The building that grew itself

The building that grew itself

The Guardian
31 Jul 2006

Royalty and architecture might have gone together once upon a time, but that is hardly the case these days. If royal architecture has been characterised by anything in this country recently, it’s been the “people’s puddle” — the Diana, Princess of... read more...

Surf’s up in Europe: how to catch the wave

Surf’s up in Europe: how to catch the wave
by Aaron O. Patrick
The Wall Street Journal Europe
28 Jul 2006

INewquay, England FRANTICALLY paddle, trying to get momentum as a large mound of water builds up behind me. The surfboard begins to accelerate. Gingerly but quickly, I stand and lean into a sharp right-hand turn. The board gathers speed, shooting along... read more...

Visions of Africa

Visions of Africa

The Guardian
27 Jul 2006

For most people in Britain, “Africa” is represented by a series of visual metaphors that might range from images of wildlife and nature reserves to the spears and hair styles of the Masai. The current BBC logo in which young Masai men leap in the air... read more...

Tate Modern 2: the epic sequel

Tate Modern 2: the epic sequel
Jonathan Glancey
The Guardian
26 Jul 2006

You thought you had seen enough contemporary art to last you a lifetime. You thought that modern art galleries could never be as big again. But you were wrong. It’s back, bigger, bolder, brasher than before. Tate Modern 2. The sequel. Yesterday, the... read more...

Discovery in midlands bog ‘of staggering importance’

Discovery in midlands bog ‘of staggering importance’
Ruadhn Mac Cormaic
The Irish Times
26 Jul 2006

The discovery of an ancient manuscript in a bog in the midlands has been described by the National Museum of Ireland as of “staggering importance”. Fragments of what appear to be an ancient psalter, or Book of Psalms, were uncovered by a bulldozer in... read more...

Lest we forget

Lest we forget

The Guardian
24 Jul 2006

Earlier this summer, a friend of mine visited Newport. With its out-of-town sprawl and post- industrial problems, the old flannel town is not necessarily at the top of the tourist trail. But the place does have some history. There is Newport Castle... read more...

Poland and us

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Poland and us

The Guardian
21 Jul 2006

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It’s art squad v tomb raiders as Greece reclaims its pillaged past

It’s art squad v tomb raiders as Greece reclaims its pillaged past
Helena Smith Geneva
The Guardian
21 Jul 2006

For the connoisseur of ancient art, 6 rue Verdaine in Geneva’s old town is a jewel to behold. Set in its windows, like pearls in an oyster, are an elegant Attic red figure krater attributed to a 5thcentury BC painter, an Etruscan pouring vessel and an... read more...

Blueprint Sex museum plan sparks Rio row

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Blueprint Sex museum plan sparks Rio row
Tom Phillips Rio de Janeiro
The Guardian
20 Jul 2006

Telling your 71-year-old grandmother you plan to construct a gigantic replica of a uterus on her doorstep must be one of the least pleasant tasks for any grandson. That, however, is the bind of Igor de Vetyemy, a young Brazilian architect behind a... read more...

‘We do go a bit mad in the sun’

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‘We do go a bit mad in the sun’
Esther Addley
The Guardian
20 Jul 2006

Britain’s favourite summer pastime, strange to recall, used to be complaining about the drizzle. Happily, we are nothing if not adaptable. As a week of blistering weather intensified further across most of Britain yesterday, pushing temperatures to... read more...

My city, on fire again

My city, on fire again

The Guardian
19 Jul 2006

July 14 At 3.28am I woke up to the sound of Israeli jets flying low over our skies in Beirut. I was just beginning to finally fall asleep, had racing thoughts in my mind all night, cramps in my stomach, fear . . . Then the sound of jets, followed by... read more...

The Spanish civil war in blood and paint

The Spanish civil war in blood and paint
Stuart Christie
The Guardian
19 Jul 2006

This week marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Spanish civil war. For many it is a year of homage to the countless victims of the Francoist version of fascism; and this exhibition of 50 of the magnificent agitprop posters that republican... read more...

We need a look at native fishing (Vancouver Sun, 18 Jul 2006, Page A11)

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We need a look at native fishing
BY DENNIS BROWN
Vancouver Sun
18 Jul 2006

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s pledge to investigate racially- based commercial fisheries through a judicial inquiry has a sparked outrage from native politicians. As usual, proponents of the native- only commercial fishery will denounce as a racist... read more...

The truth about Frenchwomen

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The truth about Frenchwomen

Stella
16 Jul 2006

When we moved to Paris from America ten years ago I trusted that all I had heard about Frenchwomen – their perfect clothes, dedicated cookery, and elaborate wiles – would turn out on closer inspection to be untrue, and I would find they were just like... read more...

POOR NATIONS LAUGH ALL THE WAY TO BANK AS THEY TOP WORLD TABLE OF HAPPINESS (Irish Independent, 12 Jul 2006, Page 3)

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POOR NATIONS LAUGH ALL THE WAY TO BANK AS THEY TOP WORLD TABLE OF HAPPINESS
Philip Thornton
Irish Independent
12 Jul 2006

; WE may be the second wealthiest nation in the world < but when it comes to being happy we are a miserable 113th in the global stakes. Only a day after the Bank of Ireland research claimed that we never had it so good, a new index of wellbeing shows... read more...

Our theatre lives!

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Our theatre lives!
RICHARD OUZOUNIAN THEATRE CRITIC
Toronto Star
12 Jul 2006

There is life after The Lord of the Rings. The June 28 announcement of the $28 million spectacle’s premature closing sent a chill through the arts community. If a show with that much hype couldn’t attract audiences, some pundits suggested, it must... read more...

CANDLE FESTIVAL GETS NEW LOOK

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CANDLE FESTIVAL GETS NEW LOOK
Story by THAWEESAK BUTCHAN UBON RATCHATHANI
Bangkok Post
10 Jul 2006

Wax figures of women, with their hands pressed together to show respect, take this year’s Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival a bit away from its traditional theme commemorating the Lord Buddha. The figures were carved by Italian sculptor Bettino... read more...

How London carried on

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How London carried on

The Guardian
07 Jul 2006

Shortly after the second world war, a new poster appeared in tube stations around the capital. It declared simply: “ London Underground carried on." It was a bald statement of fact — amazing as it seems, tube trains had indeed run throughout the war —... read more...