Life
Real life
The ‘I’m Voting For Chuka’ posters in my rich neighbours’ front windows pushed me over the edge. There is nothing…
A few tips for Straussie
If you watched England’s three-day Test defeat by the West Indies in Barbados the other day to the bitter end…
Why I still have a deep attachment to the BBC
After I failed my O-levels and decided to leave school, my father suggested I go to Israel to work on…
Why I still have a deep attachment to the BBC
After I failed my O-levels and decided to leave school, my father suggested I go to Israel to work on…
Ones to watch
Back on political duty with CNN in election week, I came across a dead rat in Downing Street. It had…
I’d move to Kosovo if Ed Miliband became prime minister
If any of you sees Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, walking around with a begging bowl in his…
We could swear and spit, strangle and shoot people
The old fishing town faced the sea psychically as well as architecturally. Dressed as pirates, my grandson and I walked…
I only left Emily unattended in the open for 60 seconds
In the seemingly endless search for somewhere nice to live in modern Britain, where parking is not subject to martial…
The over-75s are being asked if they would like to sign their own death warrants
It’s more than four months now since my 75th birthday, but I’m still waiting for a ‘cold call’ from the…
Bridge
I couldn’t help snorting when I came across an article in the Guardian last week (about the ongoing legal battle…
Brain games
This week I continue with my analysis of Nigel Short’s recent animadversions upon the differences between the male and female…
No. 361
White to play. This is from Polgar-Short, -Buenos Aires 2000. Here we return to the theme of Judit Polgar’s massive…
Iffy
In Competition No. 2896 you were invited to take Kipling’s ‘If’ and recast it on behalf of a politician on…
2210: Game theory
Four unclued lights can be arranged to form an eight-word excerpt from a quotation (in ODQ). One of these lights…
To 2207: An unusual angle
PERCH (13A), SCAR (21A and 10D), SHAD (40A), EEL (5D) AND CARP (19D) were ignored in wordplay in their clues.…
Satire is dying because satirists are too successful
I appeared on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago to discuss the age-old question of whether political satire is…
Battle for Britain
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Why the internet hasn’t killed estate agents (and what might)
I don’t like to make business predictions, but — barring some apocalypse — I suspect there will be plenty of…
Dear Mary: How to cope with London Library overcrowding
Q. As a writer I find working at home too distracting. I am a longstanding member of the London Library…
Could any cook help me overcome my terror of tapioca?
There are those who claim that this column is idiosyncratic. They have seen nothing yet. I am about to mention…
Don’t want a Princess Charlotte? Try Violant, Fatima, Davina, Senna…
It could have been much worse. Someone had pointed out that among the new baby’s ancestors was Queen Violant of…
Battle for Britain
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Brain games
This week I continue with my analysis of Nigel Short’s recent animadversions upon the differences between the male and female…
No. 361
White to play. This is from Polgar-Short, -Buenos Aires 2000. Here we return to the theme of Judit Polgar’s massive…
Iffy
In Competition No. 2896 you were invited to take Kipling’s ‘If’ and recast it on behalf of a politician on…
