established through an outstanding series of recordings by the Siberian Symphony Orchestra under Dmitry Vasiliev. Orchestral Music, Vol 1 (2017), Vol. 2 (2020) and Vol. 3 (2022) introduced audiences to major symphonic and orchestral works in committed, authoritative performances that revealed both the power and subtlety of his writing. More recently, Toccata Classics has continued the project with Orchestral Music, Vol. 4, featuring the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra under Kenneth Woods, further strengthening the case that Elcock deserves recognition among today’s leading symphonists. Good stuff – a real discovery.

A Book and A Drink at the End of this Walk: There is a former US Navy Admiral who has taken to future studies focused on the future of war. Rather than offering academic material, he has chosen to offer fictional accounts of the future of warfare. Two of his books - the ones I just read – are compelling reading. They are 2034 and 2054. There is a third (haven’t got to it yet) – 2084. The author is James Stavridis, and his writing partner is Elliot Ackerman. James is a regular guest on Fareed Zakaria’s GPS on CNN. The novels explore the transition from 1980-1900’s instruments of war (fighter jets, submarines and tanks) to drones and robots and create powerful sense that the future is clearly not a straight line from the past. The drink is a non-alcoholic beer from British Columbia brewed by Street Legal. They offer several options, the IPA is my go-to, but their Pilsner is also excellent. In hot and sticky weather, a good beer is difficult to beat, and these guys brew great beer. (The IPA from Stanley Park brewery is also a good, non-alcoholic drink).

Food: Costco sells good quality lamb chops – meaty and substantial (8 in a pack). We made a Lancashire Hot Pot – lamb chops, onions, carrots, potatoes and a bit of celery in a rich chicken stock covered in a layer of very thinly sliced potatoes (used the mandolin) and baked in the oven. We always add a spoonful of mint-sauce to the stew before we start cooking. Delicious. The key is to get the top layer of potatoes really crispy.

Growing up in Bradford, we occasionally had SPAM – either in sandwiches or fried as fritters. Now, the makers of SPAM have launched a SPAM DOG – a hot dog made of the stuff. Suspect it will be very tasty. James May (ex-Top Gear presenter and now a Gin producer and pub owner) claims SPAM is an acronym for shoulders of pork and ham. It’s a big thing in Hawaii. Must try one.

TV & Film: A great new British comedy series just aired – Ann Droid, starring Sue Johnston (as an elderly woman living on her own) and Diane Morgan (as a domestic robot). Laugh out loud, terrifically well written by Sarah Kendall. Binge watch all six episodes and laugh a lot. The film is odd, but good: The Souffleur. Lucius Glantz (Daniel Defoe) is, a veteran hotel manager in Vienna, fights to save his beloved establishment from a scheming realtors plan to demolish it, leading to a clash of wills that even affects the hotels renowned soufflé recipe.

Quick Thoughts:

· Spain became the first country to be reigning champions of both the FIFA Men’s and FIFA Women’s World Cups at the same time.

· Kevin Keagan, footballer and all round decent guy, has died. Liverpool, England Captain and Newcastle as a player or manager, we grew up watching and following him.

· As mentioned, Meghan Markle is nominated for a Daytime Emmy and now Prince William’s interview with Eugene Levy is nominated for a Prime Time Emmy. Duelling royals.

· Naked hiking means no GPS, no earphone or other entertainment devices or tech, no distractions. My lawyer suggests it would have been helpful to know this beforehand.

· Queen Camilla is now 79. Her husband, King Charles III, is a spritely 77. (I myself am a youthful 76 and Lady Lynne is a very youthful 78). It’s just a number, right?

· Weird items in restaurant menus always amuse. Here’s one from a place in China: “Rude and very unreasonable chicken” – otherwise known as Jerk Chicken. Not as funny as “Sixi Roasted Husband,” but funny.

· I suggest that all my friends lock their car doors. If you don’t, you will find Zucchini on the back seat (or worse, a banjo, accordion or bagpipes).

· I am a very bad ventriloquist, if I do say so myself.

· A banana is 105 calories – a glass of Prosecco is 80. Chose wisely.

· Just 9 days to go before the announcement of Mitch McConnel’s death.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC 4 Radio for 55 years and counting): Things you can might say in a traffic jam and in the bedroom (also from a live recording):

· If it’s alright with you, I’ll just pull off and get a Scotch Egg.

· That lorry driver just gave me the finger!

· This guy behind me is right up my arse!

· No sign of movement – you might as well switch that thing off.

· I spy with my little eye something beginning with “C”

· It’s no good tooting – I am stuck.

· Oh, my leg has gone dead.

· Any idea what’s happening up front?

· The Council should have widened this years ago.

· I ‘m afraid we’re going to be here for quite a while.

· Shall we try a different position?

· It’s much tighter than I was expecting.

· We seem to have hit a bit of a bottleneck.

· Would you mind reversing a little?

· We were making good progress until that happened.

· If everyone took turns, this would be over much sooner.

· You can keep revving it, but it’s not going to help

New Definitions from a live recording of the I Haven’t a Clue:

· Ethereal – What a Yorkshireman says when greeting his Cornflakes of a morning

· Gurgle – a search engine for plumbers

· Document – when, in hospital, you call someone a nurse but in fact they have several medical qualifications

· Latin – a French can

· Gripe water – aka as Australian wine

· Caterpillar – when you are trying to decide, on a limited budget, whether to get a cat or a cushion for your head in bed

· Reuters – journalists from Birmingham

· Apple turnover – app. $416 billion

· Kindle – a South African mint cake

· Bigamist – much more fog than was anticipated

· Shuttlecock – Air Force One

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quotes to Guide this Walk: “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” - Marcus Aurelius

As the Iran war (aka as Schoedinger’s War – it both on and off at the same time) is back on, the US says it will take full control of the Strait of Vermouth, though he quickly dropped a plan for a 20% exit tax on all ships leaving Iranian ports. This mess, all of which is Trump and Netanyahu’s doing, will go on for a while. At some point, a deal will be done, especially since the US weapons stock is so depleted that they may have to buy from China or Russia. In the meantime, ships are sinking, the Middle Eastern powers are attacking each other, and mayhem abounds. The war is known amongst the US military as Operation Epic Failure.

Ukraine is pursuing a very smart strategy against Russia: totally disrupt its energy supplies and sales, the key to the Russian economy. In 10 days, Ukraine sank 136 oil tankers carrying oil to market. Inside Russia, Ukraine has been using drones to destroy energy infrastructure – oil depots, refineries, pipelines – so that ordinary Russians are now experiencing blackouts and food shortages. Now that Zelensky is getting new weapons defence systems, he has all the cards.

Israel now occupied 65% of Gaza and plans to build three new settlements in this territory. Israel continues to bomb and attack Palestinians in Gaza. It is clearly in breach of the ceasefire.

Cuba’s 9 million people had their third black out in ten days as the US blockade, in place since January, continues. A silent Gaza.

The Chinese economic growth engine, on which the world depends, is slowing – growing at just 4.3%, the slowest rate of growth since 2022. China ran a record US$1.2 trillion global trade surplus last year, drawing complaints from policymakers in other countries over their trade imbalances with the world’s second-largest economy. Many have pointed to heavy state subsidies, which they say contribute to an oversupply of manufactured goods that end up being exported overseas. Industrial output by value rose 5.4% in the first half of the year from a year earlier.

No one stood against Andy Burnham, who is now Leader of the British Labour Party and Prime Minister in waiting, once Sir Keir Starmer resigns on Monday after the World Cup ends. Expectations are very high (though goodness knows why, he has left Manchester with £1.35 billion of debt and his #2 is a convicted fraudster) as are hopes that someone will start to govern Britain. Don’t get excited. It will end in tears.

In Canada, the Alberta Government opened its iGambling market (they gamble with health care - why not with people’s money and mental health?). They have given operating licenses to 22 separate online gambling companies. Talk about the Wild West. For many families, this will end in tears, treatment and tragedy.

Comedy is back, at least in the US. Trump used a live broadcast to talk about how he really won the 2022 election, producing not a shred of believable evidence and ignoring the fact that every one of the 64 courts that has ever had to deal with nonsense has rejected the evidence and argument. His purpose: to undermine the credibility of the coming US mind-term elections. Typical move by a would-be dictator. ABC, NBC and CNN refused to carry the broadcast, which one wag has named a “Proof of Dementia” speech. Sad to see.

Sports: One person who will never forget this year’s Wimbledon is Arthur Frey – the British player who reached the semi-final. He entered the competition ranked 114th in the world and left it ranked 36th. He also walked away with £900,000 (Can$1.704 million) and lifetime membership of the All England Club. He also offered to give Princess Charlotte and Prince George a few lessons. Smart lad and only 23. The other big winner, both in terms of her skills and her personality, was the Filipino player, Alexandra Eala. She is the first-ever player from the Philippines to reach the 3rd round of a Grand Slam – and we will see more of her - she is just 21.

The World Cup Semi Finals arrived and, for the first time in many years, the top four ranked clubs all made it – France vs Spain England vs Argentina. France never really showed up for their semi-final and Spain deserved their 2-0 win to reach the final for only the second time in the history of the World Cup. As for the England game, Argentina dominated play, especially in the second half – they won 2-1.

In the final with Argentina v Spain – a dull game to watch (and the 17-minute half time show was truly awful) – in the end, after extra time (sad to see) where Spain dominated and Argentina was down to ten men, one being red carded off, managed to feign injury to avoid a Spanish goal, we ended up with a single Spanish goal in extra time – deserved winners. They dominated the game and played much better football.

England beat France, who again didn’t really show up in the first half but arrived with a bang in the second, giving us one of the best soccer matches seen in a long time. England secured their third place in the FIFA World Cup – winning 6-4. This was England’s best performance since 1966 (maybe, since 1066) and a wonderful game to watch.

The other World Cup prize is The Golden Boot – for the best and most goals scored. This Golden Boot race has been one for the ages, a four-way sprint featuring Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Jude Bellinghan (England) and Harry Kane (England), all hitting numbers that would comfortably win most modern tournaments. This honour went to Mbappe, a true gentleman of the game.

In the rugby Nations tournament surprise, surprise England played Argentina (seems familiar) and beat them 31-24. France beat Japan, New Zealand beat Ireland, Australia thrashed Italy, Scotland beat Fiji, South Africa blanked Wales (43-0). France, South Africa and New Zealand lead the league tables here. (In the Under 20’s match, France beat South Africa for the championship).

Formula 1 was on the track in Belgium, with Antonelli (Mercedes) cementing his place at the top of the driver’s championship table, closely followed by Leclerc, Verstappen and Sir Lewis Hamilton.

After Wimbledon, professional tennis players disperse into many smaller sanctioned competitions across Europe, before a few of them pitch up in Toronto and eventually drift down to the US Open at the end of August. The only real interest is in rankings – who moves up and down – and fitness – who is back who is out.

At Royal Birkdale, the British Open golf tournament was won by Ryan Fox – his first ever major win.

A reader writes again and says that I never mention the Tour de France, so here is my second mention. I think bicycles are involved, and often drugs.

Soundtrack for this Walk: For most music lovers, Sir Anthony Hopkins remains one of cinema’s greatest actors. Yet music was his first artistic language. He began playing the piano as a child in Port Talbot, Wales, and has composed throughout his life, producing works that are lyrical, romantic and unabashedly tonal rather than modernist or experimental. His music often evokes the pastoral warmth of Vaughan Williams, the melodic generosity of Rachmaninoff and the cinematic sweep of Korngold, while retaining a distinctive, deeply personal voice. His first major recording, Composer (released in 2012 in association with Classic FM), introduced these orchestral works to a wider audience in performances by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Michael Seal. The album included the much-loved And the Waltz Goes On, first championed by André Rieu, revealing Hopkins as a composer of memorable melodies and heartfelt emotional expression. Now, at the age of 88, Hopkins returns with Life Is a Dream, released by Decca Classics. Conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, the album gathers orchestral works written over more than six decades, including the nostalgic Bracken Road and the affectionate Welsh tribute My Fatherland. Rather than a celebrity curiosity, this is the mature statement of a lifelong composer whose music deserves to be heard on its own merits. I met Anthony a few times - he could occasionally be heard at the Student Union in Cardiff playing the piano with a pint.

A Book and a Drink at the End of this Walk: The Tuxedo No. 2 is a refined, spirit-forward classic that bridges the Martini and the Martinez. Gin, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, absinthe, and orange bitters create a layered balance of herbal, floral, and citrus notes. A sophisticated pre-dinner cocktail with enduring charm. The book is The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America- Senator and pastor Raphael Warnock at his most compelling: part sermon, part memoir, and part manifesto. Drawing on the prophet Isaiah, Warnock argues that America’s deepest problems are not simply political or economic but moral, requiring a renewed commitment to justice, compassion, and what Martin Luther King Jr. called the “beloved community.” The book examines six defining challenges - poverty, voting rights, mass incarceration, gun violence, the influence of money in politics, and climate change - through the lens of his faith without descending into theological abstraction. Warnock writes with the cadence of the pulpit and the pragmatism of a legislator, blending biblical reflection with personal experience and public policy. Readers who disagree with his politics will still find much to admire in the clarity of his moral reasoning and the sincerity of his hope. This is not a blueprint packed with detailed policy prescriptions, but an invitation to recover moral imagination in an age of cynicism.

TV & Film: The new season of The Piano (UK Channel 4) kicked off in Birmingham Railway Station and was a pure delight. A new format – Mika continues as the anchor piano player and musician, who will support the winners in the gala concert at the Birmingham Symphony at the end of the series, but there will also be guest mentors – Tiffany Poon, Jules Holland, Jamie Cullan, Hiromi, Alice Sara Ott. The show is fronted by UK national treasure Claudia Winkleman. This week was won by a young lady who lost her fingers to illness but played Einaudi beautifully. Brilliant show. Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood is not another swashbuckling retelling of England’s most famous outlaw. Instead, it is an elegiac meditation on violence, guilt and redemption. Hugh Jackman gives one of the finest performances of his career as an ageing, battle-scarred Robin who has long since abandoned any pretence of heroic legend. Gravely wounded, he is forced to confront the human cost of a lifetime spent killing in the name of justice. Sarnoski strips away the folklore to reveal a flawed, deeply troubled man. Jodie Comer is compelling as the woman who offers Robin both physical healing and the possibility of spiritual salvation, while the bleak Irish landscapes become a character in their own right. Those expecting rousing adventure or Errol Flynn-style heroics may find the film austere and sombre. Yet viewers willing to embrace its revisionist vision will discover a thoughtful, beautifully photographed drama that asks not how legends are made, but how they end. It is an ambitious, haunting farewell to one of literature’s greatest myths.

The great New Zealand actor, winemaker, and animal lover Sir Sam Neill has died at 78 after a long battle with cancer. He played many memorable roles, including in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchises, Dr. Zhivago (TV Series), The Horse Whisperer, The Piano, and the quirky but very New Zealand Rams. He will be missed.

