Tag Archives: England

Tributes: Nobel Prize-Winning Philosopher And Writer Bertrand Russell (1872 – 1970)

Bertrand Russell Public IntellectualBertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, essayist, social critic, political activist, and Nobel laureate. At various points in his life, Russell considered himself a liberal, a socialist and a pacifist, although he also confessed that his sceptical nature had led him to feel that he had “never been any of these things, in any profound sense.” Russell was born in Monmouthshire into one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the United Kingdom.

In the early 20th century, Russell led the British “revolt against idealism”. He is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy along with his predecessor Gottlob Frege, colleague G. E. Moore and protégé Ludwig Wittgenstein. He is widely held to be one of the 20th century’s premier logicians. With A. N. Whitehead he wrote Principia Mathematica, an attempt to create a logical basis for mathematics, the quintessential work of classical logic. His philosophical essay “On Denoting” has been considered a “paradigm of philosophy”. His work has had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science (see type theory and type system) and philosophy, especially the philosophy of language, epistemology and metaphysics.

Russell was a prominent anti-war activist and he championed anti-imperialism.  Occasionally, he advocated preventive nuclear war, before the opportunity provided by the atomic monopoly had passed and he decided he would “welcome with enthusiasm” world government. He went to prison for his pacifism during World War I.[75] Later, Russell concluded that war against Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany was a necessary “lesser of two evils” and criticised Stalinist totalitarianism, attacked the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War and was an outspoken proponent of nuclear disarmament. In 1950, Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought”.

From Wikipedia

Profiles: The “Wild Paradise” Of 82-Year Old English Garden Designer Arabella Lennox-Boyd

Multicolored herbaceous borders of Asters, Dahlias and Helianthus heighten the

Arabella Lennox-Boyd English Garden Designer
Arabella Lennox-Boyd English Garden Designer

dramatic vision of a Gothic fourteenth-century house protruding from the depths of an English valley. Welcome to Gresgarth Hall, the impressive Lancashire country home of Arabella Lennox-Boyd since 1978.

The extraordinary gardens that surround the 11-acre estate are a product of Lennox-Boyd’s lifetime commitment to creating a wild and richly textured paradise for the senses. The Italian-born horticultural aesthete is an internationally renowned landscape designer who has completed both public and private commissions for the likes of musician Sting and the Serpentine Gallery in London’s Hyde Park.

“The 11-acre estate is a product of Lennox-Boyd’s lifetime commitment to the gardens”

Continue reading on NOWNESS.com or the app: https://o6g7.app.link/qbMvUTAbM3

Podcast Interviews: Travel & Style Magazine “Cereal” Editor Rosa Park

The Modern House podcast logoRosa Park is founding editor of Cereal, which is dedicated to thoughtful travel and lifestyle stories and known for its pared-back aesthetic. Here she reveals her love of Bath’s sandstone buildings, the unique style of her family home – and why you’d better not call her a minimalist.

Our guest for the first episode is Rosa Park, founding editor of Cereal magazine, a biannual publication dedicated to thoughtful travel and lifestyle stories and known for its pared-back aesthetic. Rosa was born in Seoul, grew up between Korea and Canada, studied in Boston and worked in New York before settling in Bath, Somerset, where she now presides over the magazine, a series of travel guides and her latest venture, art gallery Francis.

Cereal Magazine

Cereal Magazine content

Tune in to hear Rosa talk about how she got Cereal off the ground, why beige is her favourite colour and why she doesn’t define home as being about a place. Plus, hear why Rosa’s picked Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, Vincent Van Duysen’s home in Antwerp and her parents’ home in Seoul as her top three picks.

Website

 

Video Profiles: 89-Year Old London Illustrator David Gentleman On His New Book “My Town” (May 2020)

David Gentleman is an iconic British illustrator and designer who has lived a lifetime in London. Drawing from over sixty years of engagement with this most My Town by David Gentleman Penguin UK May 2020well-known capital city, his most recent book,

My Town presents London as it was and as it is today. His beautiful and intricate work – of the Thames, Hampstead Heath, Camden Town (where David Gentleman has lived in the same house for fifty years), London’s parks and sights – offers us the pleasure of looking again at the everyday.

Accompanied by reflections on the work of an artist, commentary on the possibilities of ink, pen and paint and personal thoughts on the ever-changing city, this is a delight for all those who flock to London.

