Enlightened employers, hey? Various of my relatives worked at Rowntree's factory. I first discovered G&S (gateway to opera) at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre. My Grandad lived the last of his days at a (decent) care home run by the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.

'Piccadilly Circus' (1960) by LS Lowry

(Private collection)

You see, here's a thing. Today, there is one model of beauty, though I don't find it attractive at all. Previously, there were many different ways to be beautiful, and it could include having dark hair, or short hair, or your own eyebrows. And a lot of it was about character.

Magazines! Newspapers! Commission me to write. I can hit a deadline. Just submitted a piece that was due on 12 September!

Gyles is joined by Alexander Armstrong for a conversation about his idyllic childhood, the delights of PG Wodehouse, and the joys of evensong. You can't beat Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth!

Great editorial from Opera with Opera News on the parlous situation in Wales. Pleased that Elizabeth Atherton gets richly-deserved recognition for her amazing campaigning. Onwards!

Freddie and Montserrat.

Oh look, the question of opera's supposed elitism is in the news again! Good job I have written a whole book on the subject, 'Someone Else's Music: Opera and the British', out next year from Oxford Music! Caroline Hardman James Marriott The Times and The Sunday Times

And that's fine, because the beautifully crafted text is part of the exercise and we're not just delivering 'content'. Better than waffling around bullet points on a PowerPoint.

I'm really heartbroken - the School of Arts finally returns to the Humanities, and I'll be made redundant at the very point that I could take up again the connections with my colleagues in History, History of Art and Drama, which were severed 10 years ago.

Giacomo Puccini und die Moderne: ein Komponist des 20. Jahrhunderts
✍️ Alexandra Wilson (Alexandra Wilson)

„wer erwartet, dass die gesamte Turandot wie ,Nessun dorma’ klingt, wird einen Schock erleben”
bachtrack.com/de_DE/feature-…

What a day and what a turnout Welsh Parliament. Thanks to those who came to support, & what a poignant event it was as we fight to #SaveWNO . Please, listen to us Welsh Government & GOV.UK. Do you want to lose this?
Lesley Griffiths Vaughan Gething 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Lucy Frazer Keir Starmer Thangam Debbonaire