Food: Beef is very expensive these days – a half tenderloin from our local Halal butcher was $75, but it will give us at least eight meals ($9.50 a meal). We made a spice rub and roasted one piece, and served it with roast potatoes, spicy roast carrots, green beans, and a Yorkshire pudding with gravy. Leftovers let us create very tasty beef tacos. The remaining part of it will be a stew, and there is also a full second roast, probably a beef en croute. We still have a roast dinner most Sundays. This one started off with classic prawn cocktail in a Mary Rose sauce.

The UK’s German-owned Daily Telegraph ran a survey on the most important condiments in use in Britain today. The top 5 were: English Mustard, Brown (HP) Sauce, Branston Pickle, Worcester Sauce and Heinz Salad Cream (or Mary Berry’s “wonderful” version if you’ve gone all posh). We would add Apple Sauce (pork), Mint Sauce (lamb) and various curried chutneys (especially Brinjal, lime and mango). A Cheshire Cheese sandwich with Brinjal is a special treat.

Quick Thoughts:

· So grateful that my sister Wendy and her husband Paul are safe in their home in Southern Spain in Huércal-Overa, Almería, close to significant forest-fire zones.

· Mitch McConnell says he’s not dead – just resting like a parrot in a Monty Python sketch. He also said he’d seen Elvis and Charlie Kirk. His death will be announced on August 4th so as to avoid a special election, which would be required if he died on or before August 3rd. More despicable stuff from Trump & Friends.

· Lyndsay Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, will serve out the remainder of Lyndsay’s term in the US Senate (until January 2027), showing the disdain for democracy and the growing hereditary nature of power in the US.

· Had a drink with my 85-year-old friend, Mike. He said that if he were told that he just had days to live, he would have sex with anything that moved,” how about you?”, he asked. I said I’d be very still.

· One of my grandkids asked me if humans eat more bananas than monkey’s? I said they did – most grocery stores don’t even sell monkey’s.

· Why wasn’t Minnie Driver in the remake of The Italian Job?

· I went to check out what one cabinet Minister told me was a “drug-infested sex den” and left with a new library card and higher standards.

· 25 years ago today, my friend Peter burst out of the room and said “It’s a Boy!” He never went back to Thailand again.

· Unlike most developed nations, the US has no universal healthcare. What it does have is 49 billionaires whose money comes from providing health insurance.

· 7,000 people (and rising) have been diagnosed with explosive diarrhea (cyclospora) which is plaguing the US. Some suggest lettuce, parsley, cilantro and spinach may be the cause; others point to general GOP policies causing immediate and very explosive diarrhea.

· Diarrhea Awareness Week begins on Monday and runs till Friday.

· The Trump administration has paid out US$81 billion in illegal tariff repayments to those who paid them – the Supreme Court decided that they were illegally imposed.

· US Vice President Dan Quayle was ridiculed for not being able to spell “potato”. It was seen to disqualify him as a potential Presidential candidate. Standards. Time to think and act in that way again.

· If you fly from Fukuoka, Japan to Palm Beach Florida, your ticket will say FUK-DJT.

· I’ll just leave this here: “Infertility is genetic. If you’re parents cannot have kids, neither can you.” Robert Kennedy Jnr, US Secretary of State for Health.

· E Jean Carrol has received her payment from Trump ($5.6 million) for his sexual assault of her. No one has even suggested impeachment or removal from office.

· Prince William is now a £ billionaire – far richer than his dad, King Charles III.

· The Duchess of Sussex (aka Megham Markle), busy preparing for her guest judge role on Australia’s Master Chef, secured an Emmy nomination for her now axed show “With Love, Meghan.” Wonders never cease.

· Sir Keir Starmer (almost done as Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour – the highest honour from France. In the UK, he was given a voucher for 5 free Cornish Pasties from Greg’s.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and still going strong). Unusual policy proposals during British elections:

· Claudia Winkleman’s fringe to be declared a protected monument

· An urgent public inquiry to find out if the Hokey Cokey is really what it’s all about

· Anyone wearing sunglasses hanging down the front of their shirt or on their forehead (or the back of their head!) should be fined $500 on the spot.

· Every shower in the world should have the same exact controls

· All fruit ciders to be taxed at 50% VAT (GST). Traditional apple ciders to be VAT (GST) free.

· Parkinson’s Law to be reintroduced.

· Anyone who tells you they are a vegan within the first five minutes of a conversation should have to eat a bacon sandwich.

· We commit to finishing the building of Stone Henge

· We will put a revolving door at 10 downing street.

· Heated toilet seats for pensioners will be installed for free.

· Andy Burnham will introduce a Ministry for the Standardisation of Tupperware Lids.

· Anyone beginning a sentence with “At the end of the day…” must immediately end the day and go home.

New Definitions Based on the names of World Cup Players

· Messi - untidy

· Neymar - no mum

· Brobbey. Japanese Mr Blobby

· Mbappe - song by Hanson

· Mukau (Dr Congo) - bovine

· Infantino- small child.

· Haaland - what Americans would call The Netherlands (if they could find it on a map)

· Castagna - “I can’t stand you” in Glaswegian.

· Martinez - what Bond drinks when he’s in Glasgow.

· Barcola - the coke they serve in pubs

· Lukaku – the toilet is broken.

· Bellingham – somewhere in Lincolnshire where they make church bells.

· Rodri – a small road.

· Pedri – what your feet do on a bicycle.

· Musiala – an over-enthusiastic West Midlands music teacher.

· Olmo – a particularly relaxed greeting: “Olmo!”

· Grealish – unpleasantly oily.

· Saka – a Japanese drink served in a northern pub.

· Kane – what you walk with after being tackled by Haaland.

· Walker – someone who can’t afford VAR.

· Palmer – somebody who predicts your future while on holiday in Blackpool.

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quotes to Guide the Walk: “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’” - Alfred, Lord Tennyson. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe, Wimbledon Champion 1977.

NATO nations met in Türkiye. En route, the Canadian Prime Minister announced a major $100 billion defence purchase (they said it would be a lot less, but this is what it will really cost) from a Norwegian-German partnership who will build 12 new submarines (we currently have one semi-functioning submarine and responsibility for three oceans). It is unlikely to sway an increasingly belligerent US President, hellbent on destroying NATO. He sees NATO as still dependent on US armed forces and support and resents the fact that not a single NATO country supported his war with Iran (under NATO’s constitution and rule book, they could not). He wants 5% of GDP defence spending accelerated and threatens to pull troops and support whenever anyone suggests otherwise.

In Gaza, Hamas has announced it is disbanding its Gaza government and handing over to the Palestinian Technocratic Committee. It said nothing about disarmament. This is their attempt to rekindle the peace process, stalled as Trump and his comrades dither and dally over other issues. It puts pressure on Israel to do something, though they will be more likely not to.

In Ukraine, Russia launched yet another massive attack. Poo Tin and Zelensky both talked with Trump and Trump is again looking for some kind of cease fire. The situation in Ukraine was a major topic at the NATO summit. Poo Tin isn’t interested in a deal unless he gets a significant chunk of Ukraine.

Despite both the US Senate and House passing “no-war with Iran” resolutions, the war is back on. Missiles and drones are flying around the region, and Trump says the “cease-fire” is off because the Iranians are “scum.” Trump says peace talks can continue, but he doesn’t trust the Iranian’s “as far as he can spit” (about 1.5 inches). Trump’s illegal actions will come back to haunt him, not that anyone cares. Meanwhile, the marathon funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei culminated with a final procession and televised prayer at Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad where he was buried.

The French President, Macron, nearly got blown up on his visit to Damascus in Syria (he got lost en route to the NATO summit). He was staying at the Four Seasons, and someone blew up the nearby Days Inn, thinking he might be staying there. Meanwhile, Marine le Pen, Trump’s bête noire (he calls her Betty), lost her appeal against her embezzlement conviction but did manage to persuade the judge to let her run in the 2027 Presidential Election despite being tagged and under house arrest.

US Senator Mitch McConnell (84) was found unconscious at his home on June 14th. CPR was administered and he was hospitalized. He is still there. No bulletins have been released, so rumours spread – e.g. “he’s brain dead,” or “he is still unconscious.” Meanwhile, his wife Elaine Chao (74) went to Beijing on June 17^th to chat with Vice President Han Zhang. Why they talked and what they discussed are unknown, and the authority under which she engaged in this conversation is unclear (the Logan Act makes it clear that she would need permission from the office of the Secretary of State). She returned on July 7th. If Mitch is incapable of undertaking his duties as a Senator, he should resign. If he is incapable of making that decision because he is unconscious or brain-dead, then Elaine Chao should come clean about what is going on.

Lindsay Graham, one of the characters of the US Senate and a blow-valve, has died suddenly. He was 71. He can finally go back in the closet.

At least 12 people have died, and 600 were evacuated in a wildfire in southern Spain, with early indications suggesting four of the victims are British. The fire is around Los Gallardos, Almería, which appears to have been caused by a downed power line. This is near my sister’s home – she is safe.

Britain’s Nigel Farrrrrrrrage, leader of the racist Reform Party, is playing Panto early this year – he is the evil wizard who now wants to force a by-election in his Clacton constituency. He is cheesed off that the media, the House ethics and standards committee, and others are investigating the various multi-million-pound “gifts” he received before he was elected to parliament, which he did not declare. The other major parties are refusing to put up candidates and play Farrrrrrrrage’s game, so unless Count Binface (a joke candidate) stands, he will be declared the winner without a £323,000 election. This stunt, variously described as a desperate attempt to distract and as amazingly stupid, is typical of Farrrrrrrrage. This may be the one election that Count Binface could win. The vote will be on 13^th August.

Andy Burnham will become the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on July 20^th. He is not being challenged by any sitting Labour MP – he is the recently elected MP for Makerfield. Until a few weeks ago, he was Mayor of Manchester. Why anyone thinks he will be a great PM is beyond most of our understanding. The key question, at least in the next 10-15 days is who will be in his cabinet – just how much of a shake-up will there be? Let’s hope for a lot of change.

FIFA is increasingly seen as a pathetic organization. In the most recent debacle, it overturned a red-card decision against a US player – birthright citizen Folarin Balogun. He got the red card after a challenge similar to one by Lionel Messi in a different game. Balogun’s studs ended up raking down the back of Tarik Muharemovic’s right Achilles tendon - the entirely unintentional consequence of a collision in which the two players became interlocked. Messi was not punished. Balogun was barred from playing for the US team in the next game. Until, that is, Trump intervened, and FIFA overturned the red card, leading to several astounded and irate football organizations to protest. Most vocal was UEFA, which issued a statement denouncing “the unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” to allow Balogun to play. Trump pardons criminals, rapists, rioters and thieves all the time (especially those who pay him to do so). FIFA doesn’t have to. This is both a sports issue and, more significantly, one of credibility and trust. Trump has no credibility and his trust level is beneath that of a centipede on acid. He is dragging FIFA down (seemingly willingly) with him. Sad to see.

Prince Harry was in the UK to hear the outcome of his long-term legal battle against the Daily Mail (phone hacking) – he and several others (including Sir Elton John) lost their case. He is also doing some work on his Invictus Games and other charities. Denied accommodation at Buckingham Palace, he is likely staying near his uncle Andrew’s favourite eatery – the Pizza Express in Woking. There’s a Premier Inn nearby. He moved after Meghan and the two kids arrived and stayed at the Ibis using his family rate card. Buckingham Palace later confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children on Friday afternoon at Highgrove. It is the first time that the King has seen Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, since June 2022, during Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Anne Widdecombe’s political career spanned decades - she served as a UK MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and worked as a Home Office minister and later as an employment minister in John Major’s government between 1994 and 1997. She then shifted to Reform and represented her views in the European Parliament. She was also a contestant on Dance with the Stars (she was dreadful) and Celebrity Big Brother (worse). She was a fun, super-smart and old-fashioned character. She was murdered in her home in a village on Dartmoor. She was 76. Police are looking for suspects.

Sports: The final week of Wimbledon and the final eight took shape at the start of the week. (Just a reminder – winners of the men’s and women’s singles each take home £3.6 million (CAN$6.8 million) in prize money.) The four women added to the list on Monday were Paolini, Kostyuk, Mertens and Noskova. On the men’s side, Cobolli, Frtiz, Fery (last Brit in the competition – ranked 114^th in the world and here thanks to a wildcard) and Zverev.

Coco Gauff moved onto the semi-finals – the furthest she has been in this tournament. She played a masterful game against Paolini. Sadly, she lost in an exciting, tense game to Muchova in a final set tie-break. In the other semifinal, Noskova beat Kostyuk in a not-very-exciting match. This set up an all-Czech final.

Canadian Felix Ali-Aliassime was up against the GOAT (greatest of all time), Djokovic and fought valiantly, losing in five sets which included three tie breaks. We should all be proud of Felix’s achievement. The men’s semi-final saw the new British wonderkid, Arthur Frey (23), up against Zverev and Sinner against Djokovic. Frey has had a remarkable run and played well, thanks to his wildcard entry. Shame he lost his semifinal to Zverev and Sinner easily beat Djokovic in straight sets.

So now we have the two 2026 champions: for the women, Linda Noskova missed five championship points in the second set, but eventually won a decisive victory in the third over her Czech colleague, Karolina Muchova. Jannik Sinner retained his title in what was initially a tough match against Alexander Zverev. In the end, Sinner won three of the four sets.

[As an aside: Research by sports economists suggests that a family with a child who eventually reaches the ATP Top 100 may have spent around US$1.5 million over 15–20 years. That is comparable to the cost of sending a child to a top private school and then an Ivy League university - except there is no guarantee of any return from tennis.]

The FIFA (Fo-Fum) world cup matches continued, despite the FIFA nonsense (see above). Spain beat Portugal 1-0 to get into the final 8. Fittingly, Belgium beat the US 4-1 in a game which should not have been played under FIFA’s own rules. Argentina beat Egypt, and (miracle of miracles) and both Norway and Switzerland moved on. France faced Morrocco and won 2-0. Spain beat Belgium. England faced Norway (row row row you boat) in Florida in the stifling humidity, It took extra time, but England won 2-1 and will now go to the semi-finals in Atlanta (another hot place) where they will face Argentina.

In rugby, the next round of the Nations matches took an interesting turn. New Zealand beat Italy, France beat Australia, Ireland beat Japan, England totally hammered Fiji (73-8), South Africa beat Scotland and Argentina beat Wales. This leaves Ireland clear at the top of the Northern Hemisphere table and South Africa tops the southern table.

In a strange move, the International Olympic Committee has lifted the suspension of Russia from the IOC family, imposed after its invasion of Ukraine. Saying that it accepts that the Russian Olympic committee no longer sought to control areas of the Ukraine in terms of sporting activity. Athletes will compete in the Winter Games and Summer Games from now on.

