Life
What Ryszard Kapuscinski airbrushed out of his bestselling book
I once found myself on a lonely road in southern Ethiopia with the famous Polish author Ryszard Kapuscinski. We were…
Bridge
It’s not surprising that so many bridge players feel such a sentimental attachment to The Young Chelsea. The club was…
To 2230: Lot 46
The unclued lights are FRENCH DÉPARTEMENTS, with five of them placed in the grid at their correct administrative number: 2,…
2233: Clutching at straws!
The unclued lights, either individually or as a pair, are of a kind. Ignore one accent. Across 4 Read…
I went to Pedro’s Tex Mex Cantina to claim my racist sombrero
Pedro’s Tex-Mex Cantina is a fantastical shack near a ring road in Norwich. It was recently asked to stop handing…
Be warned: the mighty Air Force Blue blows away all before him
I was both delighted and unsurprised that Denis Healey made it to 98. One day in the 1970s I took…
I offered Zac Goldsmith £50 to stay 20 feet away from me
I once tried to bribe Zac Goldsmith with a £50 note, but he didn’t bite even back then. He was…
Thud and blunder
The Fidé World Cup, which finished last week in Baku, boasted over $1 million in overall prize money, with $100,000…
Puzzle no. 383
Black to play. This is from Karjakin-Svidler, Fidé World Cup, Baku 2015. The position occurred earlier in the third game…
Change of direction
In Competition No. 2919 you were invited to write a poem that begins with the first line or two lines…
Can politicians say ‘crusade’ again? David Cameron thinks so
One thing grabbed my attention from David Cameron’s speech, long ago in the middle of last week. ‘We need a…
Dear Mary: Another way to deal with a maddening blackhead
Q. Might I suggest an alternative solution to E.B. of London’s problem (3 October) about the person sporting a ‘maddening’…
I know who’s going to win the Rugby World Cup. I think
England did have some clear winners in their otherwise beached Rugby World Cup campaign in the unlikely form of Lawrence…
Battle for Britain
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My home Stoke Park has become a hotbed of sex and violence
When I’m not busy editing the Oldie magazine, I live near Towcester in south Northamptonshire where things are pretty unexciting.…
How I’d make a success of a nude-free Playboy
I can’t say that I’m surprised Playboy has decided to stop publishing pictures of naked women. On the contrary, I…
From Darcy's first gallop, I was addicted to speed
The young lad behind the counter of the betting shop looked at me askance. ‘This horse is 200–1.’ ‘Yes. I…
Jesus sometimes plays a very long game
We closed the last page of a gruesome, thrilling picture book called The Day Louis Got Eaten and said our…
Bridge
Two weeks playing the Bermuda Bowl (world championships) in Chennai ended heartbreakingly for England’s awesome Open Team and their loyal…
Battle for Britain
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Thud and blunder
The Fidé World Cup, which finished last week in Baku, boasted over $1 million in overall prize money, with $100,000…
Puzzle no. 383
Black to play. This is from Karjakin-Svidler, Fidé World Cup, Baku 2015. The position occurred earlier in the third game…
Change of direction
In Competition No. 2919 you were invited to write a poem that begins with the first line or two lines…
Dear Mary: Another way to deal with a maddening blackhead
Q. Might I suggest an alternative solution to E.B. of London’s problem (3 October) about the person sporting a ‘maddening’…
I went to Pedro’s Tex Mex Cantina to claim my racist sombrero
Pedro’s Tex-Mex Cantina is a fantastical shack near a ring road in Norwich. It was recently asked to stop handing…
