If you would like to withdraw from the general madness all around you, try BBC radio 4's 'Paul Temple and the Vandyke Affair' https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007rfb2 (that link is ep,& but you can go back)
I just love those BBC 1950's clipped English accents, pure hokum, but a treat!
gness : Good for you, though I sympathise with the insomnia. I find it good to listen to as I work.
It's surprising how natural a 'whisky & soda' sounded then. I haven't heard that asked for in a long time.
There used to be soda water syphons on most pub bars for you to help yourself from.
No real insomnia, Khandro. If the wild Kerry winds wake me it's a good entertaining listen.
You've reminded me of my little collection of soda syphons. On loan for an am dram production...they disappeared. :-)
Atheist: I knew someone back then who would bring his own bottle of scotch in a carrier bag into an always crowded bar ('Finches' Fulham Rd) The scoundrel used to order one whisky & soda - that way he got the glass & the syphon next to us - then for the rest of the evening the rotter would keep topping up his glass & squirting in the soda, even having the temerity to ask for a replacement syphon when it was empty!
He's now a famous old artist whose paintings sell for very large sums of money.