MY VERSION OF EVENTS....

Last night, The Guild of Food Writers had their annual awards at Opera Holland Park (for the second time). It is always nice to spend time at an event in our theatre that isn't about opera. The awards are actually quite a feverish event, and not just because of all the lovely wines, bubbles and food (the Scotch beef cooked in a Big Green Egg was one of those mind-altering things you occasionally eat) but because of the intensity of the enthusiasm of the attendees. I don't know if the old adage that writers, who spend so much of their time alone, go at social gatherings with greater alacrity applies here, but it could be a factor. Food in the UK has become so democratic - anybody can have a fine, authentic meal for a moderate price - and good food writing is easy to find too. In fact, one of the most interesting things about food writing, perhaps more than any other subject, is the way that blogs can very quickly become hugely popular, and the Guild's awards recognise ...

I have been asked for the text of my acceptance speech from the graduation ceremony at Oxford Brookes University, 20th June, 2016. The audience was 170 graduates, in various arts, performing, publishing and other creative disciplines, as well as hundreds of their family members. My intention was to confirm that in an age of undervalued arts education, their choices were the correct ones; that despite the prevailing desire of the government for more engineers, mathematicians and computer experts, their talents would come to be as valued as any others. ----------- It is with great surprise and pleasure that I come here today to accept this honorary doctorate, the giving of which is met with more pride than I can actually express. To be recognised by an academic institution is not something I ever thought possible as I grew up. My two oldest children have achieved far more than I have in academia, but, as a competitive Dad I just want to say to them…erm, Doctor?! I am also honoured...

It's always a relief when a show opens to popular and critical acclaim, especially when it is the first show in the season. This year, there were added pressures; it was our first show as an independent company, Investec had  just put pen to paper on a new three year sponsorship and we were opening with a rarity. Such operas are our staple of course, but Iris is the piece that put us on that road in the first place. Oh, and four members of the Mascagni family were in the house which is bound to elevate the anxiety a little. What has been fascinating is  the depth of the reaction to Iris. I won't rehearse the arguments on the merits of the work - and its motivations - that I have been having with many people about it, but one thing is for sure, Iris has had a dramatic effect on most who have seen it: both good and bad (mostly bad, but in a good way.) When we have talked about the opera in the office in recent months, the discussion has often centred on the curren...

It is uncommon for me to accept waiting time of any kind; queues, airport delays, to be served in a coffee shop. But I am in Italy today. My room isn't ready so the garden, a glass of red and the warm spring sunshine in which Rome's Trastevere basks will soothe my usually fractious mood. Room not ready? No problem, where's the bar and garden? Indeed, something of a surprise met me on arrival a Fiumicino airport. It was efficient, the taxis were abundant and driven by polite Italians, the price was set and people were helpful. What has happened to Italy? I am feeling a bit bereft without the chaos. The police sirens are still from the 1960's and the smell is familiar (musty, damp, exotic tobacco) but It feels organised and outward looking. Still, I'm off to Napoli in August which should restore my faith in this country's pre-eminent reputation for lavish, stylish pandemonium. I am up on a hill, high above Trastevere which means walking into town is a plea...

In his defence of the new EBacc qualification that is to be compulsorily introduced to 90% of school pupils by 2020, ( Telegraph , 21st January)  Nick Gibb MP makes a passionate defence of core subjects and their availability to kids from all backgrounds (I wasn't aware poor kids were prevented from studying maths) and the aim that this government has of raising expectations. I don't quite understand this discussion of social background and wealth because schools like Eton and Harrow have an astonishing cultural curriculum, so it seems to me the wealthy are extremely interested in their children receiving a broad arts education. In fact, pupils from private schools are more likely to take music GCSE than pupils from state schools according to Cambridge Assessment research. Whilst Mr Gibb sounds off with some rousing platitudes, few of us would instinctively disagree with him, but we have heard it all before, and unfortunately, his insistence that there is plenty of room for ki...

Cesc Fabregas's appearance on Sky with Thierry Henry last night has been seen by many as a confirmation that Chelsea players, and not the manager, are the true cause of the club's present malaise. But what Fabregas's appearance told me, quite categorically, was that the dressing room is a pernicious place to be. He was saying - and he would, wouldn't he? - that players had to take responsibility, had to lift themselves and show pride. What I didn't hear was any suggestion that the manager's behaviour had nothing to do with them being in the position they are in. This interview told me that the players recognise their responsibilities, but that it now doesn't matter how they got here and that they have to put in the hard yards to get themselves out of it. For me, rather than being a show of support for the manager, it was an interview with horrific subtexts.  Henry, who as a consequence of his relationship with Fabregas likely knows far more...

The government has recently launched their consultation on the extension of the English Baccalaureate to 90% of pupils by 2020. They are determined; the consultation allows no space in its questioning for any answers that articulate the view that the subjects contained within the EBacc are proscriptive and doctrinaire Of course, the policy is draped in the kind of language many of us would find hard to disagree with: more core subjects, ensuring more of our pupils can read and write when they leave school or go on to higher education. Sure, young people should know their sums and sentences, their history and if possible another language. The other fanfare for the common man contained in the policy is the elevation of standards and examination quality. We have heard that before. The five pillar themes from which pupils have to study 8 GCSEs in certain core subjects before anything else has naturally met with objection from the world of the arts. The language used by the gove...