Oxford in my day was another, better world
I was in the attic killing some Taleban on Medal of Honor when Girl interrupted and said: ‘Dad, what’s this?’…
Trevor Phillips's documentary on Muslims was shocking - but not surprising
‘Our findings will shock many people,’ promised Trevor Phillips at the beginning of What British Muslims Really Think (Channel 4,…
An inconvenient truth
‘Our findings will shock many people,’ promised Trevor Phillips at the beginning of What British Muslims Really Think (Channel 4,…
Give thanks for the imperialist ‘tomb raiders’
If ever you find yourself in Berlin, there are three places you absolutely must visit. The first two are museums:…
Give thanks for the tomb raiders
If ever you find yourself in Berlin, there are three places you absolutely must visit. The first two are museums:…
Love at first sight
Now the kids are back for the school holidays, I have a licence to watch complete trash again. No more…
What will I do with a second chance at life? Play more video games
Does a near-death experience make you a better person? This is something I’ve been thinking about on and off since…
What will I do with my second chance at life? Play more video games, for a start
Does a near-death experience make you a better person? This is something I’ve been thinking about on and off since…
How does anyone keep up with all the good stuff out there on TV?
‘We have a problem. Yes. At the wind farm.’ Any conspiracy thriller with lines like that has definitely got my…
Greedy greenies
‘We have a problem. Yes. At the wind farm.’ Any conspiracy thriller with lines like that has definitely got my…
To believe in Brexit, you have to be an oik like me or Michael Gove
If you need to know how properly posh you are there’s a very simple test: are you pro- or anti-Brexit?…
Want to leave the EU? You must be an oik like me
If you need to know how properly posh you are there’s a very simple test: are you pro- or anti-Brexit?…
Scandi noir reduces you to an exquisitely suicidal state
Some things I have learned about Iceland after watching six episodes of Trapped (BBC4, Saturdays). 1. They seem to feel…
Northern exposure
Some things I have learned about Iceland after watching six episodes of Trapped (BBC4, Saturdays). 1. They seem to feel…
What I learned while nearly dying
There’s some journalistic research you’d really never do by choice. Spending four days in an NHS hospital with a life-threatening…
What was this bed-blocker doing on my ward?
There’s some journalistic research you’d really never do by choice. Spending four days in an NHS hospital with a life-threatening…
I’m putting my money where my mouth is and betting against climate change
‘As oil crashes, is it time to short solar stocks?’ Gosh, I wish I’d read that headline a year ago.…
Time to put my money where my mouth is
‘As oil crashes, is it time to short solar stocks?’ Gosh, I wish I’d read that headline a year ago.…
The integrity and chain-smoking of these East German Commies is rather attractive
No one remembers this now but there really was a period, not so long ago, when the Eighties were universally…
Class of ’83
No one remembers this now but there really was a period, not so long ago, when the Eighties were universally…
The children’s author BB had the right idea about man’s part in nature
Wild Lone is one of the most violent books I’ve ever read. It was published just before the last war…
Nature is red in tooth and claw. Get over it
Wild Lone is one of the most violent books I’ve ever read. It was published just before the last war…
War & Peace is actually just an upmarket Downton Abbey
Gosh what a breath of fresh air was Andrew Davies’s War & Peace adaptation (BBC1, Sundays) after all the stale…
Coming up for air
Gosh what a breath of fresh air was Andrew Davies’s War & Peace adaptation (BBC1, Sundays) after all the stale…