When I think about famous photographers, I usually know more about the photos they have taken rather than who they are. Obviously, there are exceptions, and one is the American photographer Lee Miller. Over the last twenty years there have been many attempts at telling Miller’s extraordinary story and of these I have seen four.…
When the Cold Bit Hard
With the weather in Brittany at its coldest for years and the heating arrangements on our arrival in Tréguennec at their most tetchy, our recent holiday in Brittany was a real challenge. But we saw it through and with the struggle we were brought closer together than ever. Paradoxically, the problems that were so trying…
A Wonderful Year for ‘Strictly’
This year, the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ has been the best ever - in every way a real tonic. I write this knowing that there will be some readers who will be surprised to learn that I am a Strictly fan, indeed, to learn that I have been a regular viewer for the last ten…
Three Cheers for ‘Kingdom’
Over the years, I have grown closer to animals. When the children were young, I was rarely drawn to talking to, picking up or cuddling the family’s pets; for me just patting or stroking were enough. In keeping, animals outside the home went essentially unnoticed. With age I have changed: as an older man I…
A Visit Where Dashed Expectations Were Eventually Salvaged
Recently, Rohan and I spent a long weekend in Paris. While there, we set aside a morning to visit the restored Notre Dame. By all accounts the restoration following the devastating fire has been extraordinary and seeing the building for ourselves was a priority. Sadly, my expectations were not met; partly because they were unrealistically…
A Wonderful Evening with Wendy and Peter Pan.
As part of a half-term holiday treat, we took our grandson, River and one of his best friends Ava, to see J M Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’. The play was on at London’s Barbican, and the atmosphere when we walked into the centre’s vast, thousand-seater auditorium, and then looked across to the set on a giant…
Watching England’s Women Win the 2025 World Cup
Our summer in France was, as always, a delight. For months there was the pleasure of being with our French friends, of living French (Breton) culture, of buying and eating produce where the choice, quality and the taste was unbeatable, and (for me) the ultimate pleasure of simply speaking French. Add to these were the…
Three Go to Uzbekistan
Soon after her seventieth birthday, Rohan had a dream - for her eightieth she would go to Uzbekistan. In particular, she wanted to visit Samarkand and Bukhara, towns with histories going back two and a half thousand years and which, as early as 100BC, were important trading posts on Rohan’s much-loved Silk Road. Over the…
Announcement – no blog today.
All this week I have been on holiday in Uzbekistan and consequently have been unable to find the time I would need to write this Saturday’s blog. I’ll be back in London in a few days and plan to publish again next Saturday (18th October). In the meantime, this week’s illustration shows a photo of…
The Delights of Weeding
Increasingly, I treasure moments when my mind has time to think. Soaking in a warm bath offers one of the best opportunities; a close second occurs when gardening. I am not talking about gardening that is demanding, such as picking, planting or building; rather it is weeding, and recently this has been the ‘order of…
The Joe Collier Blog 