Tony Hatfield's Retired Ramblings

Coffee Anyone?

This morning I got up as usual and switched on our coffee machine. It’s a Gaggia Classic. Apart from a couple of times I’ve descaled the thing, and cleaned its accessible innards-not many- it’s not been through the machine’s equivalent... Read more →

The Final Exit

In “ On Liberty”, John Stuart Mill wrote “ The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical... Read more →

Windsor in the Soup

On the front page of today’s Sun is a rather grainy photograph of someone described as “Harry the Nazi". "Harry" is third in a queue to acquire one of the largest fortunes in the world. Yet the photograph shows him... Read more →

Corriere della Sera International

Alberto Sordi Why don't people in Italian films eat any more? This apparently futile question springs to mind as you leaf through Spaghetti&Stars, a collection of photographs, dating from the days of the Dolce Vita, that show actors and actresses... Read more →

Dr Pangloss Reporting

Voltaire wrote this letter shortly after the Lisbon earthquake. This “Act of God” killed an estimated 70,000 out of a population of 185,000, many of whom were attending the mass. It occurred on All Saints Day 1755. Les Délices, November... Read more →