The art of swearing
Sometimes it’s the only word that will do. Every journalist at Max Verstappen’s press conference last month understood him perfectly…
Why we love to be baffled
So much of life is a search for answers. How to get ahead, how to earn more money, how to…
Assassination attempts, executions and volleyball: a history of Horse Guards
Will they never learn? The signs are very clear: ‘Beware! Horses may kick or bite.’ Yet last week a woman…
Why do people make excuses for surly staff?
‘You grab that table, I’ll get the drinks.’ I did as bid. A couple of minutes later, Paul was back,…
Forget Eton. This Mumbai team should play Harrow at Lord’s
The first thing I do is turn my watch upside down. India is five-and-a-half hours ahead of the UK, so…
Is Keir Starmer too boring to be prime minister?
‘What do you know about Keir Starmer?’ My friend’s question came as we sat in the pub. It was part of…
We should all embrace the power of games
Board games especially – dating back to at least 3000 BC – have never been idle entertainment but help boost the memory and teach valuable strategic skills
Stress Test: some cricket fans can’t cope with the Ashes
The Ashes has become too much for some cricket fans
How instant communication killed conversation
How instant communication killed conversation
Gruesome British folk sports – from cheese-rolling to Hare Pie Scramble
Harry Pearson’s tour of village games over the centuries even includes a Georgian football match where an Englishman’s severed head was used as the ball
Why I’ve built my own coffin
I’ve built my own coffin
Why we’ll miss ‘Motty’
There’s a sheepskin coat hanging just inside the Pearly Gates. Yes, John Motson has died. That appears to be the…
The beauty of a Wetherspoons pub
The J.D. does indeed come from J.D. ‘Boss’ Hogg in The Dukes of Hazzard. But Tim Martin’s reason for ‘Wetherspoon’…
All bar none: there’s more to the pub than just drink
There’s more to the pub than just drink
Why men share trivia
The truth about male ‘competitiveness’
Why crowds are so pleasing
London, writes Dr Watson in the first Sherlock Holmes story, is ‘that great cesspool into which all the loungers and…
Where’s the fun in football without the fans?
Football is back — but the fans aren’t. Covid means that clubs have to play their games behind closed doors.…
