Rome – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

The mysterious terracotta “Baronet” relief on Ye Racehorse Inne, 212 Elm Grove, Brighton

I suggest that it is the iconisation of the Stubbs portrait of George (later the) IV’s most successful horse, ridden in a distinctive flying gallop by his favourite jockey, Old Sam Chifney; and that the depiction of boots and reins without a rider symbolises George’s disgust at the termination of Chifney’s career by the Jockey Club following a race-rigging scandal.

January tweets

The Singing Organ-Grinder’s tweets for September

A rubbish heap in which a Ukrainian nuclear fireman finds romance with Willie Nelson.

July tweets from London’s Singing Organ-Grinder

In the footsteps of Spartacus

A self-guided walk from Ciampino Airport to Rome along the Appian Way.

The debasement of the European mind

A populist US senator meets an Italian organ-grinder in Rome in 1859.

Revealed, the identity of the horny apparition in the story of St Benedict, the blackbird, and the nettles

A 19th century Roman historian says she’s from the Roman Merula (blackbird) clan.

Detail of Nicolò di Pietro, The temptation of Saint Benedict.

Why they didn’t find Lorca

Bishop Gibson of Granada understands beatific bureaucracy but not tradition. Featuring a bad Vietnamese flamenco clip.

Horny ancient Rome, or taking the virtue out of virtual

The Google Earth version of ancient Rome is a bit like a collection of faked-up trainspotters’ notebooks. Until they find some way of populating it with exfoliant opera, our best bet as responsible amateur social historians is the porn industry: European production company Daring Media Group will release its first movie, Roma, in October at…