Trauma has become as American as apple pie
Gstaad Lord Belhaven and Stenton, a wonderful man and the quintessential English gentleman, died at 93 just before the end…
We may be locked down but Gstaad’s nightlife is going strong
Gstaad Chekhovian boredom ruled supreme, but the loss of my luggage brought instant relief. Anger beats boredom by a mile,…
Trump supporters never stood a chance
New York There are times, living in this here dump, when I doubt if anyone’s heard of the word magnanimity.…
It’s been a tough year for socialites
New York Here we go again, the annual holiest of holies is upon us, although to this oldie last Christmas…
My escape to a simpler way of life
Harbour Island, Bahamas A singer named Shawn Mendes recently announced to millions of his fans: ‘The truth is, it’s so…
Why I stopped reading novels
New York I received a letter from a long-time Spectatorreader, James Hackett, enquiring about books I am reading. It is…
My advice to Trump supporters? Smile and take it
New York There are times, living in this here dump, when I doubt if anyone’s heard of the word magnanimity.…
In praise of femininity
New York Who was it that first coined the expression ‘It ain’t over until the fat lady sings’? The great…
The cultural elite has a new enemy
New York Election night parties are usually dreadful affairs, with the idiot box blaring and hysterical listeners screaming out the…
Why New Yorkers are fleeing the city in droves
New York Back when people used to read newspapers, they called it a ‘human interest’ story. Now it appears as…
Will my election night party end in fisticuffs?
New York Election fever is heating up and I hope the party I’m giving on the evening of 3 November…
I’m now considered a freak in New York
New York It’s nice to finally be in the Bagel, a place where the cows have two legs and no…
New York is a paradise for criminals
New York New York, New York, once a wonderful town/ The people are crap and the mayor’s a clown/ The…
My nights of passion with Juliette Gréco
Gstaad Juliette Gréco’s recent death in her nineties brought back some melodramatic memories. In 1957 Gréco was one of France’s…
Why I’m moving to England
Gstaad It is not exactly a stop all the clocks occasion, let alone cut off the telephone, but I’ve finally…
What I would do if I were in charge of the BBC
Gstaad I’ve been wrestling all week with indecision, the kind that tests one’s soul, and the uncertainty is killing me.…
What Barbara Black’s choice of friends says about her
Gstaad I’m not usually nonplussed, but this is very strange: the memoir of Barbara Black, the wife of my…
Trump should take lessons in lying from Joe Biden
Gstaad It snowed on the last two days of August up here, and why not? We’ve traded freedom of speech…
Bob Geldof is an unconventional Zoom host
Gstaad I experienced my first Zoom conference last week, and didn’t think much of it. As the great Yogi Berra…
The art of being a mistress
Gstaad The jokes about keeping a mistress are old and I’ve yet to hear a truly funny one (‘The difference…
How to have a happy old age
Gstaad Birthdays at my age are for the birds, but always a good excuse for a party. Messages of…
How to fight a good war
Serifos There’s no high life here, only family life, so I’ve been hitting the books about great Greeks of…
Island life is not for me
Island of Serifos Let’s get one thing straight: island life is not for me. Island life off a boat, jawohl,…
I love Greece and the Greeks but they have destroyed Athens
Athens This ancient city without tourists reminds me of the Athens I once knew and loved, but for the…
In memory of the man who never slept
The enforced boredom of lockdown has been replaced by a feeling of loss. My nephew by marriage, Hansie Schoenburg, died…
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