Life
The turf
Racing is an expensive sport to stage. Courses and grandstands have to be maintained, health and safety regulations have to…
Bridge
The youngest player on the great Allfrey team, Mike Bell, is forming a very strong partnership with David Gold. They…
Gamesters of Triskelion
The triskelion, or three-legged emblem, has been on the coat of arms of the Isle of Man since the late…
no. 476
White to play. This position is from Paul-Jonsson, Isle of Man 2017. How did White make a decisive material gain?…
2329: Places to eat
The unclued lights, when paired, are of a kind, the first word in each pair being thematic. Two of the…
to 2326: ‘Suits you, sir!’
The unclued lights are part of a SUIT of armour. First prize Clive Rose, Henley on Thames, OxonRunners-up Virginia Porter,…
Shocking bad hat
My husband complains that the disposition of teenagers in London is one of mocking hostility. I seem to suffer less…
Real life
BT have just put the phone down on me for asking them to stop sending me junk mail, which is…
The mystery of socialism’s enduring appeal
One of the mysteries of our age is why socialism continues to appeal to so many people. Whether in the…
Make life easier and all else will follow
You can try to change people’s minds, but this is difficult. You can bribe people to change their behaviour, but…
Diary stories
In Competition No. 3016 you were invited to submit an extract from the diary of the spouse of a high-profile…
Dear Mary
Q. Last year my husband and I stayed with a much-loved, but slightly airy-fairy friend in her house in Tuscany.…
All’s fair in love and Waugh
I was reminded of Wild West films from boyhood. Then, the beleaguered garrison scanned the horizon; would the US cavalry…
High life
As everyone who stands up when a lady enters the room knows, the once sacrosanct rules of civility throughout the…
The Battle for Britain
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Low life
I got off the plane at Changi still pleasantly sedated by Xanax, passed through the ‘nothing to declare’ channel, and…
Bridge
I’m writing this from Stuart Wheeler’s beautiful villa in Tangier, in the hills just above the bay, where for a…
Bronstein’s legacy
Last week I focused on the games and somewhat tragic career of the ingenious David Bronstein. Before his time the…
no. 475
White to play. This position is from Jobava-Nepomniachtchi, FIDE World Cup, Tbilisi 2017. Can you spot White’s winning coup? Answers…
2328: Second coming
6A and 42 (whose unchecked letters give IDEA) combine to suggest the title of a novel. Remaining unclued lights give…
to 2325: Hard task
The theme was PIGS. First prize J. E. Green, St Albans, HertfordshireRunners-up Michael Moran, Penrith, Cumbria; John M. Brown, Rolleston…
Watching the clock
In Competition No. 3015 you were invited to submit a poem about Big Ben’s bongs. The decision to remove…
Dear Mary
Q. My partner and I recently had two close friends — one a Peer, the other a former Member of the…
Gorblimey trousers
Piles of black plastic rubbish sacks lie in the streets of Birmingham because, since the end of June, the dustmen…
Real life
Stefano and his boys got to work with gusto and within a few days the upstairs of my house started…
