Life
Croquet is the perfect sport for social distancing
In Mr Alton’s absence, I thought readers might want a column about sport. The problem is that I’m largely indifferent…
2456: So American
Unclued lights (five of two words) are of a kind, singly, three pairs and a trio. Across 11 Ban on…
From milk to prayer: the curious connections of ‘pasture’
‘We can now see the sunlight and the pasture ahead of us,’ said Boris Johnson on our escape from a…
Magnus wins Magnus Carlsen Invitational
‘I haven’t felt this kind of tension in a long while. This was real!’ Those were Magnus Carlsen’s words, after…
How ‘odd’ became normal
‘Is this not the oddest news?’ Harriet Smith exclaimed to Emma Woodhouse, on the news that Jane Fairfax and Frank…
What the Queen will miss most in self-isolation
Seven hundred pages of memoir is stretching it a bit even for an ex-inhabitant of No. 10 with David Cameron’s…
Spectator competition winners: poems about the goats of Llandudno
In Competition No. 3146 you were invited to submit a poem about the goats of Llandudno, who recently ran amok…
2452: Comme on dit solution
The paired unclued lights (1D/6, 14/25, 36/32 and 39/1A) are, AS THEY SAY when the title of the puzzle is…
2455: Shadow boxing
The unclued lights (two of two words and one hyphened), individually or as three pairs are of a kind. The…
I’m imposing a one-woman trade embargo on China
Without making any efforts in that direction, I now know all about a certain telecom firm’s future business plans. My…
The night I danced with Ginger Rogers
Gstaad When indolence becomes intolerable, remembrances of things past become a lifesaver. Charles Moore’s SpectatorNotes also helps. His recent…
No. 602
Nepomniachtchi (lachesisQ)–Andriasian (Zaven_ChessMood), Abu Dhabi Super Blitz, April 2020. White is in danger here. Which move did he play to…
Hovering amid the din
‘I am extraordinarily patient — provided I get my own way in the end’. That’s a disposition fit for a…
Clarets to see in the summer
This April was indeed the cruellest month, at least for those of us banged up in cities. From the country…
Bridge | 2 May 2020
I’m aware that this column is in danger of turning into the Alex Hydes fanzine, but after writing about his…
Dear Mary: How do I handle my lockdown guest’s lack of table manners?
Q. I am being driven to distraction by a touchy relation who has responded to the lockdown by WhatsApping me…
Did anyone really believe what my wife wrote about me?
One of the nice things about having a column in The Spectator is that I get a chance to reply…
Is this the end of commuting?
The brother of a friend in Durban was once given a generous donation by a wealthy aunt. ‘I hate to…
How the French view their weekly clap for carers
Once a week we break French emergency law and have a friend round for drinks on the terrace. The terrace…
The Battle for Britain | 02 May 2020
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Dear Mary: How can I stop my friends spreading coronavirus conspiracy theories?
Q. Several of my friends and family members have moved on from dark thoughts concerning 9/11, the Kennedy assassination and…
Writing my High Life column made a man of me
As Cole Porter might have said, only second-rate people go on and on about their inner lives. Self-analysis, according to…
Vodka, kaolin and morphine: my welcome drinks at The Spectator offices
In 2001, aged 44, I was hired to write a weekly column for this august paper, and for the first…
We don’t have lockdown in Surrey
The man was unloading cycles from the boot of his car just as I was about to take the turning…
What bees can teach us about efficiency
The newspapers are full of stories about how small groups of engineers from Formula 1 teams have been able to…