A reader suggested I should mention the Tour de France. So, I just did.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Few twentieth-century composers wrote symphonies of such emotional intensity as Allan Pettersson. Forged in the shadow of poverty, chronic illness, and personal struggle, his seventeen symphonies are not easy listening, yet they reward patience with extraordinary emotional and architectural power. The recent release pairing Symphonies Nos. 7 and 16, by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, is a timely reminder of why Pettersson remains one of Scandinavia’s greatest symphonists. Symphony No. 7, the work that established Pettersson’s international reputation after its 1968 premiere, unfolds as a vast, single-span journey from darkness toward hard-won affirmation. It combines relentless rhythmic drive with soaring lyricism in music of overwhelming expressive force. Symphony No. 16, by contrast, is more concentrated and distinctive, incorporating an alto saxophone into its orchestral palette to create a haunting, elegiac sound world. Together, these two works reveal both the consistency of Pettersson’s uncompromising artistic vision and the remarkable breadth of his imagination. Expertly played by the Stockholm musicians who have long championed his music, this release is an essential addition to the catalogue for anyone interested in the twentieth-century symphonic tradition.

Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer whose distinctive husky voice became one of the defining sounds of 1980s, has died aged 75. Best remembered for Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero, and It’s a Heartache, she combined emotional intensity with extraordinary vocal power. Her music transcended generations, ensuring her place as one of Britain’s most enduring and beloved recording artists. I can’t think of a major social event with music – weddings, wakes, grad parties – where her voice wasn’t heard. RIP - roedd ganddi lais anhygoe, as we say in Wales.

One of the greatest orchestral conductors of all time, and who is still working, is Hebert Blomstedt. He just celebrated his 99^th birthday by conducting Mozart. Just amazing. His recordings of the symphonies of Carl Nielson are simply outstanding.

A Drink and a Book at the End of This Walk: The Valentino differs from the Negroni in its ratios. Rather than equal parts of each component (gin, vermouth and Campari), it calls for four parts spirit (gin, vodka or bourbon) to one part Campari and vermouth. This puts the focus more squarely on the spirit, producing a stronger and less bitter cocktail than the classic. Serve with a twist of orange peel. Cory Doctorow’s The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI is one of the sharpest and most provocative books yet written about artificial intelligence - not because it focuses on the technology itself, but because it asks who benefits from it. Doctorow’s central distinction between the “centaur,” where humans use AI to augment their capabilities, and the “reverse centaur,” where humans become servants to algorithmic systems, is a memorable framework for understanding today’s workplace. Rather than fearing superintelligent machines, he argues that the immediate danger lies in corporate incentives, investor hype, and management practices that reduce skilled professionals to machine supervisors. The book is witty, accessible, and unapologetically polemical. Doctorow dismantles many of the extravagant claims surrounding AI while acknowledging that well-designed AI tools can genuinely enhance human work when people retain agency over how they use them. Although critics may find his analysis overly focused on the economics of Big Tech, his arguments about labour, power, and the political economy of AI deserve serious attention. Whether or not one agrees with all of his conclusions, this is an important contribution to the AI debate. It shifts the conversation from “What can AI do?” to the far more significant question: “Who is AI being built to serve?” That alone makes it essential reading for educators, policymakers, business leaders, and anyone seeking a more critical understanding of the AI revolution.

Food: Pork fried rice is one of those dishes that transforms simple ingredients into something deeply satisfying, especially with a spicy kick. Start with day-old cooked rice, which fries beautifully without turning sticky. Sauté diced pork until lightly caramelized, then add onion, garlic, ginger and colourful vegetables such as peas, carrots and red pepper. Stir in the cold pre-cooked rice and season generously with soy sauce and a splash of oyster sauce for depth and richness. Add a teaspoon of sesame oil at the end for a wonderful aroma. For a spicy twist, sprinkle in red pepper flakes or finely chopped fresh red chilli, adjusting the heat to suit your taste. A dash of white pepper and a handful of sliced spring onions complete the dish, while folding in a beaten egg adds extra texture. Quick to prepare and endlessly adaptable, this is comfort food with enough heat to keep every mouthful interesting.

The Globe and Mail (which claims the status of Canada’s national newspaper) ran a column on the top 10 nostalgic restaurants in Canada. For Edmonton, they feature Bistro Praha – the first restaurant I visited in the City in 1984. The menu is the same as it was then (it is and has always been a great Hungarian restaurant). They moved – some idiot set the building they used to be in on fire as part of an attempted insurance scam that went wrong – but they still serve great food in a nice, quiet atmosphere. Always like eating there – beef goulash with dumplings to die for, as is their steak tartare.

TV & Film: The TV series Ponies, starring Emilia Clark, Adam Lester and Amy Lou Richardson, is addictive. The premise is simple. Two secretaries at the US Russian embassy circa 1977 are told that their husbands died in a plane crash. They volunteer to become spies. Mayhem ensues. It is a bit of a comedy-caper series (8 episodes), but it also has some strong storylines. If you enjoyed The Americans or love a good cold war agent story, Ponies is definitely for you. It’s an engaging and pleasant watch with a great atmosphere and wonderful soundtrack. The film this week is Tuner - a talented piano tuner who suffers from hyperacusis (massive sensitivity to sounds) discovers an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down. Leo Woodall (Nuremberg, Harry Potter) and the Canadian actress Alisen Richmond-Peck (Gracepoint, 12 Monkey’s) star with an appearance by Dustin Hoffman. Not a bad film. Not wonderful either.

Quick Thoughts:

· There were more algae than people at Trump’s 250th-anniversary celebration of the US.

· Trump said that the Islamic Republic of Japan shot 111 missiles at US targets. The man’s dementia is getting worse.

· Trump is what happens when the ventriloquist dies, but the dummy keeps talking.

· Trump asked Zelensky if he’d be willing to go to Moscow. Zelensky’s response: “I don’t know, it’s very dangerous there – Moscow is under almost constant attack from Ukrainian drones.”

· Can’t wait to get back to the Islamic Republic of Japan for some halal sushi.

· I was asked to name my favourite vegetable. I said: Mitch McConnell.

· Mitch McConnel isn’t well. A nurse yelled in his ear, “There’s a black President trying to fill a Supreme Court vacancy!” and he didn’t even blink.

· FIFA now stands for Fixed it For America.

· Melania said that she hardly knew Ghislaine Maxwell of the Epstein files. An analysis of the files shows that Melania had dinner with Ghislaine 135 times and vacationed with her 27 times. Clearly, she hardly knew her. Melania was also “never” an prostitute escort. Right.

· Lady Lynne came back from the grocery store with corned beef, potatoes, onions, leeks and carrots. Hope she doesn’t make a hash of it.

· Whenever I eat rice, I end up being short of breath. I think I might be Basmatic.

· In 2025, just 125 boys were named Andrew in the UK – down from 1,626 in 1985.

· J K Rowling is the first writer in history to become a billionaire from her writing.

· ASAP in Italy means Aperol Spritz and Pasta.

· A friend asked me how much they should spend on a bottle of wine. My response was that 15-20 minutes was probably enough.

· On July 7^th we celebrated Mahler’s 166^th birthday. I played a lot of Mozart.

· I think I have my addiction to singing The Lion King under control, though I realize that a relapse is just a whim away, whim away, whim away….

· The most expensive vehicle I have ever operated is a Costco shopping cart.

· Joke candidate to face Count Binface in the Clacton byelection.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and still going): The Spice and Condiment Songbook

· Thyme after thyme

· Seasoning in the Sun

· Mustard be Love

· Whole Lotta Rosemary

· Pepper Don’t Preach

· The Lemongrass of Home

· Parsley the Dutchie on the Left-Hand Side

· Cumin to My Life

· Curry Anne

· Sweet Paprika O’ Mine

· All Spice Now

· I’ve Got You, Bay Leaf

· Sage Against the Machine

· The Dill is Gone

· Tarragon Me Softly

· When Will I Be Clove?

· Nutmeg in the Middle with You

· Ain’t No Mountain Chai Enough

· Red Red Wine Vinegar

· Lucy in the Sky with Cardamoms

· Bridge Over Troubled Watercress

· Nothing Compares 2 Yuzu

· Anise in Wonderland

New Definitions of Musical Terms (with some help from Dr Hayley Simons):

· Allegro - a cheerful refusal to walk.

· Adagio - an apology delivered at half speed.

· Cadenza - the moment the musician remembers they are in charge.

· Crescendo - what happens when a quiet argument turns into a family meeting.

· Decrescendo - the sound of enthusiasm leaving the room.

· Forte - a castle where the band is very loud.

· Piano - a large piece of furniture with opinions.

· Sonata - a song that has gone to university.

· Symphony - a very long way of saying “we need more violins.”

· Overture - the musical equivalent of clearing your throat politely.

· Aria - a tune sung by someone who has dramatically entered the room.

· Opera - an argument in formal wear that lasts all evening.

· Concerto - a polite disagreement between soloist and orchestra.

· Requiem - a piece of music written after the mood has gone missing.

· Tempo - the rate at which musicians pretend they are not late.

· Rubato - taking time out of a piece and not giving it back.

· Staccato - speech for people with a lot to say and very little patience.

· Legato - the musical art of refusing to stop.

· Tritone - what happens when a chord has had one drink too many.

· Clef - the tiny symbol that decides whether everyone understands the rest.

· Octave - a polite interval that sounds one story higher than itself.

· Flat - a note that has lost confidence.

· Sharp - a note that has become slightly hostile.

· Encore - the audience’s way of saying, “Do that again, but with less dignity.”

· Metronome - a machine designed to remind musicians they are being judged.

· A cappella - when you’re the only one who showed up for the gig

· Fermata - that one guest who refuses to take the hint that the party’s over

· Pianissimo - I see your lips moving, but I can’t hear what you’re saying

· Pianississimo - I’ve now given up bothering to listen to you

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quotes to Guide the Walk: “Hope is not a strategy, but without hope there is no strategy worth pursuing” (standard leadership theory thinking); and “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” - Martin Luther.

Russia launched a massive attack using both drones and missiles on Kyiv, Ukraine, killing at least 18. The war seems unending, devastation continues

, and no one is willing to sit down and talk. This is also the case in Gaza – Israel continues to bomb, maim and kill, as it is doing in Lebanon.

Remarkably, eight days after the double earthquake in Venezuela, which has killed over 3,342, left 35,000 missing, and left thousands homeless, a man was rescued from the rubble of a car park. Hospitals and morgues are overflowing; doctors fear large-scale disease outbreaks as bodies rot inside collapsed buildings. Food, water and shelter are scarce.

The Vatican acted quickly when faced with the unsanctioned consecration of four bishops by the Society of St Pius X (SSPX). The SSPX and those who participated in the ceremony have all been excommunicated, and SSPX priests (1,500 of them) around the world have been advised that they are at risk. This schism goes back a while – SSPX rejects the work and consequences of the Vatican Council in the 1960s, which changed the way the church functions in the world. They are “traditionalists”, whatever that now means. One consequence: the Vatican makes clear that baptisms and marriages conducted by any of the 1,500 priests attached to SSPX are no longer considered legitimate.

In Iran, the six-day funeral of the former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, began. Thousands attended, including three of his children. Missing was his son and successor – he has not been seen in public since his appointment.

Donald Trump had a long chat about the Panama Canal with Abraham Lincoln (well, an AI-enabled hologram). Most observers are pretty sure he thought he was talking to a real person. After all, he’s been talking to fantasy Iranians for weeks. He has also visited Mount Rushmore, posing for a stone mason to see what his image would like carved into the mountain. Someone is going to have to move mountains to make this happen.

Taylor Swift (now aka as Mrs. Kelce) is now married to Travis Kelce – they took their vows at Maddison Square Garden, a well-known venue for weddings, Bar Mitzva’s and the odd sporting event. Adam Sandler officiated – probably his best role in recent years, certainly better than his role in A Day with the Meatball (2002). News coverage of what Taylor wore, what the couple said and who was there was more extensive than the coverage of any wedding since the then Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 (let’s hope Travis and Taylor’s lasts longer than the 11 years of that royal couple’s [strange] marriage!).

Many US 4th of July celebrations were curtailed or cancelled due to extreme heat. The 250th Year State Fair in Washington was closed due to heat (and the fact that hardly anyone showed up). Sad really. 1,000 people listened to Trump’s speech (he said it was 45,000, maybe 70,000) and found it nowhere near as exciting as a bucket of lard.

Canadian legend and country singer Tommy Hunter has died aged 89. I have always said he was responsible for the late 1960s Canadian baby boom. He has his own TV show in prime time, and as couples began to watch, they realized they could be doing better things. So the baby boom happened. RIP Tommy Hunter and thanks for the song Mary in the Morning.

Sports: With just minutes to go in its World Cup round of 32 match, England managed to score the two winning goals against the DRC (in the end, they won 2-1) to advance to the round of 16. It was a close thing. Next, they play (at altitude) against Mexico on Monday. Canada went up against Morocco in Mexico and lost 3-0, despite a valiant effort. Norway shocks the world and beats Brazil to reach the quarter finals. France moves on to the final 8 and is tipped to win the competition. England, much to the surprise of many, beat soccer legends Mexico 3-2 and also move on to the final eight – amazing game.

At Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic gave a tennis masterclass in his game against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic, who was simply outstanding, won 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. A well-deserved win. Also well-deserved was the success of Frances Tiafoe, who also showed valiant play in his match against Brit Jan Choinski (ranked 100th in the world). Sadly, Tiafoe was beaten in his next match after five gruelling and challenging sets by Bublik.

Daniil Medvedev showed his usual anger and bitterness in defeat – he lost after three tie-break sets to Jan-Lennard Struff. Daniil smashed his racket on the ground several times. Not a good role model. Case in point: the German teen sensation Ida Wobker (15) was competing in the women’s junior match at Wimbledon not long after the Daniil incident. In her frustration at a bad shot, she hurled her racket on the ground, which bounced and went into the crowd. She was disqualified and forced to forfeit the match.

A terrific game from a young Filipina – Alexandra Eala (ranked 29th) – she beat Iga Swiatek (ranked 3rd) 7-6, 6-2. She is the first Filipina to reach this stage at Wimbledon, despite a leg strain. In this same spirit, Elsie Matens (ranked 25th) beat Elena Rybakina (ranked 2nd) 7-6, 6-1. Neither made much progress after these big wins.

We’re now getting down to the last eight (and have opened a second bottle of Pimm’s #1). Good to see the following in the quarterfinals so far: Pegula, Osaka, Muchova and Gauff and in the men’s, Djokovic, Auger-Aliassime, Sinner and Struff.

The much-awaited Venus (46) and Serena (44) doubles return was cancelled due to Serena’s knee injury. They were meant to play Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra. The Williams sisters hold 6 doubles titles.

In Formula 1 at Silverstone (UK), Kimi Antonelli secured pole position and Sir Lewis Hamilton started at number 3 on his favourite track (he has won at Silverstone nine times). App 180,000 attended. The race was won by Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), followed by Russell (Mercedes) and Hamilton (Ferrari).

In the rugby Nations matches (always terrific to watch), Japan beat Italy, Ireland beat Australia – a very close game - New Zealand beat France in a tense and close match, Wales beat Fiji, and South Africa easily beat England. England and Italy are at the bottom of the Northern Hemisphere international league table.

