Orbital by Samantha Harvey – Booker Prize Winner 2024

A friend asked me recently whether I liked modern books. I told him that I like good books, some of which are modern. This good modern book is a sterling example of an outstanding book written in the last year. Orbital is a short novel, some 130 pages, and very...

The Bungalow Galle Fort, Sri Lanka

Charlotte and I were in Sri Lanka recently for a wedding of a dear friend. We took the time to explore the beautiful country. We visited the capital Colombo first, then Galle Fort, followed by Negombo for the wedding and, finally, Kandy, in the mountains. We then...

Chez Antoinette – Chic French Bistro Victoria, London

Charlotte and I enjoyed a magical trip to London just after the Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate Easter. Easter is the most important time in the Church's calendar. Christians across the world celebrate the reality of Christ's resurrection and by extension His defeat...

Rest on the Flight into Egypt – Caravaggio

Charlotte and I saw a trio of beautiful Caravaggio paintings while visiting the Doria Pamphili Gallery in Rome in September last year. The gallery has hundreds of paintings and many masterpieces. I may do a piece on the gallery as a whole and then on some of its...

Saint Michael The Archangel Defeats Satan – Guido Reni

I did two posts on Guido Reni a while ago, one on St Joseph with the Infant Jesus, and another of the Portrait of Cardinal Bernardino Spada, which I think I saw in Rome. One (former) Cardinal I saw with Charlotte, for sure, was the Velasquez painting of the Portrait...

Locura – Virus – AOTM February 2023

Hello from your absentee blog host. I am sorry, to the few souls who will see this post, for my absence of late. I will heal the keenly felt rift in content with my favourite album of late, Virus, by Locura. This is the fifth studio album from the Argentine New Wave...

Christ in the House of His Parents – Sir John Everett Millais

Amazingly, this painting is Millais' first important religious subject. It shows the boyhood of Christ, of which not much is known. The gospels of St Luke and St Matthew speak on Christ's childhood years. Christ's dedication is at Luke 2:21-40 and His visit to the...

The Merry Maid Bar & Grill Birmingham – A Night to Remember

Picture the scene: Charlotte, Colin, Soyful and I are driving up to the Merry Maid, up through Five Ways, up the Belgrave Middleway, then up the back of Dunelm. We parked opposite the restaurant, which is situated between Priestley Road and Athole Street. During the...

St Joseph with the Infant Jesus – Guido Reni

This 1620 painting took my by surprise this morning. I was wondering out of my room about to prepare for the day and Nicholas showed me the Universalis painting today. Universalis is a wonderful app for Catholics with the Divine Office and Mass readings for the day,...

Favourite Album Cover – March 2023

I first heard of this band on Toast of London, when Steven Toast was dating Clancy Moped. Clancy was a 'weather girl' and was telling Toast her favourite bands over dinner: "the Weather Report, Snow Patrol, Earth Wind and Fire, especially the Wind bit". On the day of...

Hello and welcome to CEDRIC SUGGESTS, specially designed for those of us who are partial to a slice or three of The Culinary Arts…

But Nota Bene Dear Reader: this blog is NOT limited to my recipe and restaurant ramblings alone! I shall also take it upon myself to decribe my various other encounters and experiences in this wonderful world we all share. Expect recommendations of excellent service received, for example, and lively discussions on a variety of exhilerating sublects like as Fashion, Art, Education, Religion and Fitness my word. Not forgetting my regular Favourite Albums of the Month / Year feature. Are you ready? Then enter Freunde, Étranger, Stranger…

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Dough Eyed Pizza – A Sensation, York

Dough Eyed Pizza – A Sensation, York

Picture the scene, we are en route to Bishop Wilton, and have decided to stop halfway. We have cycled alongside the river on the way into work and are met with a spectacular picture of York Minster. The restaurant we want to go to is closed so we do a quick search on...

Ripon Cathedral – Exquisite Holy Place

Ripon Cathedral – Exquisite Holy Place

On our travels we decided to visit Ripon Cathedral before breakfast. This was one of the highlights of our trip, for me. I do love Yorkshire and would go to Ripon frequently when I lived in Knaresborough. The cathedral was always a place I would want to go to but...

Five Favourites – August 2021

Five Favourites – August 2021

Moving into August with my five favourite album covers, we have some cracking ones for you below. Let's lunge right in, as Lady C often says. Fela Kuti and the Afrika 70 - Gentleman - 1973 I mean come on. This is superb. I advise you to listen to the track ahead of...

Oliver’s Pantry – Best Breakfast Ripon

Oliver’s Pantry – Best Breakfast Ripon

Our penultimate day of travel, from Ripon to Bishop Wilton, saw us stop for breakfast at Oliver's Pantry. I recall Nick asking me if we could go to some lesser cafe because there was a statuette of Tin Tin in the window. I did away with his Aryan proclivity and put my...

Knaresborough Castle – Cycling Down Memory Lane

Knaresborough Castle – Cycling Down Memory Lane

Knaresborough Castle is not on the route for the Way of The Roses. However, the ride from Grassington to Ripon was not challenging enough for me so I undertook to ride to Knaresborough and back, partly to bulk up the mileage and partly to revisit the town where I...