Life
Labour won’t win voters back by denigrating Britain’s past
They never learn, do they? Lisa Nandy, the dark horse candidate in the Labour leadership race, has demanded the word…
The Battle for Britain
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The real reason I am against HS2
Some years ago, two British supermarket chains needed to place a large order for replacement trollies. They had to decide…
Dear Mary: As an actor, how do I cope with strangers who think they know me?
Q. I have hired a private room in a restaurant in order to give dinner to a large number of…
How gin escaped from Gin Lane
In the mid-18th century, London was awash with gin. Socially-conscious members of the bourgeoisie believed that this was the root…
Is Billie Eilish really in shock over James Bond?
Billie Eilish, who has just won five Grammys, is also singing the theme song for the next Bond film. ‘James…
My fellow dinner guests made me feel like a combination of Messalina and Lady Macbeth
I was walking up St James’s and happy to be in London. For a change I was not rushing but…
The horror of Heathrow
There are no stairs or escalators to take you up to Terminal 4 from the underground Heathrow Express platform. Beyond…
Dogging on our doorstep
Some might say it was a typical over-reaction on my part to erect hidden cameras at the horses’ field. First…
Bridge
Have I mentioned that I played for England in the Camrose? And not for the first time either. Sadly this…
Women’s World Championship
Looking at the first 12 games of the 2018 Carlsen-Caruana World Championship, which all ended in draws, I saw a statistical…
no. 589
Black to move. Javakhishvili–Adams, Gibraltar 2020. Adams has a few plausible moves here, including Rf1, Rf3+ and Rxf7, but only…
Competition: Food glorious food
In Competition No. 3133 you were invited to provide a passage about food written in the style of a well-known…
2442: Don’t nod
Eight unclued lights are of a kind with the 3 of the 30. Elsewhere, ignore two accents. Across 1 …
to 2439: More nuts
The statement, ‘HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS (10/17) twenty-twenty’ was made by the FILM DIRECTOR (48/21) BILLY (4) Wilder (suggested by the…
Climate doomsayers keep putting sell-by dates on their credibility
I was slightly surprised when Greta Thunberg announced at Davos that we had eight years left to save the planet.…
The Battle for Britain
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The Barmy Army showcase the best of English character
Not everyone likes the Six Nations — a recent well-received book on the state of rugby union described it as…
Dear Mary: How can I get my friend to shave off his hideous wispy moustache?
Q. An elderly cousin gave my husband and me a wedding present of two weeks in his villa in the…
The food is almost too superb: Wild Honey reviewed
Wild Honey is a ludicrous name for this restaurant: there is nothing wild about it, and I do not think…
Did Harry and Meghan step back, step down or step away?
At this time of year in Colorado the crime of puffing is widespread. It is so cold that in the…
Why do monsters make such good writers?
Did any of you know that most of the 20th-century monsters — Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Ceausescu, Duvalier, and even the…
Whisky and striptease: stories from an old people’s home
For the last four years of her long life, this upstairs room and this magnificent sea view belonged to Mrs…
What has Mr Benn got to do with horse insurance?
‘Time to begin your adventure with Mr Benn!’ said the letter that came through my door, in a big loopy…
The trainer who gives the big boys a run for their money
Racing’s New Year began well with the award of OBEs to both Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls, showing that they…