Soundtrack for the Walk: The Ubuntu Ensemble brings together technical brilliance and profound humanity. Named after the South African philosophy of ubuntu—”I am because we are”- the ensemble’s performances embody the idea that music is fundamentally an act of shared experience. Led by double bassist Leon Bosch, its musicians combine impeccable ensemble playing with an unmistakable warmth of tone and expressive generosity. Rather than treating chamber music as an exercise in precision alone, they infuse it with a deep sense of cultural identity, drawing connections between the European classical tradition and the rich musical heritage of South Africa. Their performances are distinguished by rhythmic vitality, lyrical sensitivity, and an emotional honesty that lingers long after the final note. The Ubuntu Ensemble reminds us that great music is not simply performed - it is shared, and in that sharing lies its greatest power. See and hear them: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntu5VuA1Y9o

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear is one of the timeliest books on democracy and civic responsibility to appear in recent years. Rather than offering a polemic, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julia Angwin and co-author Ami Fields-Meyer ask a more practical question: how do ordinary people find the courage to resist intimidation, defend democratic institutions, and act with integrity when fear becomes a political tool? Drawing on interviews with more than 100 dissidents, activists and scholars from around the world, they distil lessons from countries that have already confronted democratic backsliding into a thoughtful guide for citizens rather than professional activists. What makes the book distinctive is its insistence that courage is not an innate quality possessed by heroes but a habit that can be cultivated through community, preparation and small acts of principled resistance. At times its focus is unmistakably American, but its central message travels well: democracies are sustained less by constitutions than by citizens willing to defend them. For readers concerned about the future of liberal democracy, this is an important, hopeful and highly practical contribution.

TV & Film: Holy Days is an unabashedly old-fashioned feel-good film, but one with enough heart, humour and emotional honesty to win over all but the most cynical viewers. Set against the spectacular landscapes of 1970s New Zealand, it follows three elderly nuns and a grieving Māori boy on a road trip that becomes a meditation on loss, friendship, forgiveness and belonging. Miriam Margolyes is, as ever, gloriously irrepressible, stealing scenes with impeccable comic timing while revealing surprising tenderness beneath the eccentricity. Alongside Judy Davis and Jacki Weaver, she anchors a cast whose chemistry carries the film through its very predictable moments. Although the plot occasionally leans too heavily into sentimentality and familiar road-movie conventions, Holy Days succeeds because it never loses sight of its central message: hope and human connection are often found in the most unlikely companions (something Andy Burnham may want to keep in mind). It is a warm, life-affirming film that leaves audiences smiling rather than challenged - and sometimes that is exactly what a movie should do, especially on yet another wet afternoon.

On the TV front (apart from World Cup and Wimbledon coverage), it’s the summer season, so somewhat light. However, Amanda Owen (The Yorkshire Shepherdess) will soon be back with Our Farm Next Door (UK C4) and on 12th July, we can watch the new series of The Piano, when ordinary folk play a piano in a UK railway station, and some get selected to perform in a major concert at the Albert Hall. Also, on 16th September, we welcome a JACK REACHER spin-off – Negley with Maria Sten in the lead role. This was filmed almost entirely in Toronto.

Food: Corned beef is one of those ingredients that rewards simplicity, but it can also anchor surprisingly satisfying meals. The first option is a classic corned beef hash. Dice potatoes and roast them in the oven, chop a red pepper and onions, fry, then fold in chopped corned beef from a tin or the deli together with the roast potatoes. Season with thyme, black pepper, paprika, and a little mustard. Top with a poached egg, allowing the yolk to enrich the hash. A second meal is a warm Reuben-inspired sandwich. Layer thinly sliced deli corned beef (or flaked tinned corned beef), Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. Butter the outside and grill until golden and the cheese has melted. Serve with dill pickles and a green salad. For something lighter, make a corned beef and vegetable pasta skillet. Sauté garlic, mushrooms, peas, and cherry tomatoes in olive oil, toss with cooked penne or fusilli, then stir through chunks of corned beef. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, chopped parsley, cracked black pepper, and a scattering of grated Parmesan. Finally, a school favourite – mix mashed potato with mashed corned beef from a tin and pop into a pie crust. Serve with peas. This needs good-quality gravy. The result is a quick, economical meal that balances the richness of the beef with fresh vegetables and bright flavours. I grew up loving corned beef and haven’t lost my taste for it.

Quick Thoughts

· The crowd at the 250^th US Celebration was so large that they had to bring in a second porta potty.

· The two winning goals in the US match against Bosnia-Herzegovina were scored by players who were born in the US and therefore held US citizenship by birthright.

· The UAE owns 50% of the Trump family’s crypto business. No conflicts of interest here!

· I am thinking of forming a society of meek people, if this is OK with everyone else?

· My new book Basements of the Rich is on the best cellars list.

· New Trump biopic to be called The Devil Wears Depends!

· JD Vance’s Catholicism is about as deep as a half-full thimble.

· Bad grammar can kill. Sign by a river in Florida: Crocodiles Do Not Swin Here.

· Since the Gaza ceasefire began, Israel has killed over 1,000 Palestinians.

· Hunter Biden has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize using his claim that he has secured peace with Iran 38 times so far. No one has ever ended the same war so many times, especially in such a short time.

· Just one black man – Arthur Ashe in 1975 – has won the Men’s Championship at Wimbledon.

I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 50 years and still going). Films with a farming angle:

· Sheepless in Seattle

· Flock, Stock and Two Smoking Barn owls

· 50 Shades of Hay

· Die Herd

· Slurry with a Fringe on Top

· A Tractor Named Desire

· No Country for Old Ewes

· Beverly Hills Crop

· A Few Good Hens

· The Maize Runner

· That’ll Be the Hay

· Planet of the Grapes

· How the Wheat was Won

New Definitions:

· Allege – slightly bigger than a windowsill

· Surfer – what you sit on in Hull

· Turtle – the size of your final restaurant bill in Hull

· Caustic – my goodness: a Twig!

· Discreet – a man from Hull pointing to the largest Greek Island

· Blurted – having a full stomach in Hull

· Latex – sleeping with a former partner in Yorkshire

· Hedonistic – a very basic scarecrow

· Arbitrator – a very argumentative potato

· Pessimist – a very unhappy fog

· Therapist – 1,024 gigabytes of counselling

· Lighthouse – not very heavy dwelling

· Windowpane – what you feel after headbutting the patio doors

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening. Do have a great Canada Day

Quote to Guide the Walk: “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” - William Shakespeare; “Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.” - Francis Bacon; “Pessimist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both.”
- Oscar Wilde. I was thinking of the UK, Andy Burnham, and his Prime Ministerial ambitions – along the lines of “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

The Iranian 60-day ceasefire is falling apart, as predicted. Hezbollah refuse to disarm, which leads Netanyahu to continue to occupy and bomb despite Trump; Iran requires ships passing through the Straits of Hormuz to secure permission to transit or they will be attacked (which has happened). The US retaliates every time Iran breaks the rules agreed upon in the cease-fire, and this leads Iran to attack US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. GOPers in the Senate oppose the ceasefire. A real mess. Trump doesn’t help with his 1.47 am Truth Social rants saying he just might obliterate Iran. JD Vance is being set up to fail. More mess.

The death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela continues to rise, now at 1,943, with some 43,000 still missing. 59,000 buildings were destroyed, and 600,000 people are homeless. The US, which has stolen $35 billion of Venezuela’s oil, sent $150 million in aid.

Ukraine continues to pound Moscow, targeting its energy supply lines. Fuel shortages and power blackouts are not uncommon. Ukraine is also trying to isolate Crimea, making supply lines for Russian troops in the region more difficult. Zelensky has found the cards.

Sir Keir Starmer, the current Head of the walking-dead Prime Minister’s organization, is quietly sabotaging his near-certain successor, Andy Burnham. In yet another volte-face, Starmer added £5 billion to the defence budget but has not indicated where these funds will come from. Burnham will have to either cut the £5 billion or fund it by cutting other programs and services. Meanwhile, Burnham is outlining his plans for further devolution in the UK and navigating competing claims for a role in his government. Burnham could become prime minister as soon as July 20 if he remains the only candidate to succeed Sir Keir Starmer.

Canada has had, for a great many years, a trade agreement with the US worth approximately $2 trillion a year. On July 1st, the agreement (the current version is known as CUSMA) was due for a regular renewal. Trump, who tore up the last version and implemented this one, says it’s a bad deal (he doesn’t seem to remember that he made it) and that he doesn’t need anything from Canada (not at all true, but then truth isn’t one of Trump’s things). If it is not renewed, it will continue for a decade with an annual review. Mark Carney’s (Canadian PM) strategy is to not get excited. Wait until Trump dies and then talk to the next President in the hope that they have a brain. Carney reckons that Trump will be gone sooner rather than later. Let’s hope he’s right.

E Jean Caroll, former journalist, will get her $5 million initial payment for Trump’s sexual assault and defamation case – the US Supreme Court being unwilling to get involved. It’s something. She is owed a further $83.3 million from a separate 2024 judgment, which Trump is appealing. The sexual predator (self-confessed on TV) and misogynist is getting his comeuppance, if you know what I mean. In most sane countries, a President found guilty of sexual assault and defamation would resign. Indeed, a President accused by over 25 women of assault would never have been elected.

Despite his pleas for the Society of St. Pius X not to proceed with the appointment of three bishops not sanctioned by the Vatican, the appointments were made, and the fragile schism between SSPX and the Vatican began. SSPX is a traditionalist sect that believes the mainstream church is abandoning principles and teachings central to Catholicism. This will get nasty. There are around 1,500 SSPX priests and bishops and app. 500,000 followers worldwide (largely in the US).

Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan, and their two children were due in the UK in July, but the trip is already derailed. The UK Government refused a request from the couple to provide 24x7 protection and security. Meghan and the children may not travel, and it is almost certain that the children will not meet King Charles, their grandfather, as planned.

Jokes circulation in Moscow:

Zelensky meets Poo Tin and says “Knock – Knock”

Poo Tin says, “Who is there?’

Zelensky says, “Crimea”

Poo Tin says, “Crimea who?”

Zelensky says, “Crimea River”

Sports: England played a much stronger attacking game against Panama and won 2-1. Scotland are on their way home, unable to compete in the knockout round. Their manager, Steve Clarke, quit despite having just signed a four-year extension to his contract. He’d been the Scottish manager since 2019. The South Korean manager also resigned following their elimination. Also out are Germany, Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Sweden and Japan.

Canada played South Africa and won, scoring a goal in injury time to advance to the sixteen-team round – the most successful Canadian team in World Cup history. The second half was a solid, fast, and interesting game. A 1-0 win was all Canada needed. Alfonso Davis played the final 15 minutes and brought new vitality to the team just when they needed it. Next, they will play Morocco who defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out. Houston, Saturday. Analysts favour Morocco.

France played a spectacular game against Sweden, beating them 3-0. Their manager, Didier Deschamps, had just returned from his mother’s funeral and gave the players a largely free range. It paid off. They increasingly look like the team to beat.

In Formula One, the championship is heating up in Austria. On the starting grid, we had Russell (Mercedes), Leclerc (Ferrari), Hamilton (Ferrari) and Antonelli (Mercedes). It was a terrific race. Russel won, followed by Verstappen and Antonelli. Antonelli continues to lead the drivers’ championship.

At Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu is injured and will not play – she has a stress fracture in her right leg. Sad, but sensible. The players have also decided not to protest the Wimbledon prize money after all and will now give longer press conferences and interviews in which they say things like “I hit the ball hard and try not to hit the net!” Expect quality Private Eye Mediaballs over the next two weeks.

Serena Williams (44) returned to play singles – she went up against Maya Joint and, though she gave us a great game, lost to the 20-year-old Australian. Serena will play doubles with her older sister Venus (46).

Stan Wawrinka (41), a once great Swiss player, is retiring from tennis and played a valiant match at Wimbledon to the delight of the crowd. In his career, he has won the Australian, French and US Open. He’ll be fine. His net worth is around $35 million.

Can’t leave Wimbledon without noting that the wonderful former player and excellent BBC commentator, Chris Everett, is again battling aggressive cancer and will not be part of the broadcast team this year. She is already missed.

It is a busy weekend coming up: Wimbledon, the World Cup (Canada plays Saturday), the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and the Rugby Nations Championships. May need a rest next week.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: The drink is an unusual cocktail called Remember the Maine. 2oz rye whisky, a hint of absinthe, sweet vermouth and a touch of cherry liquor. Serve with an alcohol-enriched cherry. The book is Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan: Regime Change - Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. They draw on hundreds of interviews and unparalleled access to portray a presidency that is more confident, more centralized, and less constrained than Donald Trump’s first term. Rather than dwelling on personalities alone, they argue that the United States is witnessing a fundamental redefinition of presidential power - hence the book’s title. Whatever one’s politics, the book is difficult to dismiss because of the depth of reporting and the care with which Haberman and Swan reconstruct events. As an early draft of the history of Trump’s second presidency, Regime Change is compelling, unsettling, and likely to become an essential reference point for anyone seeking to understand how American executive power has evolved in the 2020s.

Soundtrack for the Walk: Australian composer and musicologist Linda Kouvaras has forged a distinctive musical voice that combines intellectual depth with emotional immediacy. Her music inhabits a rich landscape where lyricism, dramatic gesture and vivid writing coexist with an unmistakably contemporary harmonic language. Whether writing for solo piano, voice or chamber ensemble, Kouvaras demonstrates an instinctive feel for colour and texture, often drawing inspiration from landscape, literature and the experiences of women. Her piano music is especially compelling, demanding virtuosity while rewarding the listener with music of striking imagination and emotional resonance. Chamber works such as To the Lighthouse reveal her gift for balancing structural clarity with expressive freedom. The recent Toccata Classics recording Linda Kouvaras: Piano Music, Chamber Works and Songs, Vol. 3, featuring the superb soprano Antoinette Halloran, pianist Coady Green and Lyrebird Brass, is an outstanding introduction to her work. Halloran’s incisive performances illuminate Kouvaras’ dramatic vocal writing, while the entire recording confirms the composer as one of Australia’s most original and engaging contemporary voices.

TV & Film: Savage House is a gloriously eccentric period satire (close to a pantomime) that uses the trappings of eighteenth-century England to expose timeless obsessions with status, power and social ambition. Director Peter Glanz balances broad farce with moments of genuine darkness, creating a film that is as unsettling as it is funny. Richard E. Grant is perfectly cast as the deluded, endlessly scheming Sir Chauncey Savage, delivering one of his most exuberant and emotionally layered performances in years. Opposite him, Claire Foy is magnificent as Lady Savage, combining wit, intelligence and simmering frustration with effortless precision. Their chemistry drives every scene. While the narrative occasionally becomes overstuffed with subplots and historical references, the film’s visual splendour, sharp dialogue and fearless performances more than compensate. Savage House succeeds not simply as a costume drama but as an acerbic commentary on vanity, inequality and the absurd lengths people will go to preserve privilege. It is bold, theatrical and highly entertaining, but not for everyone. Put it in the weird-but-wonderful category.

