Life
Word of the week: ‘prorogue’
It was most unlooked-for that a king should ally with Whig politicians to seek parliamentary reform, but that was what…
How to be a man
Gstaad I was reading in these here pages Julie Burchill’s review of Candace Bushnell’s Is There Still Sex in…
Catriona’s accident has made of us minor celebrities in the village
Three weeks ago Catriona was going to the village shop when a building site security fence fell on her. Wire…
The EU has banned a miracle cure for laminitis
Once upon a time, in a country that didn’t run itself, a horse supplement company invented a cure for laminitis.…
All is not well in the murky world of bloodstock sales
Carried away on a day at the races a successful businessman bid for and bought a horse from a seller.…
Bridge
When did ‘literally’ become, literally, the most annoying word in the English language? Fairly recently I would guess, because ‘like’…
Peace conference
The classical section of the elite Grand Tour event in St Louis, which ended earlier this week, resembled a peace…
no. 569
Black to play. This is from Nepomniachtchi-Anand, St Louis 2019. How did Anand exploit his opponent’s lapse? Answers to me…
Initial impressions
In Competition No. 3113 you were invited to submit an acrostic poem about a politician in which the first letter…
2423: Redheads
Eight unclued lights are of a kind. Across 1 Place to take off sari, pants and slip (8) 8 …
to 2420: Crafty
1, 4, 23 and 30 are livery companies (33/22). They are found in The 21 and 2 (the singular of…
Must try harder: education is still a vote loser for the Tories
The reluctance of the Conservative party to take credit for the success of its education reforms is a source of…
The Battle for Britain
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Why no one ever moves back to London
In last week’s Spectator, Martin Vander Weyer replied to a couple with a baby who had sought his advice on…
Dear Mary: What do you do when your hostess licks your spoon?
Q. I have happily overcome many moments of diplomatic and social challenge, but was stumped by the case of the…
Reasons to be cheerful: gardens, Ben Stokes and cold wine
‘The Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.’ Is there a more charming passage in…
Is a cow always a cow?
I’ve noticed a tendency among townies like me to call all cattle cows (which they feel they must mention in…
My jailhouse diet
Gstaad It’s written in the Declaration of Independence, so it must be true: the pursuit of happiness is an…
How Captain Mainwaring lightened my mother’s dying days
On Saturday evening I showered, shaved and, prompted by a strange impulse, put on my going-out clothes. Then I cycled…
A mysterious case of fly-tipping immunity
When is fly-tipping not fly-tipping? I think I can explain, now the pile of rubble has finally moved from the…
The astonishing resilience of my beach paradise
Malindi I could measure my whole life in the summers I’ve spent on the beach in front of our…
Bridge
Terence Reese’s concentration at the bridge table was legendary. Most people know the story of how Boris Schapiro once wagered…
No garlands
At St Louis, world champion Magnus Carlsen met with unexpected setbacks in both the rapid and blitz sections. In both…
no. 568
White to play. This is from Aronian-Mamedyarov, St Louis 2019. We are only just out of the opening but White…
The Brexiteers
In Competition No. 3112 you were invited to submit an extract from Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Brexiteers. The title…
