J-P Maya

'everyone you meet is fighting a battle that you know nothing about. Be Kind always'..

[Mr PitBull Stories @MrPitbull07]

He was tall, athletic, and a highly competitive rower who had even represented Great Britain, but he was also deeply in love with the young woman who shared his comedic dreams.

Their early romantic relationship blossomed at Cambridge University, where beneath his athletic exterior lay a devastatingly funny human being with a dry, self-deprecating wit that perfectly complemented Emma Thompson’s vibrant energy.

Long before he became the cynical, cane-wielding Dr. House or she became one of Britain's most celebrated, Oscar-winning actresses, they were just two ambitious students trying to find their footing in the high-pressure world of the elite Footlights comedy club in the late 1970s.

When they first met, Emma was already a force of nature. In a comedy scene that was notoriously dominated by men, she commanded every room she walked into. She had a sharp intelligence, an undeniable confidence, and a sense of comedic timing that made it obvious to everyone around her that she was destined for greatness.

Hugh would later admit he was instantly captivated by her, while Emma joked that he was enormous and already a star long before the rest of the world caught on.

Their romantic relationship worked because they understood each other creatively just as much as they did emotionally.

They spent endless hours rewriting sketches, bouncing jokes off one another, and pushing each other to be sharper, faster, and braver on stage. They were essentially training each other for the global careers they didn't even know they were going to have.

Perhaps the most monumental moment of their entire relationship came when Emma decided to introduce Hugh to another brilliant young student named Stephen Fry. That single introduction sparked one of the most iconic, enduring partnerships in British comedy history, giving birth to "A Bit of Fry & Laurie" and "Jeeves and Wooster."

To this day, Emma admits she is immensely proud of playing matchmaker for that legendary duo.

But what makes Emma and Hugh’s story truly unusual isn't how they fell in love—it's how they handled the breakup.

When the romance naturally ran its course, there was no public bitterness, no dramatic media fallout, and no lingering resentment. Instead, they seamlessly transitioned into being best friends.

The mutual respect between them survived the split because their connection had always been rooted in something far deeper than just physical attraction.

They genuinely admired each other's intellect, talent, and relentless work ethic. They chose to protect the friendship at all costs, and it paid off. They went on to collaborate on major projects later in life, including the critically acclaimed film Sense and Sensibility.

Decades later, when Hugh Laurie finally received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it was Emma who stood right by his side. She delivered a speech that was packed with inside jokes, warmth, and deep affection, proving to the world that their bond had never truly faded.

Hugh has always echoed that same sentiment, speaking about Emma with a profound sense of gratitude for the pivotal role she played in his early life.

[Vaughan Williams Foundation @VWFndn]

Vaughan Williams studied with the composer Ravel in Paris, and both men shared a mutual love of cats, with RVW owning a cat named Mrs Tim (although we think the cat in this picture is 'Foxy' 🐾).

[Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis]

Sergey Taneyev d otd 1915. A wonderful composer of complex but also deeply Russian music - and the favourite student of Tchaikovsky - he taught Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Medtner - and my grandfather. How I wish I'd been old enough to ask my grandfather for stories about them all!

[archivetvmusings @archivetvmus71]

Remembering Ian Carmichael, born this day in 1920.

[Arsenal News @ArsenalNews_Hub]

🗣️ Garry Neville: “The influence Arsenal players are having at this World Cup is incredible.

Just look at England’s latest performance: Noni Madueke wins the penalty that leads to Harry Kane’s opener, Declan Rice delivers the corner for another goal, and Bukayo Saka comes off the bench to set up Marcus Rashford and wrap up the victory.

When your players keep deciding matches on the biggest stage, it’s hard not to argue that Arsenal are among the very best teams in world football right now.” 🔴⚪️🏆

[Adam Keys @adamkeys_]

Noni Madueke was electric from minute one. Few wingers can hug the touchline like him and eat up space with such direct threat to constantly get his team up the pitch and into the box. England don’t have anyone who can replicate what he does; that’s why Tuchel loves him.

[Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis]

Igor Stravinsky b otd 1882. A genius, a colossus: perennially controversial, outrageously inventive, impossible to pigeonhole. He changed our conception of music.
“To continue in one path is to go backward.”
“The more art is controlled, limited, worked over, the more it is free.”

[Michael Warburton @For_Film_Fans]

JOHN GIELGUD talks about his complex, highly competitive relationship with Laurence Olivier as well as his close friendship with the deeply troubled Vivien Leigh — in his iconic 1992 interview with David Frost.

[Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis]

And happy day to actor/writer/director/cultural colossus Simon Callow! He's really a bit much: knows FAR more music than I do; also an expert on visual/literary/culinary etc arts; AND charming; AND witty. It's all a bit much, really; but despite all these faults: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

[Hollywood Yesterday✨ @HollywoodYeste1]

“Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of the heart.”

~ Basil Rathbone

[Robbert Leusink 🇳🇱 @robbertleusink]

The first person to hold six Michelin stars simultaneously was a peasant woman from Lyon who started her working life as a wet nurse

Eugénie Brazier earned stars across two restaurants in 1933

Paul Bocuse, who became the most celebrated French chef of the twentieth century, trained under her

The woman who defined French haute cuisine at its peak was an illegitimate child from a farming family

The most decorated chef of her era is almost unknown outside France

[Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis]

Wisdom from WB Yeats (b otd 1865):
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
“There is another world, but it is in this one.”
“What can be explained is not poetry.”

[🎶𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 ✨ @Old_But_Gold50s]

The excerpt captures a dramatically sublime moment in Genius Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, under the masterful baton of legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic.

[AbeBooks @AbeBooks]

AbeBooks turns 30 this year, and we're celebrating the booksellers who made it possible. Meet Pom Harrington of Peter Harrington, London's renowned rare bookshop specializing in first editions, signed copies, and literary treasures for over 50 years.

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

🎶 Kai Havertz scores again 🎶

[Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis]

Richard Strauss b otd 1864 - such a master! "Anyone who wants to be a real musician must be able to set a menu to music." But also: "Melody as revealed in the greatest works of our classics is one of the most noble gifts which an invisible deity has bestowed on mankind."

[Oluwakayode🇨🇦 @Khaytweets]

🗣️ Gary Neville: "I really like Mikel Arteta, I think he's a brilliant coach. I remember saying years ago that he might peak at fourth with this club, but what he has done since then is move them completely on an upward trajectory. He has built a serious powerhouse."

[Arsenal News @ArsenalNews_Hub]

🗣️ Roy Keane:

“Look at how many Arsenal players have were selected for the World Cup. That tells you everything about the quality of this squad.

When nearly half your team is representing their countries on the biggest stage, you’re doing something right. Arsenal are not a team you can underestimate anymore.

They’ve won the Premier League, reached a Champions League final, and built a squad full of top international players.

If Arsenal recruit seriously this summer, the rest of the football world might not like what comes next season.

People spend a lot of time hate-watching Arsenal. If this team keeps improving, that might become a waste of time.” 😳🔴⚪️

[Michelle @Chefdoo95]

🚨💣 Josh Kroenke’s Emotional Words: It would mean the World To Me If I Carry The Trophy Out with My Father.

🗣️I was at the Etihad when Arsenal were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City in April. “I thought Declan’s mentality was spot on: ‘It’s not done’. “I think our group still believed, even if the rest of the world had started to move on. Being in that dressing room after that match, I think the players all looked at each other and were like, ‘We can still do this’.”

🗣️When Arsenal beat Burnley 1-0, I was in the directors’ box. I flew back to the U.S. the next morning, landing just as Bournemouth scored against Manchester City to put Arsenal within touching distance of the title.

🗣️I got back to my home in Denver. I flew through the door and actually went into my bedroom and turned it on,“I don’t think anybody else wanted to experience the energy that I was having in that moment in time. But when we did win, there was an unexpected outpouring of emotion for me.

🗣️My first phone call was to my dad, my second was to Mikel. I figured he wouldn’t answer right away because he was probably doing exactly what I was doing at that moment, which was celebrating and crying with your loved ones. But a few minutes later, he called me back, and we had a great moment.

🗣️I didn’t know the exact protocol of how the trophy was to be presented, But I just said, ‘It would mean the world to me if I could carry it out with my father’. And if it wasn’t both of us, I wanted it to be him carrying it out because of everything that we’ve been through over here in England.

🗣️That moment to celebrate Arsenal’s first EPL in 22 years represents what I call “a journey beyond belief” for my family and my club.

🗣️Those were powerful images for me to get halfway around the world,” says Kroenke. “It was great to see people come together for a singular moment like that. We’ve all come from different parts of the world, different walks of life, but if you’re an Arsenal supporter, everyone is united.❤️

You can get this interview on NYtimes.

[Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis]

Robert Schumann b otd 1810! Is there a composer who confides in us so deeply, takes us more openly into his soul? His vulnerability, his tender poetry move us so deeply; but so also do his rhythmic invention, his intellectual mastery, his boundless imagination. Musical divinity!