A nice, if not brilliant, film starring Brian Cox and Alan Cummings is based on a simple idea. Two brothers, estranged for 35 years, reunite to decide the future of the family’s 200-year-old whisky distillery. Cummings, a blues singer and pianist, has just lost his Chicago blues club in a fire. Cox has cancer. There is also a great role here for Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Trainspotting, Girl in the Red Dress). It is Cox’s directorial debut. As I say, not a 5-star film, but definitely worth your time. Pour a single malt (or two) and watch Glenrothan.

The UKs National Trust was founded in 1895. Its properties include more than 500 historic houses, castles, archaeological and industrial monuments, gardens, parks, and nature reserves. In its collections, there are over 1 million works of art, antiques, and unique artifacts which need to be inspected, restored, preserved or maintained. Ideal stuff for TV. There are four series (and no doubt more to come) of a great TV show: The Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, narrated by Toby Jones. It’s kind of a posh Repair Shop. Good TV.

The actress Dame Penelope Keith (The Good Life, To the Manor Born) has died from cancer, aged 86. She was a fixture on British TV for many years and will be missed.

Food: Picture a wide, earthenware pot arriving at the table, its contents glowing deep gold, russet and crimson. Tender pieces of chicken have been slowly braised until the meat almost slips from the bone, bathed in a velvety sauce made from tomatoes, onions, and sweet peppers, enriched with ground peanuts. Garlic, ginger and a gentle warmth of chilli mingle with earthy paprika, coriander and cumin, while a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg lingers in the background. Sweet potatoes and carrots melt into the sauce, adding body and a subtle sweetness that balances the savoury richness. As it cooks, the sauce thickens into something luxurious -silky enough to coat the back of a spoon yet brightened by fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon. Every mouthful combines succulent chicken with layers of nutty, smoky and gently spiced flavours. Another version of an African peanut butter stew, which I appear to be becoming obsessed with.

Quick Thoughts:

o In the US, fascism is being used to preserve and promote capitalism while claiming it is necessary to save democracy from communism.

o Thomas Beecham, famous orchestral conductor, once said that one should try everything once except incest and Morris Dancing.

o The Strait of Hormuz is to be renamed Schoedinger’s Strait – it is both open and closed at the same time.

o At the London School of Economics, a conference on the impact of extreme heat on the economy and society was cancelled due to the extreme heat.

o I got accepted as a letter carrier for Canada Post. The appointment letter arrived today. I started three weeks ago last Monday.

o Sir Keir Starmer is considering running for the vacant position of Mayor of Manchester.

o At least 70 people turned out for the Great American State Fair in Washington, DC. Most stayed for about 25 minutes. Trump’s team had expected 100,000. He draws bigger crowds at his medical appointments. In fact, I think there were more people at my colonoscopy.

o The crowd was so small at the State Fair that the planned assassination attempt had to be postponed

o I thought the Panama national anthem was “I’m Dreaming of a Wide Isthmus”

o It’s been so hot in Britain that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor started to sweat.

o How do you get Trump to change a lightbulb? Tell him Obama put it in.

o Two women seem to be missing: The first lady, Melania Trump (last seen at Trump’s 80th birthday party) and the last woman to be caught without an excuse, Sarah Ferguson (66). Sarah was last seen in mid-April at a ski resort in the Alps.

o My doctor tells me I have an irrational fear of German sausages. I fear the wurst.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (On BBC 4 for 55 years and still going) - Things you can say on a bus and in the bedroom:

· Any room on top?

· Ah, this is one of those bendy ones

· Can I go all the way for $1?

· You wait for ages then three of them come at once

· If you ring the bell, he’ll stop

· Is it free for old age pensioners?

· I’m worried about the emissions

· Do you go all night?

· Do you need a hand getting off?

· Please refrain from smoking during the ride

· I’d forgotten how much these old ones rattle

· I haven’t seen the lady from number 22 here before..

· When I was young, you could go all the way for 5 cents

New Definitions

· Beau Geste – a very beautiful French joke

· Gestation – where trains go to rest

· Gestalt – I need the toilet

· Gazpacho – cooking for dyslexics

· Avalanche – what Italian’s do between 12 and 2 pm

· Hermit – a lady’s glove

· Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Nobody knows what it is or means, but apparently it’s Trump’s latest barking mad policy, and he says that it’s “great

Quote to Guide this Walk: “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run”- Kenny Rogers (speaking about gambling); “The graveyards are full of indispensable men“ – Charles de Gaulle.

Sir Keir Starmer has fallen on his sword and resigned as Prime Minister, much to the relief of anyone who cares about the state of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It also looks likely that Andy Burnham, just elected as MP for Makerfield, will be “crowned” as his successor and may be in place in days. Wes Streeting, former cabinet member, is backing him, and we await Angela Rayner’s decision (to challenge Burnham or support him), which will be key. Starmer was a decent lawyer who found himself swimming with sharks in a raging ocean when his skills were those of a pool paddler who needed someone to hold his hand. No doubt he will spend the rest of his days counting matches.

If elected, Burnham would be the seventh British Prime Minister in the last ten years (Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, Starmer, Burnham) – not counting the head of lettuce, which lasted longer than Liz Truss – 6th September to 25th October 2022. No other OECD country has had such a high turnover of leaders over the same time. Larry the cat is the longest-serving resident of 10 Downing Street (and the real brains in the building).

It’s been ten years since the UK voted to leave the EU – the stupidest decision an electorate has made in some time. This is a key reason Britain has become increasingly ungovernable. Economic impacts are also severe, with GDP growth 3-5% lower, reduced investment and trade, and significant labour market pressures (shortages and wage inflation). Simply daft.

Two massive earthquakes (one 7.2 and one 7.5) hit Caracas, Venezuela and killed over 900 people and injured 94,300 – with both these numbers expected to rise dramatically (some suggest as high as 4,500 dead). Some 50,000 are missing, presumed under the rubble. Major buildings collapsed in the worst earthquakes in 100 years.

Negotiations between the US, Iran and regional powers continue. JD Vance was thrilled when he claimed that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspectors looking at what they are doing – something that was a cornerstone of the US-Iran deal Obama struck and Trump tore up. Iran denies that it has made this agreement. What will lead all this to fall apart is Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon and Hezbollah. Despite Trump shouting at Bendamin Like Not on your Yahoo, the attacks continue. Iran closed the Straits of Hormuz because of Bibi’s actions. Trump wants out; Bibi will keep him in. These are not countries for old men to lead. Expect more mayhem and blah-blah.

Latin America has its fourth Trump-like, right-wing leader. Colombia elected (only just) Albarado de la Espriella as its new President. He joins the right-wing, near-fascist cabal with the Presidents of Honduras, Chile and Peru.

It has been very hot in Europe. My sister, who lives in southern Spain, shared her outdoor thermometer reading – 51C. People died in the heat or in the water, trying to get cool. Still, France managed to outdo itself – fining men for going topless. Women, apparently, can go topless with immunity.

Vladimir Putin dies and goes to Hell, but he is eventually granted a day off for good behaviour. He travels back to Moscow, walks into a bar, orders a double vodka, and asks the bartender: “Is Crimea ours?”
“Yes, it is,” the bartender replies.
“And the Donbas?”
“Also ours.”
“How about Kyiv?”
“Yes, that’s ours too.”

Delighted, Putin finishes his drink and asks, “Wonderful! How much do I owe you?”

The bartender smiles and says, “That will be 20 euros.”

Not satisfied with competing in the World Cup, Canada (using the CBC) has joined the European Broadcasting Union and may soon compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. This is where the worst songwriters in the world compete for total dreadfulness. Always fun.

Sports: England looked disjointed, like a bunch of drifters, in a 0-0 draw against Ghana at the FIFA World Cup. Canada lost to Switzerland 2-1. Both Canada and England move on to the sudden-death round of 32. Scotland, who lost to Brazil 3-1 and finished 3rd in their Group, await their fate. They may soon be on their way home.

The big story so far is the success of Cape Verde – a small island Republic off the West Coast of Africa with a population of around 500,000. They finished second in their group alongside Spain – a remarkable achievement. They move on to the knockout round.

The Scottish fans in the US have received top marks for their behaviour and smart choices – they refuse to drink either Bud Light or Coors Light, indicating that they like their beer to have beer in it. The Scottish team, however, has been a little less than lacklustre.

As Wimbledon kicks off, players continue to protest the size of the prize money. In total, there will be £16.2 million (14.4% of Wimbledon’s revenue) up for grabs, less than the £71 million (16%) that the players demand. Wimbledon increased this year’s prize money by 20% over last year. The protest will take the form of shorter pre- and post-match interviews.

Emma Raducanu, who is still just 23 years old, has been seeded at 30 for Wimbledon. She may not play as she is rumoured to be injured. If she does play, she will open against Antonia Ruzic and could face world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who knocked Raducanu out of Wimbledon last year, in the third round.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Anton Reicha has long lived in the shadow of Beethoven, remembered more as a theorist than as a composer, yet his Piano Trios make a compelling case for a substantial reassessment. They occupy a fascinating space between the elegance of late Classicism and the emotional directness of early Romanticism, full of unexpected harmonic turns, rhythmic wit and conversational interplay between the instruments. Trio Bohémo, who made this recording of his complete trios, prove ideal advocates. Their playing is alert, technically fearless and wonderfully alive to Reicha’s humour and constant surprises. Rather than treating these works as historical curiosities, they approach them with freshness and conviction, allowing every melodic exchange and rhythmic twist to emerge naturally. The result is chamber music that feels inventive, energetic and engaging rather than merely worthy.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: All of the excitement of the World Cup means that the nerves need calming down after a game. A Bourbon Renewal is what you need – bourbon, crème de cassis, lime juice, simple syrup and a few drops of bitters. Lovely. The book links to the work I am engaged in (with lots of others) on the Productivity Project – looking at the collapse of the conversion of formal learning into trusted capabilities and skills, especially for entry-level workers. Sarah O’Connor has written a lovely little book, We Are Not Machines – a sharp, humane account of what automation and AI are doing to work. Its central worry is not simply job loss, but professionalization: the stripping away of judgment, skill, discretion and dignity. Through warehouses, surveillance systems, translators, care work and mines, O’Connor shows how technology can make bad jobs worse and good jobs thinner. Yet the book is not fatalistic. Its strongest argument is that technology is designed, governed and contested. Workers do not need to reject machines; they need power over how machines reshape the work they do, in practical, democratic ways. Exactly.

TV & Film: I started watching Eva Longoria’s culinary tour of France (Eva Longoria Searching for France) with little optimism. I was pleasantly surprised. She is genuinely passionate, knowledgeable (and speaks excellent French), and interested in food. She visits restaurants, bakeries and suppliers and asks smart questions. I learned all about Mafe Sauce (an African super sauce with a peanut base) with meso and soy added for a new flavour. I intend to watch the rest of her tour (8 episodes, CNN). I am also enjoying the summer editions of Mock the Week. On the film front, In the Hand of Dante is a grand, unruly, often maddening film - but not a dull one. Julian Schnabel turns Nick Tosches’ novel into a fever dream of manuscript theft, mafia violence, Renaissance theology and literary obsession. Oscar Isaac gives the film gravity in his double role as Tosches and Dante, while Gerard Butler supplies its strangest energy, both grotesque and magnetic. The problem is excess. The film wants to be noir, an art object, a metaphysical romance, and a spiritual reckoning all at once, and the result is frequently confusing. In an age of tidy streaming content, this is a mess made by someone still willing to risk scale, seriousness and absurdity. It does not fully work, but its failures are interesting.

Food: Lady Lynne had friends over to celebrate one of their birthdays. She served a very tasty Börek - filo filled with spinach and feta with a few herbs. Served with various condiments and a Greek Salad, very tasty. My favourite addition: Saltspring Kitchen’s Tandoor Chutney. Great, simple food. A nice roasted tomato and pepper salad went well.

Quick Thoughts:

· On June 24th, 94 million people in the UK and across Europe experienced temperatures above 35 °C, with some at 45 °C or higher. Ugh!

· In 2022, 61,672 EU citizens died from heatstroke, in part caused by legislation and regulations which make the installation and use of air conditioning very difficult.

· Applying a large bag of frozen peas directly to genitals cools the body quickly. It also got me arrested at Walmart.

· Alberta Health is in such a mess. Our Premier wants a distraction, so she is sending most of us a cheque for $100 using money stolen from the disabled and seniors. Disgusting.

· My dental technician told me that brushing alone will not prevent tooth decay. So, I invited my next-door neighbour, Maire, to join me for my twice-a-day teeth cleaning.

· New FIFA anthem: “Fi Fa Fo Fum, I smell the money of a football fan!”

· Let’s hope the US team in the World Cup isn’t involved in a shoot-out. It means something different in the US.

· “To infinity and beyond” is how a Texan gives directions in Texas.

· Is there a Gay’s of Hormuz?

· How do you wash a waterproof shirt?

· Is Bill Murray still making Groundhog Day? Asking for a friend.

· The Evergreen Reflecting Pool has been renamed the Strait of Warm Ooze.

· More people have been arrested for picking up blue pool lining fragments from the Lincoln reflecting pool than have been arrested as pedophiles as a result of the evidence in the Epstein files and the testimony of survivors.

· My British friends tell me that there are just three more Prime Minister’s before Christmas.

· Has anyone ever seen a convertible hearse?

· Elon Musk is no longer a trillionaire. The share price of his SpaceX and Tesla stocks has dropped. He’s now worth $970.2 billion. Didn’t last long, eh.

· Trump has started 18 separate construction projects in 18 months, which will cost the US taxpayer in excess of $1 billion. I thought Mexico was paying?

· When I woke up in the hospital, I asked the nurse how I got there. She explained that my wife had asked me what was on TV and I had said “dust.” Makes sense.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and counting): Films shown at the No Frills Dollar Movie House –

· Debbie Watches Dallas

· The Devil Wears Primark

· Romancing the Stoner

· Smack Bill

· The Quite Good Five

· Shallow Impact

· The Sheep of Wall Street

· Very Mediocre Men in their Flying Machines

· Oceans Two

· The Acceptable Seven

· The Maltese Duck

· An Itch on the Nile

· Knee Injury on the Orient Express

· Ferris Bueller’s Morning Off

· We’ll Always Have Scunthorpe

· Indiana Jones and the Last Bus Home

· Disagreement and Peace

· The Thought of Music

· Locum Zhivago

· Near a Slightly Cross Crowd

· Dr Maybe or Maybe Not

· 1 Dalmatian

· Ten Dollar Brain

· Vegetable Farm

· Toy Talk

New Definitions:

· Faculty – what Cockneys say when they are right out of Yorkshire Tea

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide the Walk: “Some people can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory” and “Institutions rarely fail because victory was impossible. More often, they fail because they mistake momentum for inevitability and, in doing so, secure defeat from the jaws of victory.”

