Notes on…
Crunch time: how to make the perfect crisp sandwich
A crisp sandwich is a private and personal endeavour. In my experience (and I have considerable experience in this particular…
How Mother’s Day became big business
As ever, the Romans got there first. Their version of Mothering Sunday or Mother’s Day was the feast of Juno…
In defence of slugs: gastropods are seriously misunderstood
Slugs and snails are the bane of every gardener who tries to grow strawberries, leafy and tuberous vegetables, flowering bulbs…
The cult of the convertible
The earliest cars were technically convertibles because the technology to fit a roof did not exist. Now the dedicated retractable…
The prickly truth: hedgehogs face a struggle to survive
No wild animal is closer to the hearts of the British than the hedgehog. In poll after poll, it has…
How sausage dogs were weaponised in the war
Short of leg but big on personality, the eccentrically shaped dachshund is one of Britain’s most beloved pets. Originally known…
The rise and fall of whistling
There was, at least until recently, an old sign round the back of the Savoy banning whistling by staff or…
The controversial side of carp fishing
All anglers are obsessive, but carp fishers are the most single-minded of all. They think nothing of spending weeks on…
The cult of the daffodil
Spring is the season of supermarket daffodils. At a pound a bunch, you can deck out your home like Elton…
The rise and fall of Britain’s fur trade
We in Britain have long been much more squeamish about fur than other Europeans. I still well remember the snide…
The secrets of chicken soup
Catherine Chicken is sickly. She has swollen up like a barrage balloon with an evil face and dinosaur feet. She…
The bittersweet truth about homemade marmalade
The spectrum of ‘bestowing homemade gifts on one’s friends’ ranges from giving to foisting. Pure giving is when you make…
Gold
After taking James Bond hostage, Auric Goldfinger does what all Bond villains do when in a position of power —…
Why do we bother with Christmas trees?
The closest thing we have to a native Christmas tree is the often broccoli-shaped Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). But the…
Why do we kiss under mistletoe?
Give us a snog. Pucker up at the Christmas party. Kiss me quick at the Nativity play. Will you be…
The enduring appeal of Baileys
For many, the first Baileys of the year heralds the start of the festive season; to others, it’s a drink…
The secrets of being a Christmas elf
I was 19 when I became a Hamleys elf. The closest thing I can compare it to is military service.…
The hellish return of the mullet
The mullet is back in fashion, which is proof that true evil never dies. What’s more, the trend is being…
How to get drunk on tiramisu
You can get drunk on tiramisu. I have done it. It takes two portions at least. You drink (I mean…
In defence of bagpipes
Many people love to hate bagpipes. Everyone from William Shakespeare to Alfred Hitchcock has held them in contempt. For some,…
How the pumpkin hijacked Halloween
You see them everywhere in vast orange mounds: pumpkins, piles of pumpkins, large enough to be turned into a coach…
The simple pleasures of sloe gin
The gin craze of recent years has reached a scale that would have horrified Hogarth. You can now buy strawberry,…
What makes a conker champion?
Last weekend, for the 54th time, hundreds of competitors met to compete for the title of world conker champion in…
Lateral thinking: the beauty of bungalows
We keep hearing about the importance of levelling up. Architects tasked with the responsibility of building new homes, however, might…
The cult of Irn Bru
There aren’t many countries where Coca-Cola isn’t the most popular drink. Scotland is one of them. And unlike some of…
