Life
Nigel Farage’s class war
I initially thought Nigel Farage had made a mistake in unveiling Mark Reckless on the final day of his party…
Battle for Britain
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Please don't let the Ryder Cup go the way of football
Well, that was a lot of fuss wasn’t it? The Ryder Cup is a strange old creation, only fractionally less…
Dear Mary: Must we tip other people's servants in London, too?
Q. What is the etiquette on tipping in London houses? I have been in the habit of staying with friends…
Today’s Disney princesses look like Russian mafia wives. This is their café
The Disney Café is a gaudy hell on the fourth floor of Harrods, Knightsbridge. It is adjacent to the Harrods…
How did Mark Reckless get his surname?
When I first heard ‘Wonderwall’ being played in a public house, in 1995 I suppose, I thought it was some…
Disney matter
The Disney Café is a gaudy hell on the fourth floor of Harrods, Knightsbridge. It is adjacent to the Harrods…
Enjoying the Ryder
Well, that was a lot of fuss wasn’t it? The Ryder Cup is a strange old creation, only fractionally less…
Bronze Angel delight
Rightly, the authorities are doing all they can to find and discipline the disgruntled racegoer who threw a beer can…
My ghosts of Athens; a shooting and a royal wedding
Athens This grimy semi-Levantine ancient city has its beauty spots, with childhood memories indelibly attached. There is a turn-of-the-century apartment…
Melissa Kite: a crazy woman is living inside my head.
A crazy woman is living inside my head. It’s not just the normal crazy woman who camps out there from…
2181: Obit II
The 19 of a great 1A of 6 and for the 1D occurred in 37 25 years ago this month.…
To 2178: Saint and playwright
In Vanity Fair (18/2), George Osborne is associated with 6/30 and 10/31. As Chancellor, he was preceded by 8, 26…
A visit to a drugs den above a fishmongers with Miss South America
‘Stand outside the fishmongers in 20 minutes and call this number,’ she said, ‘and I can arrange it.’ On Saturday…
Winslow Hall shows you don’t need fancy sets to make opera enjoyable
Winslow Hall is a large and handsome country house in Buckinghamshire, built in 1700 by Sir Christopher Wren, which Tony…
From Burma — or maybe Saigon — to Manchester via Calcutta
England We dropped off our daughter Eve at her new school in the Midlands and started the long journey…
Bridge
There aren’t many instantly recognisable stars in the bridge world, but Andrew Robson is definitely one — as he was…
Scotch miss
This week, a tribute to the one major Scottish contribution to chess, the invention of the Scotch game, later to…
No. 333
White to play. This position is from Yu–Ganguly, Indonesia 2012. This encounter also started with the Scotch Game opening. Both…
Prose poem
In Competition No. 2866 you were invited to pick a well-known poem and write a short story with the same…
My hormones are all over the place. It must be the manopause
Women spend ten days a year in a grumpy mood, according to the Daily Mail. The top triggers include being…
Battle for Britain
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Was the phrasing of the Scottish referendum question designed to create division?
It is a trick which often works on children. Do not tell them to eat vegetables; instead ask whether they…
Dear Mary: How can I sneak into a talk my son is giving without him seeing me?
Q. The Idler Academy is within walking distance of my house and I note from the programme of autumn events…
In praise of the Loire - cradle of civilisation, and wonderful wines
Rivers are the cradles of civilisation and the Loire is an outstanding example. It is one of the head-waters of…
