Life
Mary answers your problems: How can I stop guests from showing up early?
Q. Twice in one week I have been found unready for my guests. Occasion one: in the garden, finishing my…
We discussed wine, horses and painting at Franco’s in Jermyn Street
An artist ought to draw on broad human sympathies and an intense commitment to his craft. In both respects, Charles…
Medicine
John Farquhar of Salisbury writes to say he is irritated. He is not just irritated, he has long been long…
High life
I hate to say this, but the quality of life in the Bagel has crashed in a Harvey Weinstein-like way.…
Low life
Last May we had dinner with a comic who reads a lot and his wife. At one point, he told…
Real life
The Albanian builders have started a turf war in my kitchen. The hostilities broke out suddenly. One minute the builders…
The turf
Racing’s finances depend on as many people as possible betting, so it seemed a touch ironic that Responsible Gambling Awareness…
Bridge
When I started playing bridge in earnest, the first tournament I entered was the EBU’s Autumn Congress, which back then…
Brief encounter
Books on the world championship matches used to appear regularly, with some having multiple written accounts. In recent years, though,…
no. 480
Black to play. This position is from Arda-Melia, Antalya 2017. How can Black win? Answers to me at The Spectator…
Northern frights
In Competition No. 3021 you were invited to compose terrifying lullabies. Lorca wondered why ‘Spain reserved the most potent songs…
2333: Unchangeable
One unclued light is a three-word phrase indicating the way in which each of the answers to clues in italics…
to 2330: IMAGE
The poem ‘The Red Wheelbarrow’ (originally ‘XXII’) by William Carlos Williams is considered perhaps the foremost example of IMAGISM. First…
The tyranny of the bedtime story
All surveys carried out by retail businesses with a view to generating press coverage should be treated with extreme caution,…
The battle for Britain
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Dear Mary
Q. What is the etiquette of hospital visiting? A friend in his fifties is about to spend six weeks in…
Death hovers over the scrum
Rugby’s autumn internationals are almost upon us and dark thoughts hover over lovers of the sport. One day soon a…
The queen of hotels
Jean-Georges at the Connaught — formerly the Prince of Saxe-Coburg Hotel, but it was renamed during the first world war,…
The
Veronica, who looks at Twitter, told me of an exchange she thought would interest me, about the use of the.…
Bridge
Bridge is a partnership game — but haven’t you sometimes wished you could file for a quick divorce mid-rubber? The…
no. 479
Black to play. This is from Sanal-Arnaudov, Antalya 2017. How did Black finish off the horribly exposed white king? Answers…
Marriage guidance
In Competition No. 3020 you were invited to submit the formula for a successful marriage courtesy of a well-known husband…
2332: Glad all over
The unclued lights (one of two words and one hyphened) when preceded by a five–letter word are phrases listed in…
Dear Mary
Q. A newish friend who has very good manners lent me a DVD of his grandfather at the Olympics. I…
High life
I may have spoken too soon last week when I defended my old friend Harvey Weinstein. It now looks very…
