Monthly Archives: March 2016

Ireland marks the Easter rising centenary

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The 1916 rebellion that led to the end of British rule in the 26 counties

Easter has long been hugely significant in Ireland, and not just for religious reasons. The Good Friday agreement of 1998 marked the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, despite later tragedies such as Omagh. But the really significant event was the Easter rising of 1916, which Ireland marked today on a grand scale.

I blogged a decade ago that 2006 was the first time Dublin had staged a public parade to mark the Easter rising since the start of the  Northern Ireland Troubles in 1969. That murderous conflict complicated Ireland’s relationship with 1916. Ireland and Britain have an even stronger relationship now than in 2006, as the Queen’s visit to Ireland in 2011 and Irish president Michael D Higgins’ state visit to Britain three years later showed.  Continue reading →

The shadow of Profumo: visiting Cliveden

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Cliveden in the spring sunshine

Cliveden will forever be associated with the Profumo affair of the early 1960s. Secretary of State for War John Profumo was forced to resign after lying about his brief affair with Christine Keeler, which began one summer weekend at Cliveden, the then home of the Astor family.

Cliveden today is a luxury hotel, with the lovely National Trust grounds open to the public. Owen and I cycled here on Sunday on our tandem, making the most of a glorious early spring day. As we arrived by bike, we were both given a £1 voucher to use in the excellent cafe.

I doubt that Profumo or Keeler arrived by bike, but Cliveden does make an excellent destination for a cycle ride.

PS: Profumo died 10 years ago this month. He remains the role model for how public figures should behave after a scandal, as I blogged a decade ago.

Am I English or Welsh? A seven year old’s dilemma

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The Welsh boys!

My wife asked our seven year old son Owen today if he’d like to take part in the Beaver Scouts’ St George’s Day parade. His answer taught me a lot about how young children take identity seriously.

He gave a puzzled look, and declared that he didn’t know if he was English or Welsh. So should he take part in a parade on England’s little-observed national day?

I cherish the fact that my thoughtful seven year old is pondering questions of identity.  But I’m pleased that he decided that he would take part. We live in England, and it’s right that he should join his friends in this special event. I have deliberately tried not to influence him about which country he supports in rugby or soccer. (Though I was quietly pleased when he proclaimed, “This is fun!” when England lost 4-1 to Germany in the world cup in 2010!) He seems to be following his elder cousin Siân’s support for Wales. It’s entirely his decision!

Ride It! My debut in Evans Cycles’ sportive series

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IMG_2977I cycled my first sportive last Sunday. I took part in Evans Cycles‘ excellent Ride It London from the National Trust‘s lovely Osterley Park and House near Brentford.

The ride was due to take place in January, but was postponed because of overnight snow.

Sunday dawned sunny and cold – without any snow. The ride was billed ‘Escape the city’: ironically I had to drive to London to escape it! I was soon cycling over the M4 on my way our of the city, although it was a bit of a trek through Southall and Drayton before we got to countryside. The route also went through Sipson, the village that will be destroyed if Heathrow gets its third runway. More positively, we cycled past my son’s birthplace, Wexham Park Hospital.

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