The US 107 day “war” with Iran has not ended. The two sides have agreed to a pause, and a final settlement deal may never get signed. The current deal (already broken) involves the US directly giving Iran $24 billion in unfrozen assets and access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund (Obama’s deal unfroze $1.7 billion in total) if they commit to never building a nuclear weapon (they have said that they will not do so around 100 times). Iran is now recognized as the controller of the Strait of Hormuz (now closed, following Israel’s strikes on Lebanon) and will charge tolls after 60 days of the deal being signed – before the “war,” Iran had no control. Israel is expected to end hostilities towards Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Israel clearly will not do (and has not done so). The nuclear issues at the heart of all of this are kicked down the road – Obama reduced their use of uranium by 98% and implemented a frequent inspection regime, which Trump stopped. Frankly, the US “just gave up and walked away and gave the Iranians a ton of cash.” That’s what happened. The worst of all possible outcomes, especially for the 500+ Americans who died or were injured and for the American people who are out of pocket by billions. Ah well. If you hand the keys of the world to a man with dementia who surrounds himself with sycophants, what do you expect?

Ukraine hit Moscow hard with hundreds of drones, taking out an oil refinery and a shopping centre and destroying several buildings. It is the largest attack on the Russian capital since Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine four and a half years ago. It seems Zelensky has some new cards.

The G7 met on the shores of Lake Geneva on the French side. President Macaroon was the host. Trump slept through some sessions, as he is prone to do (he is 80 and needs a nap, as do I). Sir Keir Starmer kept rewriting his resignation speech, which he may need sooner Iike tomorrow) than he had hoped, given that Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election with a sizeable majority and will challenge Starmer to a UFC cage fight, which Trump will referee. Zelensky was there, hoping for continued support. Modi was there, hoping for a good curry.

Trump quickly gets bored, which is why he wants a G2 – US and China. Actually, he would prefer a G-String.

The pensioners, Jane and Alan Kelvey, were sailing their yacht 23 miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel when they came into close contact with a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich. The Russian ship fired warning shots to deter the couple from getting closer – they had already altered course. Sir Keir Starmer (sadly, still Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) said that this “was deeply concerning and reckless.” Alan Kelvey said, “I wet my pants!”

The Society of St. Pius X has said it plans to consecrate four priests as bishops on July 1 without the permission of Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican warned in May that doing so without a papal mandate would constitute “a schismatic act” and that it would immediately carry the penalty of excommunication. The consecrations are set to take place at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland. The Society has around 1,400 members (priests, nuns etc), and some 500,000 attend its services regularly worldwide.

Marius Borg Hoiby (29), son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (stepson of the Crown Prince) was found guilty of two cases of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. Britain’s former Prince Andrew was upset by this news, who is now working as a busboy at the Pizza Express in Woking. If one Prince can go to jail, why not others?

Lord Roy Hattersley (93), a committed Yorkshireman and one very smart UK Labour politician, has died. I met him several times and talked politics, writing, the best beer in Yorkshire (Sam Smith’s, according to Roy) and why Neil Kinnock lost the election he should have won (I was at university with Neil). Roy was a wonderful writer. Sad. RIP.

The US banned the import or sale of Haggis in 1971. The FDA ruled that its ingredients posed a potential health risk. This week, the State of Massachusetts announced that it has legislated to lift the ban. You can buy and eat Haggis there. Nice with a fried Mars bar and a big sticky bun.

Trump has found a new scapegoat for the trouble he is having with the blue-green algae-ridden reflecting pool he just spent $15 milion on, which now needs repair. He is blaming ALGAE ZEERA, a terrorist group he made up.

Bobby Davaro, a great British comedian, told a great story. He did a stand-up session on a dementia ward in a hospital. Told the same joke 32 times and got a laugh every time. At the end, one of the long-term residents came up to him and said, “Bobby, I don’t know how you remember all those jokes!”

Sports: Tennis moved to Germany, with the Women competing in Berlin and the men at Halle. The women’s semi-finals saw Sabalenka, Pegula, Eala and Noskova battling it out. Over at Halle in the men’s semi-final, we saw Zverev, Fritz, Altmaier and Tiafoe battling for a win.

Jessica Pegula lost to Linda Noskova after three good sets of quality tennis. In Halle, Tiafoe won the biggest match of his career. They will move onto Wimbledon.

Wimbledon starts on 29th June, with qualifying rounds starting on 22nd June. Time to stock up on the gin, tonics, strawberries and cream. By the way, both Serena and Venus will play.

England played its first World Cup game against Croatia and won 4-2, much to the relief of a few million Brit’s. Australia was up against the US (the US won). Just two of the Aussie fan chants: “He’s fat, he’s old, he likes them 12 years old!” and “Aussie boys are on a bender, Donald Trump is a sex offender!” The England spectators’ chants included, “He’s fat, got piles and is in the Epstein files!” They all know what they are doing!

Canada went up against Qatar in their second World Cup match – the first game that Alfonso Davis (Canada’s star player, whose day job is playing defence for Bayern Munich) has been fit enough to play in. They won 6-0 – more goals in one game than in all their previous appearances at the World Cup put together, and their first ever World Cup win (their match against Bosnia & Herzegovina was a draw). They now sit atop Group B based on goal difference, just ahead of Switzerland, which Canada will play next.

Norway seems to want to row its way to the top of its group. The whole country seems to be mimicking rowing. It’s their collective support signal. Scotland, in Boston, drank the City dry. The State’s beer reserves were almost completely exhausted.

Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt became the first all-American, all-women officiating crew at the men’s World Cup. They officiated the group-stage match between the Czech Republic and South Africa. It is 2026!

The next Formula 1 race is in Austria on the 26^th of June. The standings race is heating up, though Kimi Antonelli is a full 41 points ahead of Sir Lewis Hamilton. On the construction side, it looks to me that Mercedes is now unbeatable with 262 points against Ferrari’s 190 at this stage of the season.

Soundtrack for this Walk: Alessandro Longo (1864-1945) is remembered today primarily as a distinguished musicologist, pianist, and editor of Domenico Scarlatti’s keyboard works, yet his own compositions reveal a gifted craftsman whose music deserves renewed attention. His Piano Studies, recently recorded in their entirety by Lorenzo Stasi, offer a fascinating window into the Neapolitan piano tradition that Longo inherited from his teacher, Beniamino Cesi. These studies are far more than technical exercises. They combine pedagogical purpose with lyricism, elegance, and a finely judged sense of pianistic colour. Longo understood that technique and musicality should develop together, and the studies unfold as miniature character pieces, each presenting its own expressive challenge. Lorenzo Stasi’s playing is refined, intelligent, and unfailingly musical, revealing a composer whose voice bridges the worlds of nineteenth-century virtuosity and early twentieth-century classicism. This recording is not merely a valuable historical document; it is a persuasive argument for Longo’s place within the broader piano repertoire.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: In The Secrets of Our DNA, Turi King accomplishes something remarkably difficult: she makes the science of genetics both accessible and deeply human. Drawing on her work identifying Richard III’s remains and numerous forensic and historical investigations, King explores what DNA can reveal- and what it cannot - about identity, ancestry, health, and history. The book is rich with compelling stories, but it never loses sight of the ethical questions raised by the extraordinary power of genetic science. Written with clarity, warmth, and intellectual honesty, it is a masterclass in science communication. Readers will come away not only better informed about genetics, but also more thoughtful about what it means to be human in an age when our DNA can tell us so much about who we are. A fascinating and timely read. I read this with a Genever Martini. Why? Because the book sits at the intersection of history, science, and identity. Genever - the Dutch precursor to modern gin - carries its own genetic lineage. You can taste the evolution from malt spirit to contemporary gin much as Turi King traces the pathways from ancestral DNA to modern populations. It is a drink with a family tree.

TV & Film: If you enjoy war films that focus more on decisions than destruction, Pressure is well worth your time. Directed by Anthony Maras and based on the stage play by David Haig, the film examines the tense 72 hours before D-Day, when a handful of meteorologists and military leaders had to decide whether to launch the largest amphibious invasion in history. What makes Pressure compelling is its refusal to turn history into spectacle. Instead, it explores uncertainty, evidence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure. Andrew Scott delivers a restrained and intelligent performance as meteorologist James Stagg, while Brendan Fraser brings a weary humanity to Dwight Eisenhower. The supporting cast, including Kerry Condon and Damian Lewis (who plays Monty), is uniformly strong. This is not a new subject for a film, but the others all treat this story as one of several. This film makes it the focus. On TV, there is a great series (10 episodes) narrated by Tom Hanks, looking at the key incidents and battles of WWII.

The BBC is in production with a prequel to Call the Midwife. To be called Sisters in Arms, it shows how the nuns came to Poplar in the first place and takes us up to the start of the Call the Midwife series. The first showing will be at Christmas.

Food: There are meals that feed the body, and there are meals that seem to feed the soul. A rich sausage casserole belongs firmly in the second category. As it slowly simmers, the kitchen fills with the aromas of browned sausage, sweet onions, herbs, paprika, honey and a deeply savoury broth that promises comfort long before the first spoonful is served. The beauty of a sausage casserole lies in its generosity. Robust sausages lend their flavour to every ingredient, while vegetables (and pears or apples) absorb the richness of the sauce and return their own sweetness to the dish. Beans, potatoes, or root vegetables transform a simple collection of ingredients into something substantial and satisfying. This is not hurried food. It rewards patience and invites conversation around the table. On a cold, wet evening, few dishes are more welcome. Each mouthful offers warmth, depth, and reassurance. A well-made sausage casserole reminds us that some of life’s greatest pleasures come not from complexity, but from simple ingredients given time, care, and attention. We use the Hairy Bikers recipe. A real treat with mashed potatoes.

Quick Thoughts

· A nine-year-old girl has disappeared after using a “make yourself 10 years younger” cream.

· Tea is the gateway drug for biscuits.

· Teacher: If I have 10 biscuits and someone asks for 2, how many biscuits do I have left? Me: 10. I don’t give my biscuits to anyone.

· Most adults in Alberta will receive (if they bother to apply) $100 from our Premier, who stole the money from the disabled and the elderly so that she could hand it to people who don’t need it.

· I am told that Karl Marx’s daughter, Onya, invented the starting pistol.

· Wine is cheaper than Botox and can paralyze more muscles.

· Quick tip: if you stick one leg of your pants into your sock, people expect less of you. Also, wearing two different shoes (e.g. a brogue on one foot and a trainer on the other) has the same effect.

· “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside a dog, it’s just too dark to read.” Groucho Marx.

· New translation of MAGA – Make Algae Great Again!

· Trump can’t even win a war against algae.

· Sign on Obama’s desk: “Hard things are hard.” On Trump’s desk: “You are a Stable Genius!”

· My favourite vegetable is corn: Bourbon is made largely from corn.

· My favourite podcast – Dish from Waitrose with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett – has passed 1 billion downloads. Amazing.

· I’ll never forget my friend Andy’s last words: “Are you holding this ladder?”

· Must read the new book by Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran – The Art of the Deal. He is also working on a sequel – Dealing with Dementia and Disorientation in Diplomatic Relations.

· “Britain is a country where it’s easier to imagine where the next pogrom will happen than where a new high-speed rail line will be built.” – Will Lloyd, The New Statesman.

· The term “take out” can mean several different things: a date, a food delivery or murder. So, when the wife says “I am thinking about a take-out” – be worried!

· Denmark is hoping that Trump does invade Greenland so that they can get the kind of deal he gave to Iran!

· More than one million investors in the Trump family’s various crypto ventures had net losses exceeding $2.3 billion as of last April.

· Cuba is offering to give up its nuclear weapons program (which it never had) in exchange for the US giving it $300 billion.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and still going): Given that Scotland really fancies its chances in the World Cup, a celebration of all things Scottish cultural:

· The Laird of the Rings

· Sausage Roll Over Beethoven

· When Haggis Met Sally

· William Wallace & Gromit

· Dundee Crocodile

· The Man who Fell to Perth

· Abroath, Where Are Thou?

· Where Gleneagles Dare

· Ayr on a G String

· The Dram Busters

· A Bridge too Forfar

· Loch, Stock and Two Whisky Barrels

· Brechin Bad

· Mars Haggis Goes to Paris

· Never Mind the Tunnocks

· Two Billboards Outside Stirling

· Kinloss in Translation

· The Devil Wears Tartan

· I’m Alright Jock

· Reach for the Skye

· Loch Back in Anger

· Dial H for Haggis

New Definitions of Words or Phrases:

· Unkadbury - When someone splits some chocolate in half and then takes the bigger half for themselves.

· Seery Steamer- The act of sneaking into a bathroom and doing a #2 while your friend is taking a shower.

· Loltard - A person who overuses LOL, and its derivatives, after almost every comment, which are almost exclusively non-humorous.

· YouTube Looping - When you go to watch a quick 30-second video on YouTube and regain consciousness hours later, having jumped from interesting video to interesting video.

· Time vampire - Something or someone who literally sucks your time like a vampire sucks blood.

· Mantabulistic - Swonderful involving a man.

· Douchebaggery - To commit douchebaggery, he/she is not limited to but may include some or perhaps all of the following behaviours: the wearing of flat-billed baseball caps backwards; using an enormous amount of gel to spike the hair porcupine style; wearing polo shirts or any other type of shirt with the collar popped, a disgusting gesture that should’ve died in the 1980s with parachute pants; the sideways peace sign gesture; overdone pursing of the lips; too many visits to the tanning salon; pointing at oneself, holding up beer cans, or making other obscenely immature gestures in solo or group photos.

A Guide to Texting for Seniors

· BFF – best friend fell

· BTW – bring the wheelchair

· TTYL – talking to you LOUDER!

· BYOT – bring your own teeth

· FWIW – forgot where I was

· IMHAO – is my hearing aid on?

· LOL – living on Lipitor

· ROFL – rolling on the floor looking for my glasses

· BRB – bathroom, rest, bathroom

· IDK – I don’t kneel

· BFFL – best friends from long-term care

· OMW – on my walker

· DIY – did it yesterday

· ASAP – as slow as possible

· LMK – lost my keys

· FAQ – forgot another question

· GPS – getting pretty senile

· OMG – oh, my groin

· TGIF – thank goodness it’s fibre

· ICU – I can see you

· ATM – at the medication cabinet

· NSFW – not safe for weak bladders

· FOMO – fear of missing ointments

· WIFI – where is Frank, Irene?

· YOLO – you obviously lack orthotics

· IRL – in recliner lounging

· ETA – estimated time of arrival... depending on the walker traffic

· GOAT – greatest of all treatments

· DM – depends management

· AI – arthritis intelligence

· CPR – coffee, prune juice, repea

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Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide the Walk: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevelt; and “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” - Charles Darwin

A friend explained it all to me: The Iranian navy, which has been destroyed eight times, has apparently closed the Strait of Hormuz again, because the United States, for the seventh time, won the war that wasn’t a war, so now the United States has to open the Strait of Hormuz that was already open before the not-war began. The not-war began because Iran had uranium that was totally, completely, beautifully obliterated, so they can’t build the nuclear bomb they weren’t building, which is why the United States had to start the not-war it definitely didn’t start. So now I understand the first 100 days of this not-war.

