Life
Spinning Jenny
In Competition No. 2857 you were invited to take the first line of Leigh Hunt’s mini rondeau ‘Jenny Kissed me’,…
2172: Para
In June we lost a popular 40. Clockwise round the grid from 3 run the titles of two of his…
to 2169: Land
The grid represents Germany, with six bordering countries round the edge, and four cities in the interior, positioned roughly appropriately…
Do-gooders neglect their children. Just look at my dad – and me
A few years ago, a family friend described my father as being a bit like Mrs Jellyby in Bleak House,…
Battle for Britain
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Alastair Cook is world class. Steven Gerrard isn’t
This time last year, England’s cricketers were 2-0 up against Australia, two thirds of the way towards their third consecutive…
Dear Mary: How can I tame my brother’s savage table manners?
Q. I live far away from my brother and his family, but went to stay with them recently for the…
Does the Duke of Devonshire really want to be my friend – or is he just after my bank details?
The Chatsworth estate, Derby-shire. I am overwhelmed by marketing literature. I am prostrate. I am weeping. I am staying in…
Does 'autonomy' mean anything any more?
My husband is constantly amused by talk of patient autonomy — for people who want to have a limb lopped…
Stable conditions
The Chatsworth estate, Derby-shire. I am overwhelmed by marketing literature. I am prostrate. I am weeping. I am staying in…
Being the best
This time last year, England’s cricketers were 2-0 up against Australia, two thirds of the way towards their third consecutive…
An eye for quality
Through a stormy July weekend our task was to prevent four feisty grandchildren from murdering or mutilating each other before…
I’ve just met the future Mrs Taki — again
Gstaad I write this on 14 July, France’s big day and the 25th anniversary of my father’s passing. He died…
I am walking to the Spectator party — sober, clean and in all my finery
They do love a party at The Spectator. I was invited to four in ten days last week: the Apollo…
I bought a tin of dog food and paid £67.50
‘Cydney,’ I have just told the spaniel, ‘you had better enjoy this tin of dog food because it cost me…
Assisted suicide is too close to murder to be legal
How amazing to have two former Anglican archbishops, George Carey of Canterbury and Desmond Tutu of South Africa, supporting Lord…
Climbing Mount Kenya with my 13-year-old daughter
Kenya Highlands I’ve just descended Mount Kenya with Eve, my 13-year-old daughter, and her class of school leavers from Pembroke…
Bridge
The recent Open European Championship was won by Israel — but right up to the end, Monaco and England were…
Final flame
I am very sorry to report the death of International Master Andrew Whiteley, a friend of mine for half a…
No. 323
Black to play. This is from Litsberger-Whiteley, Harrachov 1967. This position also emanated from the Dragon Variation. What was Black’s…
Soccer lesson
In Competition No. 2856 you were invited to recruit a well-known author of your choice to give Phil Neville a…
2171: 31 Across
Seven identical two-by-two squares in the completed grid must be highlighted to depict the unclued entries, each of two words.…
to 2168: History exam
Initial letters of superfluous words in clues give nightingale, quail and cuckoo, specimens of AVIFAUNA (5) represented by FLUTE (43),…
Cameron was right to move Gove
I tried to reach Michael Gove on Tuesday shortly after the news broke that he’d been moved to the Whips’…
Battle for Britain
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