Life
Why should Turkey be allowed to change its name?
Turkey has told the UN it wants tobe called Türkiye. Even when it is written in capitals, it would still…
2559: Platinum upgrade
Reading clockwise around the perimeter are six theme words, in random order, one of which starts in square 38. The…
Working from home could have been the reset we needed
‘It is vital that we see a return to face-to-face meetings to foster the dynamic collaboration that creates breakthrough ideas.’…
The Battle for Britain | 11 June 2022
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A claret to toast the Queen – and forget the Prime Minister
It was an extraordinary weekend. The various spectacles had something for all tastes: pageantry on Horse Guards; solemnity in St…
Why I don’t do WhatsApp
If I could ban one question ever being asked of me again it would be: ‘Are you on WhatsApp?’ I…
Dear Mary: how can we get a neighbour to acknowledge our kind deed?
Q. As a mildly famous professional cook, I agreed to judge a children’s cake-baking competition at the summer fête of…
Bridge | 11 June 2022
I recently spent a long weekend in Lillehammer in Norway. Apparently it’s very charming, but frankly I have no idea:…
It is time for me to ‘get right with the Lord’
‘But you look so well!’ How many times have I heard that lately. Kindly meant by most, but for a…
How modesty triumphed in the Derby
In the absence on her Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, such an avid Derby attender in the past, and following…
My wine-fuelled mini break
For Christmas Caroline bought me a ‘Deluxe GiftExperience’ at Chapel Down, the UK’s leading winery. I say ‘me’, but it…
The healing power of the Hamptons
Southampton, Long Island These are peripatetic times for the poor little Greek boy, up to the Hamptons for some sun-seeking…
Spectator competition winners: how not to write a letter of condolence
In Competition No. 3252, you were invited to write a letter of condolence on the mis-fortune of an acquaintance which,…
Aussie life
In last Saturday’s Weekend Australian, Professor Peter Sutton, an internationally recognised anthropologist and linguist, wrote ‘Indigenous identity has become such…
Language
‘Bike shedding’ was coined by British historian and author C. Northcote Parkinson, famous for his book Parkinson’s Law (1957), but…
Why I love Her Majesty
I’ve often wondered whether Her Majesty the Queen glances through The Spectator from time to time. And if she does,…
Dear Mary: How should I handle summer invitations when I might get a better offer?
Q. In order to raise money for a worthwhile cause, I have agreed to open my garden for the first…
2558: Blonde, 78
Unclued lights can be grouped into three triplets, each associated in a different sense with a keyword to be discovered,…
The not-so-sweet roots of ‘nice’
‘That’s nice,’ said my husband, taking a Nice biscuit with his coffee. It was his little joke. The biscuit is…
My approach to wine? Wishful drinking
I fancy myself as a bit of an oenophile and during the lockdowns, when my local branch of Majestic was…
Where to take Jubilee tea: Fortnum & Mason reviewed
I went to a garden party at Buckingham Palace once. It is coloured in my memory like childhood. There are…
2555: 6 x 2 mixtures - solution
The paired unclued lights (2/25, 4/16, 5/28, 10/20, 13/17 and 15D/41) are anagrams of one another. First prize Trish Baldin,…
A rising star
Ding Liren took first place at last month’s Chessable Masters, the fourth event in the 2022 Meltwater Champions Tour. But…
The house names of Surrey tell a sad story
If you want to understand Surrey, look at the house names. Keepers’ Copse, Meadow View, Weavers, Highfields… What do all…
In praise of Greek royalty
New York Prince Pavlos, heir to the Greek throne, turned 55 recently and I threw a small dinner for him.…
