BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN AND JAMIE FOSTER It is a peculiar truth of the modern age that the institutions we assume to be most solid—the pillars of the state—are often the most vulnerable to decay. We imagine the law as a kind of granite edifice, blindfolded and impartial, weighing evidence in her scales without fear or favour. The reality, as any honest observer of recent history … Continue reading The Hanging Judge and the Factory of Truth
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN AND JAMIE FOSTER Descent into Intellectual Servitude It is a peculiar and profound despair that grips the mind when it is forced to witness the noble architecture of British liberty being dismantled, brick by brick, by the very hands sworn to uphold it. We find ourselves in an age where the clarion call of freedom, for which our grandparents spilt their blood … Continue reading The Bonfire of Our Liberties
BY JAMIE FOSTER From British Ultimatum to Utopian Revolt, 1890-1975: Social Volatility, National Assertion, and Nervous Collapse In the pantheon of contemporary historical scholarship, few works possess the daring revisionist verve and profound erudition of Professor Tom Gallagher’s Portugal and the West: From British Ultimatum to Utopian Revolt, 1890-1975. This is not merely a book; it is a magisterial and sweeping geopolitical exegesis, the culmination of … Continue reading Portugal and the West
BY JAMIE FOSTER A Visionary Bridging Conservation, Human Rights, and Storytelling In a world where the delicate balance between humanity and nature is increasingly under threat, few individuals have managed to bridge the gap between conservation, human rights, and storytelling as pragmatically or effectively as Tom Opre. A film director, cinematographer, television producer, best-selling author, and passionate advocate, Opre has dedicated his life to shedding … Continue reading The Noble Mission of Tom Opre
BY JAMIE FOSTER How to Draw Ponies by Norman Thelwell is a delightful and insightful guide that combines expert drawing techniques with the artist’s signature wit and charm. First published in 1982, the book remains an enduring classic for both aspiring artists and fans of Thelwell’s much-loved cartoon ponies. Thelwell, whose illustrations of stubborn, plump ponies and their determined young riders are known around the … Continue reading How to Draw Ponies
BY JAMIE FOSTER The One That Didn’t Get Away by Tom Quinn is a delightful treasure trove of angling triumphs, designed to transport readers through the rich history of fishing over the past two centuries. Following in the footsteps of his earlier work, Great Angling Disasters, Quinn presents an anthology of unforgettable fishing moments, weaving together tales from rivers, seas, and lakes. This collection of … Continue reading The One That Didn’t Get Away
BY JAMIE FOSTER John Drewry’s “Reason in Madness” is a compelling collection of five short stories, each delving into the unpredictable and irrepressible nature of the human spirit. Through these tales, Drewry explores themes of sanity, madness, and the fine line that often separates the two. “The Day the Circus Came to Town” is a satirical tale reflecting on contemporary politics. In an act of … Continue reading Reason in Madness
BY JAMIE FOSTER Annie Tempest has been called a national treasure for her much-lauded and internationally loved cartoon strip about a fictitious English village with the eccentric Lord and Lady Tottering and their family who reside at Tottering Hall. During the thirty years that ‘Tottering-by-Gently’ has appeared weekly in Country Life magazine, the Tottering family – all three generations of them – have been seen … Continue reading Fun and Games with the Totterings
BY JAMIE FOSTER Britain’s shoreline boasts a vast array of landscapes, ranging from natural formations to those shaped by human intervention. Since ancient times, people have been drawn to the coast, resulting in a diverse array of settlements, from quaint villages to bustling seaside resorts and industrial towns. While many have relied on the sea for their livelihood, the coast also serves as a place … Continue reading England’s Coast
BY JAMIE FOSTER Our hill farmers have shaped some of the most beautiful parts of Britain for generations, acting as custodians of precious environmental amenities while providing a crucial part of our livestock industry. Our hills and uplands are elevated areas of less favoured agricultural land. These Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) are suitable for extensive livestock production because of their geography and their climate: they … Continue reading Hill Farming in the North of England
BY JAMIE FOSTER Tristan Voorspuy was a larger-than-life character. His obituary in the Daily Telegraph talked of: “a free-spirited alpha male. His greatest contribution was as a conservationist and safari guide, but he was always an engaging companion with great charm mixed with outrageous behaviour and glorious political incorrectness. Aged 61, born on 26th March 1955, he was shot dead on 5th March 2017 while … Continue reading Life on the Edge
BY JAMIE FOSTER In 1952, Norman Thelwell (1923-2004) penned his first cartoon for the satirical British magazine Punch, renowned internationally for its wit, irreverence, and for publishing the world’s best comic writers and poets. This led to a relationship that lasted for 25 years and over 1,000 cartoons, including 60 front covers. Thelwell was a master of sharp social comment and sheer zany humour, and … Continue reading The Effluent Society
BY JAMIE FOSTER A delightful book to dip in and out of, Bruce Anderson’s ‘Drink!’ is a collection of his columns from The Spectator. Published by Quiller, this slim volume is a series of vignettes full of joie de vivre. Each column recollects a different occasion on which Anderson is drinking wine and it is a joy to be transported by him to so many … Continue reading Drink!
BY JAMIE FOSTER Having entered the transition stage of the Article 50 process Boris Johnson will now negotiate Britain’s future relationship with the EU. This stage will come to an end on the 31st December this year at which point the UK will officially leave the EU and its regulations. It is Boris Johnson’s aim to have secured a trade deal with the EU by … Continue reading Article 50 Illegality a Sideshow
BY JAMIE FOSTER Senior Tories are demanding that Boris Johnson cut the powers of a historic investigations unit (HIU) as part of his deal to get power sharing back on at Stormont. The unit is tasked with investigating the deaths caused by the British Army during the troubles. There are real concerns that the unit will investigate all 302 deaths caused during the period. Tory … Continue reading Time to Neutralise the HIU
BY JAMIE FOSTER Donald Tusk getting involved in the UK General Election is strange. Maybe he is missing the limelight now that his EU role has ended and he is so easily seen through back in his homeland – increasingly Eurosceptic Poland. His suggestion that Remainers should not give up is also peculiar – what they are calling for in Revoke no longer exists. The … Continue reading Revoke for Euro Schengen Hell
BY JAMIE FOSTER Should the unlikely happen and a deal materialise, a group of Tory MPs are considering voting against Boris Johnson’s divorce deal unless commitments to EU defence are removed from it. At present the divorce deal promises to keep the UK linked to a series of EU military structures including the European Defence Fund, the European Defence Agency and Permanent Structured Cooperation. This … Continue reading No Deal No EU Army
BY JAMIE FOSTER The Brexit Party’s warnings to Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings last night about not reheating the May withdrawal deal are nothing new. As if the Conservatives don’t know that May’s deal is a dead duck. The more important warning from the Brexit Party relates to money. £39Bn may not seem like that much money in the round of years of trade – … Continue reading Essentially Bust
BY JAMIE FOSTER John Bercow, on a speaking tour in the US, claimed recently that Brexit may take another 20 years to sort out. More nonsense from this silly man. In his speech he claimed that ‘no force on earth’ would stop parliament having the final say about Brexit. While he agreed that the referendum was important, he went on to say that didn’t mean … Continue reading Good Riddance, Hobbit
BY JAMIE FOSTER Switzerland is coming to the end of its tether in relation to the failed attempt to negotiate an economic deal with the EU. The Swiss believe that the EU bureaucrats are too dogmatic in their demands to be able to come to a deal. A failure to reach a deal could mean that Swiss researchers are blocked from the common market. As … Continue reading The Swiss Example
