michael hughes' blog

   When I began writing this piece I just wanted to write about the trip I made and how it had taken place under the shadow of my father’s death. Associations kept popping up and it started to dawn on me that death had woven many different threads through my life. My impression had [...]

Israeli ex-soldier says Facebook prisoner pictures were souvenirs Eden Abergil brushes off criticism as veterans group says ‘victory pictures’ widespread practice among soldiers See more of the Israeli soldiers’ ‘trophy’ photos Rachel Shabi in Jerusalem guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 17 August 2010 17.09 B

The first film I ever recall seeing was “Greyfriar’s Bobby”. Made by Disney in 1961, the film, is about a little dog (a Skye Terrier) who, when his master dies, conducts a lonely vigil at his grave for 14 years, earning himself the title of the film. The film made me so sad that I [...]

The camel narrative battle Lawrence Durrell, Lawrence of Arabia, so many Lawrences which have formed my image of the desert and Egypt. The needle on the embankment near the Houses of Parliament in London, The curse of the mummy, Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Nile”, the mask of Tutankhamun, all te

Haroon Siddique and agencies guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 December 2009 11.47 GMT Article history A Silvio Berlusconi supporter holds a banner reading ‘Berlusconi, you are a great man, a myth, you will remain in history. Thank you for what you do for our country, the stars are with you” outside the Sa

Anyone who fears that global warming, melting ice caps and rising sea levels will destroy civilisation as we know it, can take heart. Holland ties with Denmark in having the lowest level of land of any countries of the world; 7 metres below sea level. If it wasn’t for the presence of the dykes 27% [

There’s nothing wrong, in my view, with spirituality. On the other hand, ever since my intellectual awakening when I was fifteen, when I immediately dispensed with the services of a God, I have never been a religious person. My parents sent me to Sunday School once and I fell down on the way back an

You can now buy this photo for just €1,00 at; http://www.hughes-photography.eu/?page_id=117    It is probably the most famous tower in the world and one of the Souvenir classics; the leaning tower of Pisa. Begun in 1173 and finished 177 years [...]

One of the favourite stories of my childhood is the one of the boy asking the (English) policeman if his head goes right up to the top of his helmet. It is the combination of naivety and cheek which I really [...]