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The Wild World of the Van Gogh Truthers
In 1990, after years of practicing medicine and reviewing Van Gogh’s case history via his hundreds of letters, Arenberg published a paper in JAMA diagnosing Van Gogh as suffering not from epilepsy, as the artist’s physician claimed a century earlier, but from Ménière’s disease, an inner-ear affliction that can cause vertigo, of which Van Gogh complained, and tinnitus, a persistent ringing in the ears. Ménière’s, to Arenberg, could better explain Van Gogh’s decision to slice off his ear. After retiring, in 2017, Arenberg recommitted himself to studying Van Gogh and became convinced that art historians had made an even more alarming mistake: Van Gogh had not committed suicide. He’d been murdered.
Read the article for free on Air Mail, a lively digital read for the world citizen, with stories both foreign and domestic that you won’t find anywhere else, written by some of the world’s finest journalists.
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👋 It’s 8:01 on Friday Morning 👋
This week in Chislehurst, there’s a real sense of summer finally arriving, from local football festivals and fetes to farmers markets and classic car meets across the area. With England’s World Cup campaign gathering pace and the longest day of the year just ahead, it’s a great moment to get outside, support community events, and make the most of warm evenings
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The World Cup finally got going for England this week and with some decent weather it was great to enjoy this moment of summer. It’ll be the longest day of the year on Sunday so it’s a great time to get out and watch the football outdoors. That said, at the time of writing, it’s forecast to be 37° on Tuesday, which quite frankly will be obnoxious. The big decision will be whether suffering on train will be worth the office air conditioning.
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The Wild World of the Van Gogh Truthers
A small but vocal crew of amateur sleuths are intent on exposing what they describe as “the art world’s biggest cover-up”: the murder of Vincent van Gogh. Read the article for free today.
If you’re after a Basque meal in town…
Sagardi Basque Country Chefs, Curtain Road
I went for dinner with a client to this Basque restaurant in Shoreditch in the week. What is now a new build location, was once an old butchers, and there’s a nice acknowledgement of this with all of the meats displayed in the restaurant. This definitely isn’t a potatas bravas type of menu, as there’s a big focus on cuts of meat. We tried over 2kgs of the two steaks served on sharing plates and we all went home very satisfied.
🏘️ In Chislehurst… 🏘️
Project 17 Cup
Project 17 Cup: Home Grown – Powered by UGG is a free, family-friendly football and culture festival at Cray Wanderers FC, Flamingo Park, Chislehurst BR7 6HL on Sunday 21 June, 12pm–7pm, featuring a 7-a-side tournament, music, food and World Cup screening. Expect community stalls, football challenges and an immersive UGG clubhouse, all raising awareness and support for ACLT and Afro-Caribbean community causes.
Sunday Jun-21, 12:00 - 19:00, Flamingo Park.
Summer Fete
St. George's Church is hosting its Summer Fete this Saturday. It's a great day out for all the family, with cakes, books, plants, cards, gifts, bric-a-brac, a BBQ and refreshments, Pimm's, a bouncy castle, and tombola. There will also be an art exhibition courtesy of the Bromley Art Society. Everyone is welcome, bring your friends!
Saturday Jun-21, 11.30 - 15:30, St George’s Church.
Social Saturday at Chislehurst Library
It’s the Chislehurst Farmers Market this Sunday, and they are welcoming a new fruit juice and cider producer, the Charrington family from Cryals Farm in Matfield, Kent, where they have been growing apples since 1964 on their 100-acre farm, hand-picking seven varieties each year, from modern favourites like Gala, Braeburn and Zari to British classics such as Cox, Egremont Russet and Bramley, plus Cheerfull Gold, a unique variety first discovered in Staplehurst, Kent.
Sunday Jun-21, 10:00 - 14:00, Hornbrook House Car Park
🚂 The Commute 🚂
Just a reminder that Southeastern is closing London Charing Cross and Waterloo East for 22 days in summer 2026, plus some associated weekends, for major engineering works. No trains will call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East from Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August 2026 (22‑day continuous closure).
All Southeastern services that normally run into Charing Cross will be diverted to London Victoria, London Cannon Street, London Blackfriars, with some services terminating at London Bridge.
👂 Heard on the Platform 👂
If you love classic cars and bikes, head over to Flamingo Park for the Classic Car & Bike Meet. The event takes place on the second Wednesday of every month, making it a great regular fixture for enthusiasts and curious locals alike.
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See you next, Friday!
Simon
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