There are a lot of special things about South Kensington tube station. First, it simply has history. The London Underground was the world’s first public underground service and South Ken one of its original stations – witness the bold, mid 1860s, wrought iron lettering over the entrance. Photo credit: Martin ... Read More »

Our dog was an opportunistic, lovable rascal. She would often take herself off for walks, as dogs did in those days, and in her sorties managed to endear herself to countless neighbours. Although they knew full well that she belonged to someone else, in the hours she was away she would go into some of their houses and ... Read More »

When it comes to paintings, I want to feel at one with their colours and forms, be seduced into stopping and staring and be moved emotionally. And in all this it is the picture itself that is dominant. When, how, and by whom it was painted is of secondary importance, as indeed is its price. To put it simply, my judgement is ... Read More »

My elder sister died last summer. Were she still alive I don’t think she would be too surprised to hear me describe one aspect of her character as that of an inveterate collector and hoarder, with strong magpie tendencies. Accordingly, her flat was filled with treasures. These have now been sorted and two particular ... Read More »

There has recently been a lot of discussion in the news about the dangers of cosmetic surgery, sparked this time by the news that thousands of women had received faulty breast implants. However, the thing I have been even more surprised about is the huge number of people who undergo cosmetic treatments on their teeth without appearing to consider the risks. Perfectly (and, some would argue, unnaturally) straight and white teeth have now almost become the norm and going through cosmetic surgical procedures to obtain them has become so acceptable that people do not question parents organising these cosmetic procedures for their young children. Have they become so ubiquitous that many people with nothing wrong with their teeth feel they look unacceptable and unattractive without these interventions? However, thirty years ago these dental procedures were rare –in thirty years time from now will it be unusual to see someone with a normal, non-reconstructed body?

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"The most influential doctor in history was not Hippocrates, Jenner, or Osler; but a first century physician-turned-missionary called Luke. The Apostle Paul wrote thirteen books of the Bible, John another five, but Luke's writings make up more of the volume of the New Testament then either of ... Read More »

Whenever a radio or television announcer says we are about to hear an interview with Tony Blair, I turn off my ears. This may be an excessive response but many years ago our former prime minister lost my trust. For me, what was an exciting political prospect became a betrayal, and a warmongering one at that. He was, as it ... Read More »

I am in the process of moving house and have been looking round lots of furniture shops in the January sales for a bed, sofas and chairs.

 

In the last few weeks I have heard many extreme claims from sales advisors about the ‘health benefits’ of particular beds and chairs. I have been shown beds and mattresses that ‘improve circulation’ and ‘reduce asthma and lung problems’. I have been told that buying a foot stool with a sofa or upgrading to reclining sofa will ‘take the strain off your heart by using a pump in your heel’. These unsubstantiated and unlikely health claims are not limited to furniture – shoes and sportswear often come with promises of weight loss and muscle strengthening seemingly by simply wearing the items.

 

This blog asks why such sales pitches can be made for these items, but the same claims for a medicine, or even a food product, would rightly be subjected to far more rigorous analysis and asks if it is time that such claims should be backed up by scientific evidence?

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One man's meat is another's posion.  ... Read More »

“What do you think Ginger?” Silence …then.. “Ginger thinks your tie is very nice.” Nothing much wrong on the surface, but this was Alice, a family friend in her 70s, discussing my new tie with her cat. Alice was not mad, nothing ‘medically’ wrong, just quirky and a cat lover. I ... Read More »