Postcard from China, 4

17th July 2013

So is it permitted to acknowledge that one is just a teensy bit underwhelmed by what is reputed to be one of the great sites - and sights - of the ancient world? We have been in Xi'an since Monday more

Postcard from China, 3

14th July 2013

Since Saturday afternoon we have been in Pingyao, from where we leave on Monday morning to fly to Xi'an. Pingyao is quite wonderful and like nowhere else I have been before, as is the Yide Hotel where more

Postcard from China, 2

14th July 2013

Friday afternoon, towards the end of the first week of our China holiday. We are in Datong in the north of the country, not so far from Beijing. In the late fifth century CE (around the time of the last more

Postcard from China, 1

13th July 2013

I'm a little uncertain about whether to contribute this post. After all, I'm off on a family holiday and not travelling for Illuminations. Mostly when I have done Postcards from foreign climes before I have been filming or researching or more

Ni hao Beijing

6th July 2013

Today I fly with my family to Beijing for a three week holiday (which I hope partly explains the lack of posts during this past week). I have no sense of how easy or difficult it will be to blog more

Links for the weekend

29th June 2013

Last weekend  I was in Stratford-upon-Avon for Midsummer Night's Dreaming and for the one before I was at a conference. So apologies for the missing Links... Today's bumper edition aims to go some way to making good (treat the current version more

Gentle ladies and gentlemen… John Lyly!!!

26th June 2013

Gentles all, put your hands together, please, for Mr John Lyly. We'll come to he actually was in a moment, but first consider this: on Thursday the Illuminations team is filming a scene from his celebrated drama Sapho more