Life
High life
This is as good as it gets. A light rain is falling on a soft May evening and I’m walking…
Long life
I have rather a poor record for speeding over the years. I have been caught by cameras quite often, sometimes…
Long life
I have rather a poor record for speeding over the years. I have been caught by cameras quite often, sometimes…
Low life
From somewhere in the tree canopy, a nightingale song. The virtuoso trilling and warbling, the underwater bubbling, the teetering on…
Low life
From somewhere in the tree canopy, a nightingale song. The virtuoso trilling and warbling, the underwater bubbling, the teetering on…
Heritage
Benidorm has applied for World Heritage status. To achieve this, says Unesco, a site must have ‘outstanding universal value’ in…
Real life
You can’t always get what you want. And you can never get what you want if you want a phone…
Freedom for free schools
I was disappointed to hear Andy Burnham on Marr last Sunday declare his opposition to free schools. He put plenty…
Freedom for free schools
I was disappointed to hear Andy Burnham on Marr last Sunday declare his opposition to free schools. He put plenty…
The importance of selective inefficiency
Readers of a certain age may remember choosing a cassette player in the 1980s. In theory the process was simple:…
Wild life
Nairobi Trout were first introduced into Kenya’s highland streams in 1905. Men like Ewart Grogan, ‘baddest and boldest of…
Take it from Taki: this could be the start of something really big
OK. Magnanimity in victory is a sine qua non among civilised men and women, so let me not be the…
A tale of two cruises
I’ve been on two cruises before: one was fun, the other misery. The misery one was a late August cruise…
My rich leftie neighbours must be in a state of psychotic denial — or stoned
The ‘I’m Voting For Chuka’ posters in my rich neighbours’ front windows pushed me over the edge. There is nothing…
What Italy made of the result of the British general election (not much)
On election day I was in Puglia in the ‘heel’ of Italy, where interest in British politics could hardly be…
My Twelve to Follow are seven up
Back on political duty with CNN in election week, I came across a dead rat in Downing Street. It had…
Bridge
The best EBU tournament of the year is, IMHO, the Schapiro Spring Foursomes, held at the beginning of May in…
Hypnotism
During the World Championship qualifier of 1959, grandmaster Pal Benko wore dark glasses to counter the hypnotic gaze of his…
No. 362
White to play. This position is from Tal–Benko, Candidates 1959. Black has just advanced with … e5, attacking the white knight.…
Gizza job
In Competition No. 2897 you were asked for a job application by a well-known writer, living or dead. Inspiration for…
2211: Toddler hero
Clockwise round the grid from 37 runs a quotation plus its source (3,3,5,8,8,5,2,3,6,2,3,4) suggesting the outcome of 2. Remaining unclued…
To 2208: MORT
The fictional SCHOLAR (28) was Billy Bunter, described by his creator, Frank Richards, as a ‘FAT GREEDY OWL (22A/31/26)’ (in…
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…
Battle for Britain
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Ten steps to save English cricket
If you watched England’s three-day Test defeat by the West Indies in Barbados the other day to the bitter end…
