A cornerstone post about my love of literature and the arts and what they tell us about the past.
Right from an early age books have been my favourite things. I love owning and reading books and even writing my own. I think this goes back to childhood. Both my parents were great readers and our fortnightly trips to the library were always a great occasion.
As well as being keen readers we were also avid film watchers. Whether it was the new James Bond at the cinema or an old black and white Ealing comedy on the TV, we were happy to settle down on a winter’s evening and let the images pour over us.
I’ve carried my love of books and films over into my adult life, and added a love of music, particularly English folk music, to the mix. Nowadays I’m more of a listener than a performer, but sometimes I dust off my melodeon and play a tune or two.
Most of my favourite books are from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the films are black and white. The music is mostly from an earlier era.
On this site I’ll review books I’ve found interesting and also write about how literature and the arts can help tell the story of the past.
If you’re interested in such curios, why don’t you pull up a chair and read, watch or listen along with me.