Meantime, the “cease-fire” in Iran has all but collapsed, with both sides attacking each other and Israel attacking Lebanon (as it has done throughout the cease-fire). Trump appears frustrated that the negotiations with Iran are taking so long. If you keep changing the rules and the hoped-for outcomes, what do you expect? Now we hear (for the 39th time) that a deal is seconds away. The deal sounds like a comprehensive agreement to keep negotiating. Sleepy Donny at his very best.

In the Philippines, a 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao Island has killed 37 and injured over 500, with many now without homes or shelter. 2,000 homes and 6,000 other buildings are severely damaged.

Maitiu Mág Tighearnán (33) stopped Hadid Alodid (30) from beheading a man in a Belfast street this week. He struck Alodid with a hurling stick, halting the assault. The attacked man – Stephen Ogilvie – lost an eye and has several critical injuries. Hadid is an asylum seeker from Somalia. This dreadful incident has led to several nights of rioting in Belfast, with people taking to the streets to protest against the level of immigration and asylum seeking. It has been a very difficult few days.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan won a new mandate on June 8 after his Civil Contract party received 49.8% of the popular vote. Uzhégh Hayastan (translated: Strong Armenia), the main Moscow-friendly challenger, took 23.2%. Good news for Europe and anti-Poo Tin movements around the world.

Meet the Press is a strong US TV tradition. Donald Trump sat down with the host, Kristen Welker, and showed us all his petulant, belligerent, sexist and ignorant self. The real value of the interview was that we saw what real journalism is like: fearless, focused and fact-based. Trump doesn’t like being confronted with things like truth, reality, his own duplicitous behaviour, the consequences of his stupidity, so he stormed off the set like a small child denied an ice cream. We need more of this kind of journalism, not just in the US, but around the world. Well done, Kristen.

Susie Wiles (69), the President’s Chief of Staff, is leaving the White House to focus on her battle with breast cancer. She is also reported to be growingly distressed about Trump’s behaviour, as are we all. What has especially upset her are recent Trump nominations for key positions – National Security Advisor and Attorney General. She sees both nominees as sycophantic and weak. She is not wrong. At the same time, the Vice President’s Chief of Staff – Jacob Reses – is leaving. He can no longer be bothered with the backstabbing, knife-throwing and hoopla.

The G7 is gathering in France, where, whatever the agenda says, they will discuss how to deal with a declining Trump and the disruption he has caused to the world order, trade and civil society. They will also talk about Ukraine, the Middle East, the Far East and the Near East and anything they can think of to stop Trump making another rash move.

Trump’s media platform – Truth Social – is a money-losing scam. In just-filed reports to the stock exchange, the company reported a $400 million loss in 2025. Its stock is currently trading at around $8.15, down 70% this year. Some MAGA supporters who bought shares at the launch paid $80/share. Another example of a DJT business that fails – there is a long list.

Canadians seem worried that Trump will walk away from the US-Canada-Mexico trade deal (CUMSA), which he negotiated. If he does, it is still in force until 2036. It is unlikely he will be alive then and certainly will not be the US President. All that needs to happen now is for all sides to find a face-saving deal. Ugh.

The British Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, has resigned from the cabinet, claiming that the proposed increase in the defence budget was ridiculously low and that he had lost confidence and trust in the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer (sadly, still the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). He also took a swipe at Chancellor Rachel Reeves, saying that she would also not support a significant investment in the UK’s defence budget. Another fine mess Starmer got himself into.

Staying with the UK, all eyes will be on the results of the Makerfield by-election, due to be announced on Friday, 19th June. Will Andy Burnham (currently, Mayor of Greater Manchester) win this election and then challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party? Or, as is possible, will he fail to do so and bring the current coup attempt within the party to an end? In May, Makerfield was very much a hotbed of Reform.

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a native of Somalia, was denied entry by US authorities upon arriving in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday, June 11. He was set to be the first-ever Somali to referee a World Cup game. Now Canada has invited him to referee in Vancouver. Some key members of the Iranian team’s support group – physios and medics – were also denied entry, and their ticket allocation has been revoked. Fans from 39 countries are also learning they will not be able to enter the US to follow their teams. FIFA should have moved games out of the US to counter this racist bigotry.

SpaceX launched its stock sale and plans to sell 556 million shares at an initial price of $135 a share – the largest IPO in history (with more very large IPOs to come). If this is successful, it will make the Elongated Musketeer a trillionaire – the first ever.

The UN’s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is organized into largely independent chapter teams that assess the published literature and produce chapters that undergo multiple drafts and rounds of review. The IPCC Chapters form the basis for the IPCC Technical Summary and Synthesis Report, which feed into a Summary for Policymakers (SPM). The SPM is typically what drives media coverage and policy – few of us read the science. A research team led by Sebastian Galiani and the University of San Andres scored ~114,000 matched claim pairs drawn from all six IPCC Assessment Reports (1990–2023) and 116,000 newspaper articles from ten major US and UK outlets, using three independent large language models - GPT-5-mini, Claude Haiku 4.5, and Gemini 2.5 Flash - to evaluate each pair on three dimensions: severity shift, uncertainty compression, and scenario salience. The headline result is unambiguous: at every measured stage, in every Assessment Report, claims shift systematically toward the more severe end of the scientific ranges presented by the IPCC in its Technical Summary. That is, policymakers’ claims are more exaggerated than the science suggests. When we get concerned about bias with AI, we should remember that vested interests can also systematically show bias in the use of science for public policy.

A fellow Bradfordian has died. The wonderful artist, David Hockney (88) passed away this week. I met him twice and knew his brother well (Paul was very involved in local Bradford politics, as was I at one time, and he eventually became Lord Myor). He was fun, creative, experimental, and smart. In 2018, at age 81, he achieved a longtime ambition that earned him no money and cost him a lot of time. His first stained-glass window, designed on his iPad and titled “The Queen’s Window,” was unveiled in London’s historic Westminster Abbey to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. His stage and set designs are marvellous. RIP.

King Charles III’s birthday honours see Dame Helen Mirren made a Companion of Honour (1 of 65) and the writers Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo) and Malorie Blackman (Noughts & Crosses) both made Dames. Nothing for me (again).

Princess Bha of Thailand (47) died after spending three years in a coma. A super-smart woman – lawyer, diplomat, UN Ambassador for Women – she was seen as the next monarch. Her death opens up the issue of succession – always a hot topic.

Sports: Queens is the first of the year’s tennis tournaments on grass. This year saw Serena Williams return as a doubles partner with our own Victoria Mboko. They won their first game (7-6, 6-2) even though Serena had not played at this level for 1,375 days. The next day, Victoria retired injured from a singles match with Pliskova – a bad knee injury resulting from a fall on the grass. She was out for the rest of the week (and will now miss Wimbledon). She commented that she had rarely played on grass and hadn’t realized the danger.

As the Queen’s unfolded, Emma Raducanu reached the quarterfinals (on home turf) and faced the Russian-born player Kamilla Rachimova, winning – onwards and upwards. She then played the American Iva Jovic in the semi-final and won (both matches on the same day). In the final, Emma lost to the Croatian player Donna Vekix 6-0, 7-6, despite her valiant efforts in the second set.

Our Felix Auger-Aliassime lost his quarter-final in the Rosmalen Grass Court event in the Netherlands. In the end, this men’s final went to the Polish player (ranked 76th) Kamil Majchrzak.

For his 80th birthday, and at a cost of US$60 million, Donald Trump hosted a UFC event at the White House in an 87-foot octagon that now occupies much of the South Lawn. Another example of enshitification. He’s like Caligula attending a Gladiator Battle at the Colosseum.

In Formula 1 in Barcelona, Sir Lewis Hamilton won in his Ferrari, with George Russell (Mercedes) coming second. This places Lewis Hamilton in second place in the drivers’ championship, though he is still well behind Antonelli (Mercedes).

In the NBA finals, the New York Knicks ended their 53-year title drought with a win over the San Antonio Spurs, 94-90. Thank goodness that’s over.

Canada secured its first-ever World Cup point by securing a draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1). Their next game is with Qatar (June 18th) followed by Switzerland (June 24th). Qatar drew in its match with Switzerland (1-1).

Soundtrack for this Walk: There are recordings that introduce us to neglected composers, and there are recordings that compel us to question why those composers were neglected in the first place. Dora Pejačević: Chamber Works, performed by Oliver Triendl and the Quatuor Sine Nomine, belongs firmly in the latter category. While the magnificent Piano Quintet Op. 40 often receives the lion’s share of attention, it is the String Quartet in C major, Op. 58 that emerges as the disc’s most revealing and ultimately most rewarding work. Completed in 1922, only months before the composer’s untimely death at the age of thirty-seven, the quartet stands as Pejačević’s final completed chamber work and offers a fascinating glimpse of a composer still evolving. Scholars and commentators have noted that this work displays a more adventurous harmonic language and a greater freedom of form than many of her earlier compositions, suggesting artistic directions that her early death prevented her from fully exploring. Anyone interested in the rich and often overlooked musical culture of Central Europe in the years surrounding the First World War should hear it. More importantly, anyone who simply loves great chamber music should hear it.

A Drink and a Book at the End of the Walk: My friend and colleague, Neil Hunter, has strongly recommended a book: The Octopus Organization – A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation by Phil Le Brun and Jena Werner. The book is both timely and important. Rather than treating change as a project with a beginning and an end, the book argues that continuous transformation must become part of an organization’s DNA. Its central metaphor - the octopus, with its distributed intelligence, adaptability, and resilience - offers a compelling alternative to traditional command-and-control models. In an era shaped by AI, workforce disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, and shifting stakeholder expectations, the book provides leaders with a practical and hopeful framework for building organizations that are agile without becoming chaotic, and coherent without becoming rigid. The book is a thoughtful, accessible, and highly relevant guide for anyone seeking to lead successfully in a world where change is no longer an event but a permanent condition. I needed a drink after reading it! I chose Naked & Famous - four equal parts of mezcal, Aperol, yellow Chartreuse, and lime juice. Seemed to fit the mood.

TV & Film: George Hardy is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers. Odd? Good, fun film – The Sheep Detectives. Full of stars – Hugh Jackman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Emma Thompson, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd and a flock of sheep. On the TV side, I finished Clarkson’s Farm (sheep star in that too), watched the final of MasterChef UK (brilliant cooking) and am now into The Romanoffs, which I am finding addictive. Who knew that so many people desperately want to prove they are descended from the Tsars?

Signora Volpe series 3 will soon be back on Acorn TV. Great show with Emilia Fox in the title role. Marcus Wearing and Gordon Ramsey are teaming up for a new BBC food show – they were feuding for 18 years. I’ll watch that! Also, Fake or Fortune (the art detective show with Fiona Bruce and Phillip Mould) will be back for its 14th series on July 16th.

Food: According to several sources, Lima, Peru, is the best city in the world for outstanding food. Ceviche is the star of the show, but in my forays into Peruvian food in London (UK) at a Michelin-starred restaurant called Lima in Fitzrovia. I have always loved Causa Rellena - Lemony mashed potatoes are layered into a mould with avocado and tuna salad, then unmolded to show off the gorgeous layers. Tasty.

Quick Thoughts:

· Whoever designed the Wet-Wipes pack where you pull one out, and four come with it, should have been in charge of designing ATMs!

· Kaley Cuoco (Penny from Big Bang Theory) is pregnant with her second child (another young lady).

· Students in Denmark study social and emotional learning across the curriculum as a deliberate strategy to develop empathic, compassionate, and community-minded Danes. Denmark is deliberately developing social capital while Canada largely assumes it will emerge on its own. Time to be more like Denmark.

· Do you need a current license to drive an electric car? Asking for a friend.

· I am in favour of a united Alberta in a sovereign Canada.

· Trump has now said that a deal with Iran is close to being done 39 times.

· I don’t spring out of bed anymore. I do a detailed systems check before launch.

· The Gordie Howe Bridge, which links Canada and the US, was to be opened this week, but Trump said no. He wants a “better deal.” Canada paid 100% of the costs. What better deal can you get? Answer – paying off his friend and big-time donor and owner of the rival Ambassador (Toll) Bridge, Manuel Moroun. He stands to lose a lot of toll revenue and wants major compensation for his $40 million a year.

· Trump can’t open the Strait of Hormuz, so he is blocking the Strait of Detroit!

· If the ham is cured, why did the pig die?

· From this year’s exam in Telepathy – Question 1 – you should know this.

· Trump wants his deal with Iran signed before Iran play in the World Cup.

· If you have a trillion dollars and there are children starving in the world, then essentially, you’re a complete shit.

· My friend Susan shared this story. A guy called Stephen asks for a coffee at Starbucks and the barista wrote his name on the cup. Stephen pointed out that his name was spelled with a “ph”. The cup read “Phteven.” It’s difficult to get a good education in the US.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for 55 years and still going strong): Films or TV shows best suited to those who live alone and feel isolated (lots of us did during COVID):

· Home Alone

· House

· Solitaire

· The Postman Always Rings Twice and then Runs Away

· Life of Pies

· Given Up Waiting for Godot

· The Longest Day (again)

· Sex, Drugs and Toilet Rolls

· Home with the Wind

· Zoom with a View

· Four Tweets and a Phone Call

· The Silence of the Lands

· Lost in Isolation

· The Remains of the Day Job

· Groundhog Day

New Definitions of Welsh Placenames:

· Prestatyn – instructions for the use of a doorbell in Wales

· Chepstow – part of a man’s foot

· Diversity – a place for higher learning in Wales

· Wrexham – a way of destroying something

· Cardiff – why my car is not the same at the cars my friends have

· Neath – below or under

· Caerphilly – to handle something with due diligence

· Landfil – it’s a dump

· Dialect – when we vote for a candidate in an election in Wales

· Llanfairfechan – a place to practice pronunciation for the “big one” up North (Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch)

· Welshpool – a kind of Welsh version of snooker

· Conway – a Welsh scammer

· Snowden – a University Professor on ski’s

· Newport – I don’t have the right charging cable to fir this socket on my computer

· Bangor – a very old Welsh car

· Mumbles – what those who are hard of hearing say about their friends

· Criccieth – variation of a game played with a bat, ball and stumps

· Holyhead – nickname for the Archbishop of Wales

· Tonypandy – Andy’s younger brother

· Cwmbran – like Come Dancing, but with more trots

· Diabetic – a Welshman with a gambling problem

· Welshpool – a team even Everton can beat in an away game

· Gower – a lady who seems very keen and capable

· Bangor – I spent time with your wife last night

· Saundersfoot – similar to athlete’s foot, but more painful

· Menai Bridge – a Welsh dental implant

· Crickhowell – the noise you make when you put your neck ou

t

Let’s take a walk around the world and see what is happening.

Quote to Guide this Walk: “Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.”
- Often attributed to Elbert Hubbard; “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” - Nicolas Chamfort; and “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.“ - Lucille Ball.

