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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Secret Treaties – Blue Öyster Cult – AOTM January 2021

Secret Treaties – Blue Öyster Cult – AOTM January 2021

Blue Öyster Cult (yes that is spelled correctly), otherwise abbreviated to BÖC, are an American hard rock band. Secret Treaties is their third studio album and was released in 1974. Interestingly, Patti Smith of all people was involved in the lyricism of this album....

Escape Room – Terrific Insular Horror

Escape Room – Terrific Insular Horror

M and I are horror aficionados, and were pleasantly surprised with this 2019 offering. My first instinct when I have enjoyed a film is to check Empire for their invariably scathing review. This film did not fare well with the discerning male critics, and I do share...

Boy Blowing Bubbles – Édouard Manet 1867

Boy Blowing Bubbles – Édouard Manet 1867

Manet (23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French Modernist painter often referred to as the father of modernism. He was a crucial figure in the change from Realism to Impressionism and was close friends with other pivotal figures of the time such as Renoir, Monet...

Kraftwerk – Techno Pop – Album In The Month

Kraftwerk – Techno Pop – Album In The Month

Kraftwerk is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, who both produced Techno Pop with Karl Bartos in 1986. Techno Pop was Kraftwerk's 9th studio album. Originally released as Electric Cafe, Techno Pop is the original working...

Ready or Not – Unique Dark Comedy

Ready or Not – Unique Dark Comedy

I am often skeptical when Pater suggests films to me but my spidey senses were tingling with this title. Once again they did not let me down. All credit to Pater on this one, mind. An excellent find. Ready or Not tells the odd story of Grace, an orphan who marries...