To review book or purchase

London Illustrator David Gentleman
London Illustrator David Gentleman

David William Gentleman is an English artist. He studied illustration at the Royal College of Art under Edward Bawden and John Nash. He has worked in watercolour, lithography and wood engraving, at scales ranging from platform-length murals for Charing Cross Underground Station in London to postage stamps and logos. (Wikipedia)

Literary Debates: “This House Prefers Reading Oscar Wilde To George Orwell” (Cambridge)

The Cambridge Union logoABOUT THE MOTION: This House Prefers Reading Oscar Wilde to George Orwell Do we prefer satire or comedy? Do we take refuge in the serious or the frivolous? Do we understand the importance of being earnest or would we rather be in room 101? These two authors demonstrate well two powerful traditions in British literature, the comic and the satirical. They both of course share in each other’s art. Some would argue that during our present global crises we should look to Orwell more than ever, others would reach for the escapism of Oscar Wilde. In a new enterprise for the Cambridge Union, we are beginning our cultural debates – and this is our first. At least for a while.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER (Closing for the Proposition) Will Self is the author of 25 books, some of which have been translated into 25 languages. His Dorian: An Imitation is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray set during the AIDS crisis. He holds the Chair in Contemporary Thought at Brunel University, and lives in South London.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER (Closing for the Abstention) Professor Angie Hobbs graduated in Classics and then a Ph.D. in Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. After a Research Fellowship at Christ’s College, she moved to the Philosophy Department at the University of Warwick. She was a judge of the Man Booker International Prize 2019 and is on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council 2018-9 for Values, Ethics and Innovation

British Roadsters: “1966 Sunbeam Tiger Alpine 260”

1966 Sunbeam Tiger Alpine 260 Interior Classic DriverThe Sunbeam Tiger is a high-performance V8 version of the British Rootes Group’s Sunbeam Alpine roadster, designed in part by American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby and produced from 1964 until 1967. Shelby had carried out a similar V8 conversion on the AC Cobra, and hoped to be offered the contract to produce the Tiger at his facility in the United States. Rootes decided instead to contract the assembly work to Jensen at West Bromwich in England, and pay Shelby a royalty on every car produced.

Two major versions of the Tiger were built: the Mark I (1964–1967) was fitted with the 260 cu in (4.3 L) Ford V8; the Mark II, of which only 633 were built in the final year of Tiger production, was fitted with the larger Ford 289 cu in (4.7 L) engine. Two prototype and extensively modified versions of the Mark I competed in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, but neither completed the race. Rootes also entered the Tiger in European rallies with some success, and for two years it was the American Hot Rod Association’s national record holder over a quarter-mile drag strip.

From Wikipedia

Video Profiles: 60-Year Old Paddy Renouf Is “The Flâneur” In London (2020)

Directed, shot & edited by Jack Durman

Featuring Paddy Renouf
Shot in Soho, London

If you want to understand what Paddy Renouf does, Google the word flâneur — we certainly had to before speaking to him. The creation of French author Charles Baudelaire, the flâneur, he wrote, was “a passionate spectator,” or a man who wanders the streets soaking in culture at every level.

In Renouf’s case, the streets are London, and the spectating is done on behalf of Sheikhs, celebrities and C-Suite executives from the top brands of the world. And here’s the best part about it: it’s his full-time job, one he began thinking about while in the midst of building a traditional career.

From a WeAreAgeist.com

Classic Car Books: “The Impossible Collection Of Bentley” (Assouline)

The Impossible Collection of Bentley The 100 At 100 AssoulineAssouline presents yet another fascinating volume dedicated to the preeminent British car brand—Bentley: 100. Housed in a hand-stitched leather bound, limited edition case, this all-inclusive work presents an exhaustive list of the one hundred single most important and groundbreaking Bentley models, with detailed critiques and explanations relating to each automobile’s unique engineering excellence and the various creative avenues Bentley may have taken during the manufacturing process.

Collection of Bentley The 100 at 100 book Assouline

From the 1924 3-Litre, the first Bentley to win Le Mans; to the 1959 S2, the first to feature a V8 engine; all the way up to the stunning 2018 Continental GT, this book is a decisive list of all the masterful models that have helped Bentley become the dominant and illustrious luxury car manufacturer that it is today.

Read more or purchase

Innovative Homes: “The Coach House” In London Filled An 11-Foot Gap With An Open Light Infill House

The Coach House, is a four bedroom new build infill house.

Selencky Parsons Architects logo

The Coach House by Selencky Parsons architects London Infill house back yard

A triple height light well brings light deep into the heart of the narrow plot which unexpectedly opens out to create a spacious open plan living space which engages with the large rear garden.

The Coach House by Selencky Parsons architects London Infill house upstairs bedroom

Website

New Food Trends: “Terra Mundo” Immersive Multi-Sensory “Eat-ertainment” In London On Feb 12-16

Terra Mundo is a truly unique and luxurious dining experience set over three courses inspired by three distinctly earthly environments of forest, fire and ocean. Exquisite pairings of delicious food and stunning drinks are enhanced through musical soundscapes and 360-degree immersive projections bringing you the tastes, sights and sounds of Terra Mundo.

 

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

A delicious welcome drink

Three courses of fine dining

Perfectly-paired drinks for each course

Tantalising appetisers and amuse bouche

One hour show of fully visuals and musical soundscapes

ALL FOR: £95 (PLUS BOOKING FEE)

Website