Pressure is mounting on Russian President Vladimir Putin over how to end his war in Ukraine as Moscow’s battlefield offensive stalls, financial resources dwindle, and more frequent Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia exacerbate growing public dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, Zelensky is asking for more US missiles and is intensifying the drone attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg. Zelensky proposed peace talks to Russian leader Vladimir Putin in an open letter – Putin quickly rejected the suggestion. The appeal came as officials from Germany, France and the UK have been discussing the possibility of holding talks involving Russia and Ukraine

Trump called Notonyourlifehoo and berated him for derailing his talks with Iran by his attacks on Lebanon. Both Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, which Israel broke within hours. Netanyahu got Trump into this war (which Little Marco says is over) and can’t help get him out of it.

Donald Trump has cancelled the 250^th US Birthday concert, despite having auditioned J D Vance on the comb and paper and Marco Rubio on the Kazoo (Melania was to do a hat toss). He had suggested various possibilities – Lady Maga, The Magas and Papas, Earth Wind & You’re Fired, and Supertrump – but all said no. He intends to replace the music with a MAGA rally. I hope the three people who show up enjoy it.

He has also cancelled the blockade of the Strait of Vermouth Hormuz and is still trying to secure some kind of deal with Iran. To help, the US attacked drone headquarters and storage facilities, which led Iran to retaliate. Iran has now suspended cease-fire talks with the US because of Israel’s decision to attack southern Beirut and expand the war with Lebanon, though President Trump continues to negotiate with someone (no one knows who). Iran also attacked Kuwait and Bahrain. No end in sight. No plan for exit. No clue.

Also cancelled, his $1.76 billion fund slush fund Trump gave himself, which was intended to be used to pay those “victimized” by the Biden administration – e.g., individuals legally prosecuted because they broke the law (e.g. January 6th insurrectionists, Donald Trump, Rudi Giuliani). The Trump family and businesses still cannot be subject to an IRS audit – clearly illegal.

There are new cases of Ebola in Brazil, as well as many more in the DRC, where 250+ have died, and there are well over 1,000 cases, with 20 more each day. Both Moderna and the University of Oxford are working on a vaccine for this strain of Ebola, as there are currently none.

In other medical news, Pfizer have developed a vaccine that is highly effective in treating Lyme disease – a major breakthrough. There is also a new vaccine which is highly effective in treating Ovarian cancer. A lot of these developments involve the discovery of new drugs using AI and quantum computers. No doubt there will be more breakthroughs to come.

The new Prime Minister of Hungary, Peter Magyar, has demanded the immediate resignation of the country’s President, Tamas Sulyok, who is a strong supporter of the defeated former Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. Sulyok’s term ends in 2029, and he shows no inclination to leave.

In Colombia, the far-right Presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist candidate Iván Cepeda will face off in the June 21 runoff, after neither secured the absolute majority needed to win outright, though Espriella has a very slight (2.87% lead).

Armenians voted in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course. The opposition they face includes some parties that are strongly pro-Russian.

The UK government released a vast trove of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, in a move that threatens to cause fresh damage to Sir Keir Starmer’s faltering premiership – sadly, he is still Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Mandelson frequently sent notes to Ministers advising them on how to implement and present policies, and on what these policies should be, despite being asked by several to cease and desist. The good Lord Mandelson giveth, and now he could well be taken away!

The AI company Anthropic is to be listed on the NY Stock Exchange. Founded by two former OpenAI staffers, Anthropic is the developer of a suite of AI products, including Claude, Claude Code and Mythos. It may well reach $1 trillion market value on launch, though a more realistic market value would be $750 billion. Shares are likely to be around $90-125 / share. You should bear in mind that its revenues are around $47 billion, hardly those of a trillion-dollar company.

The Norwegian royal family are gathering in support of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is very ill and desperately needs a lung transplant. Her husband, Crown Prince Haakan, who will succeed King Harald V, cut short a visit to Japan and her daughter, Princess Ingrid Alexander, returned early from her studies in Sydney.

Professor Cath Ellis of Western Sydney University wrote an op-ed in The Guardian urging students not to use AI to cut corners or to write their work for them. Trouble was, most of Cath Ellis piece was largely written by AI. Ah well…people in glass houses shouldn’t throw bytes, as they say.

Sports: “In times of war and extreme polarization, sport is one of the few things that bring us closer together,” said Pope Leo XIV.

Whatever else, we should acknowledge how well the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime performed at the Paris Open. He reached the final four and played a very strong, aggressive, and consistent game throughout, though he lost to Cobolli. We should also compliment Naomi Osaka on her designer outfits – stunning, if distracting. Naomi was beaten in straight sets by Aryana Sabalenka (world #1) in the round of 16, but Sabalenka was herself beaten in the quarterfinals, throwing the tournament wide open.

The men’s semi-finals involved three Italians – Flavio Cobolli (up against our Felix Auger-Aliassime), Matteo Berretini and Matteo Arnaldi. Must be a first.

At the end of the roller coaster two weeks in Paris, it came down to Alex Zverev vs Flavio Cobolli and Maja Chwalinska (Poland) vs Mirra Andreeva (Victoria Mboko’s normal doubles partner). Andreeva, ranked 8th in the world, outplayed Chwalinska and won in straight sets (6-3,6-2). At 19, she is the first teen to win in Paris, taking home US$3.3 million. In the men’s game, a thrilling final which went to five sets – Zverev won, his first Grand Slam.

Serena Williams (44) is coming back to professional tennis. She will play doubles at Queens (just before Wimbledon), partnering with Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko (19). Should be entertaining.

In the Monte Carlo F1 Grand Prix, which was very chaotic (crashes, the track breaking up, stoppages, fines for cars speeding into the pits), Antonelli won yet again ahead of Sir Lewis Hamilton, cementing his lead on the driver leaderboard.

Canada beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in a rain-soaked FIFA friendly in Edmonton, with the team showing real determination and skill. 46,000 fans sat in the cold and wet stadium to cheer on the team. Soon, 1,248 players will compete in the World Cup proper in Canada, Mexico and the US starting June 11th. Wish them well.

Canadian Cricket has been suspended from the International Cricket Council because of issues about governance and finance. Players will still be able to compete while supervised changes are made to the way the sport is run in Canada.

Soundtrack for this Walk: There is something deeply satisfying about a recording that rescues worthy music from the margins of the repertoire, and Swiss Piano Quintets does exactly that. Ensemble Il Trittico delivers committed and beautifully balanced performances of two unjustly neglected nineteenth-century composers: Joachim Raff and Hermann Goetz. The centrepiece is Raff’s expansive Piano Quintet in A Minor, Op. 107, a work of remarkable invention, dramatic contrasts, and almost symphonic breadth. Ensemble Il Trittico captures both its lyricism and its restless energy with conviction and elegance. The inclusion of Raff’s substantial Fantasie in G Minor and Goetz’s finely crafted Piano Quintet in C Minor, Op. 16 makes this more than a curiosity. The Goetz work, in particular, reveals a composer of genuine imagination whose premature death likely deprived Romantic chamber music of a major voice. Pianist Jan Schultsz and his colleagues play with warmth, precision, and a palpable affection for the music. The recorded sound is clear and intimate, allowing the rich interplay between piano and strings to emerge naturally.

TV & Film: Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life is an elegant, intelligent, and quietly captivating film that showcases one of the finest performances of Jodie Foster’s remarkable career. Set in Paris and performed largely in French (English subtitles), the film follows renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner as she becomes obsessed with the mysterious death of one of her patients, leading her into an increasingly personal and emotionally revealing investigation. What makes the film so compelling is Foster herself. Fluent, nuanced, and completely at ease in French, she delivers a performance of extraordinary precision. Lilian is brilliant, stubborn, emotionally guarded, and often blind to her own vulnerabilities. Foster navigates these contradictions with subtlety and grace, creating a character who is both enigmatic and deeply human. Critics have rightly singled out her performance as the film’s greatest strength. Director Rebecca Zlotowski blends psychological drama, mystery, dark comedy, and character study into a work that resists easy categorization. The result is a film that feels refreshingly mature and sophisticated. Rather than relying on conventional thriller mechanics, it explores themes of grief, self-deception, memory, and the limits of professional expertise. The mystery serves as a catalyst for a deeper examination of identity and human connection. A Private Life is not a film interested in easy answers. Instead, it invites viewers into a world of ambiguity, introspection, and emotional complexity. This is a simply superb Jodie Foster performance; it is a thoughtful and rewarding work that lingers long after the final scene. As for TV, well: Clarkson’s Farm. Say no more. Also, though the truly wonderful Nicola Walker is in a new TV series called Alice & Steve (Disney+): a marriage goes awry. I am also enjoying Rueben Owen – Life in the Dales (Channel 4, UK).

Clint Eastwood, 95, has indicated he has retired from acting and directing. He is, however, continuing to compose music for films.

A Book and a Drink at the End of the Walk: A friend introduced me to a Cardamom Compass – gin, Chartreuse, dry vermouth, cardamom syrup and a couple of dashes of orange bitters and a bit of orange (or grapefruit) peel. Delish. The book is a fascinating account of The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America by Louis Menand. It is a remarkable intellectual history that reads more like a compelling narrative than an academic study. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History, the book traces the lives and ideas of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., William James, Charles Sanders Peirce, and John Dewey, showing how their experiences helped shape the philosophy of pragmatism and, ultimately, modern American thought. Menand has a rare gift for making complex ideas accessible without oversimplifying them. Rich in historical detail and filled with memorable characters, this is a book for readers who enjoy history, philosophy, psychology, and the evolution of ideas. Ambitious, elegant, and deeply rewarding, The Metaphysical Club remains one of the finest works of intellectual history published in the past quarter century.

Food: Rosemary–Garlic Sausage from our local butcher (Meat Head), White Bean, Pear and Fennel Cassoulet with Crispy Sage Crumbs – an excellent one pan supper. Brown the rosemary and garlic sausages until deeply coloured, then set them aside. In the same pan, soften sliced fennel, onion, garlic, and a little celery with olive oil. Add a splash of white wine, a tin of cannellini beans, a few chopped tomatoes or tomato passata, chicken stock, thyme, black pepper, and a strip of orange zest. Nestle the sausages back in and let everything simmer until thick and fragrant. The creative turn: add thin wedges of firm pear for the final 10 minutes. They soften slightly and bring a gentle sweetness that works beautifully with rosemary, garlic, fennel, and pork. Finish with crispy breadcrumbs fried in butter or olive oil with chopped sage, lemon zest, and a little Parmesan. Scatter over the top just before serving. Serve with bitter greens dressed in lemon and mustard, plus crusty bread. A glass of Côtes du Rhône, Chianti, or a dry cider would be excellent (we had cider).

Quick Thoughts:

· At a mathematician’s house, I heard her scold her oldest child: “If I have told you n times, I must have told you n+1 times, don’t do that!”

· She is also afraid of negative numbers – she will stop at nothing to avoid them.

· I distinctly heard the barman say, “We don’t serve time travellers here!” just moments before a time traveller walked into the bar.

· We’ve had a data centre near us for years. It’s called the public library. Duh.

· Do plumbers have pipe dreams? Asking for a friend.

· The new definition of “surpass” – to refuse a knighthood.

· If someone has to take a cognitive test four times in an 18-month period, it means the medical team are assessing just how severe the dementia is, not whether the person has it.

· Has Donald Trump become a French existentialist? His new answer to most questions is: “I don’t care!”

· Stephen Colbert asked British comedian Ricky Gervais if he was worried that artificial intelligence was taking over. His response: “I’d love any intelligence to take over!”

· I just bought a fountain pen that writes underwater – it can write other words as well.

· You’d think Donald Trump would be a Spurs supporter, given how he used the Spurs to get out of serving in Vietnam.

· The US Hurricane Season began on 1st June. Given the destruction at FEMA (a 20% cut to all staff, with 50% of leadership positions gone and major cuts to disaster budgets), let’s hope communities are not hard-hit. There are very few resources available to support recovery and restoration.

· The barn owl, the basking shark or the buff-tailed bumblebee? Britons are being asked to vote for a choice of 18 animals to appear on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes, with the hedgehog hotly tipped as an early frontrunner. I favour the Coatimundi.

· I am addicted to penography – looking at pen nibs and designs.

In the spirit of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – the antidote to panel games (on BBC Radio 4 for almost 55 years now and still going strong): Late arrivals at the musicians’ ball (with thanks to Dr. Haley Simons):

· Mr. & Mrs. Fonium, with their hefty son Hugh

· Mr. & Mrs. Ductor and their lovely daughter, Connie (known to us all as Con)

· Mr. & Mrs. demicfestivaloverture and their son Acker

· Mr. & Mrs. Tone and their son, Barry

· Mr. & Mrs. Sixtrombones and their son Zebedee

· Mr. & Mrs. Gellhorn and their daughter, Flo

· Mr. & Mrs. Army-Band and their daughter Sally

· Mr. & Mrs. Flat-Bass, and their two sons, Eefie and Beefie

· Mr. & Mrs. Estra, great Tolkien fans, and their daughter, Orca

· Mr. & Mrs. Coda and their son, Al

· Mr. & Mrs. Tary-Band and their daughter Millie

· Mr. & Mrs. Test Music and their daughter Con

· Mr. & Mrs. Forte and their daughter Piano

· Mr. & Mrs. Bassoon and their son, Contra

· Mr. & Mrs. Thivories and their son, Tink L

· Mr. & Mrs. Turner and their daughter Paige

· Mr. & Mrs. Lance and their son Freddy, who everyone calls “Free”

· Mr. & Mrs. Djhar and their son, Tipp

New definitions: These are all words or phrases still heard in Yorkshire:

· Sadsack – an affectionate term for someone who always looks miserable

· Mithering – a person who talks a lot, but never says anything worth listening to

· While – instead of until

· Siling – as in siling down

· Loppy – as in filthy

· Off ‘ Yam – I am going home

· Skerrik – a very small amount of jam or marmalade left in the bottom of a jar

· Eesezitsizburabetitint – that object is in fact mine

· Sniket – a cut through or a lane

· Gimmel – a walled path between houses

· Chipalley – a fish and chip shop

· Pogged – feeling full after a meal

· Asthabin – a genuine query about your well-being

· Wazzock – to lay around with no set purpose

· Charley’s Dead – your slip (underskirt) is showing

· Nesh – overly sensitive to cold weather

· Mafting – extremely hot weather (e.g. ”It’s mafting today!”)

· Fettle – the current state of something (e.g. “He’s in fine fettle today!”)

· Gaffer – boss or foreman

· Clarty – muddy or dirty

Yorkshire dialect is fascinating because it preserves words and grammatical structures that can be traced back to Old Norse and Old English, reflecting the region’s strong Viking heritage. Words such as bairn, laik (play), garth (yard), and beck (stream) are direct linguistic descendants of that history. My own name – Murgatroyd – has Viking connections (a corruption of Saint Marget’s in the Field – the Viking name for field is troyd).