Archive for September, 2011
Ever heard of a Potemkin village?
September 30th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
This week, I attend a meeting of a Board on which I serve and on this occasion we were addressed by a very senior civil servant. At one point, he used the term “a Potemkin village”. I have never heard the term before. Once the civil servant had departed, I inquired of my colleagues and […]
Posted in Cultural issues, History | Comments (0)
Reviews of recently-seen films
September 28th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I love the movies and my latest four films are very contrasting: “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” – my review here. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” – my review here. “Killer Elite” – my review here. “Drive” – my review here.
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Granddaughter Catrin starts her political career
September 27th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I took my son Richard to Labour Party Conference in Blackpool when he was just three and half months old in 1976. At the time, I was a Special Adviser to a member of the Labour Government’s Cabinet. Thirty five years later, Richard and his wife Emily have taken their daughter Catrin – aged eight […]
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (1)
Portuguese item (1): Martim Moniz
September 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
A week ago, I returned from a short holiday in Lisbon with my sister Silvia. The intervening week has been full of meetings, so only now can I share with you a few interesting things I learned on the trip. First, our hotel was located in a downtown square called Martim Moniz. I looked up […]
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Portuguese item (2): the language
September 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
The first thing you notice in Portugal is the language: it looks like Spanish but it sounds (to a European ear) like a Slavonic language. In fact, the distinctive sound is the influence of Arabic from the one-time Islamic occupation. Very little is pronounced as it looks – even the vowels. So, ‘thank you’ is […]
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Portuguese item (3): bolo rei
September 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
On our trip to Lisbon, my sister and I discovered a delicious cake called bolo rei. Literally the name means King Cake and it is a traditional cake for Christmas. However, I’m noted for my love of sweets things [more information here], so I was delighted to discover the bolo rei [more information here] in […]
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Portuguese item (4): the alliance
September 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance between England (succeeded by the United Kingdom) and Portugal is the oldest alliance in the world which is still in force. It was signed in 1373. This alliance, which goes back to the Middle Ages, has served both countries. It was very important throughout history, influencing the participation of the United Kingdom […]
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Portuguese item (5): pois
September 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
One of the most common words in spoken Portuguese is pois. But – what does it mean? All sorts of things – see here.
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Portuguese item (6): ginjinha
September 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
On our trip to Lisbon, my sister and I discovered a delicious drink called ginjinha or simply ginja. It is a cherry liqueur – very sweet and very invigorating. Check it out here.
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Portuguese item (7): troops in Afghanistan
September 25th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
During our break in Lisbon, we were told by one Portuguese person that her country had more than 100 soldiers serving in Afghanistan. This was presented as some kind of secret or subterfuge and it was suggested that the Portuguese forces were ‘hidden’ inside a British command. In fact, every nation in NATO has sent […]
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