Notes on…

A love letter to lonely hearts ads

14 June 2025 9:00 am

Published in Britain for at least 330 years, lonely hearts ads are now a rare sight – driven to the…

The disposable vape ban has changed nothing

7 June 2025 9:00 am

I felt a mixture of annoyance and relief when I bought my first non-disposable Elf Bar last weekend, ahead of…

How to survive a Chinese banquet

31 May 2025 9:00 am

When heading to China on a business trip, I was somewhat bemused to be warned about the banquets I would…

Typos are an unintentional delight

24 May 2025 9:00 am

Afriend of mine was once delighted to get a job at the Radio Times, where he ‘corrected’ a golfing picture…

Should gentlemen wear pearls?

17 May 2025 9:00 am

There are few phrases more terrifying than ‘men’s fashion’. It reminds me of yuppies in salmon-coloured jorts on their way…

The conservatism of Thomas the Tank Engine

10 May 2025 9:00 am

Ringo Starr is mostly known as the second or third best drummer in the Beatles. But for me – as…

The art of a great pub quiz

3 May 2025 9:00 am

‘What’s the capital of Albania?’ The correct answer is, of course: ‘Who cares?’ If you’re at a quiz and this…

My battle to avoid boredom

26 April 2025 9:00 am

Four days ago I was so bored that I considered starting a terrorist groupuscule. I had no demands, no ideology,…

Admit it: Creme Eggs are vile

19 April 2025 9:00 am

Every Easter, the Creme Egg dominates supermarket shelves. It is, Cadbury’s marketing department loves to remind us, ‘the nation’s favourite…

Why I said no to marrying my cousin

12 April 2025 9:00 am

There’s a joke that does the rounds about a Pakistani couple who get a divorce. After their union is dissolved,…

The truth about ninjas

5 April 2025 9:00 am

One of my favourite scenes in Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino’s black comedy martial arts film, is the meeting of Beatrix…

The curious language of coins

29 March 2025 9:00 am

Lewis Carroll used to travel with purses divided into separate compartments, each containing the exact number of coins he’d need…

Bring back beef dripping!

22 March 2025 9:00 am

For several years, a debate has raged (mainly on Twitter, now X) over whether animal fats are actually better for…

How ‘Boom Boom’ are you?

15 March 2025 9:00 am

Do you Boom Boom? Or are you just Booming? Can Boomers Boom Boom or is it just for Zoomers? Can…

Why possum beats cashmere

8 March 2025 9:00 am

In 1990, an exotic Swiss-Canadian teenager of purportedly Habsburgian lineage descended on Cambridge in a cloud of cashmere. His wardrobe…

How Shrove Tuesday inspired the animal welfare movement

1 March 2025 9:00 am

In some countries Shrove Tuesday (the day of merrymaking before the rigours of Lent) developed into a ‘carnival’ that lasted…

What does your name say about you?

22 February 2025 9:00 am

In 2015, an orthopaedic surgeon called Limb, with three other doctors called Limb, wrote a paper on whether people’s names…

Why Gen Z worships the pickle

15 February 2025 9:00 am

If something can be squeezed into a jar with brine, Polish grandmas will do it. Walk into the kitchen of…

What makes a good obituary?

8 February 2025 9:00 am

My obituaries habit gets ever stronger. I find there’s nothing as inspiring or instructive or entertaining as reading a few…

Gossip is good for you… so I’m told

1 February 2025 9:00 am

The Pope hates gossip. In his Christmas message to his Vatican advisers last year, Francis warned that it is ‘an…

Confessions of a Costco Guy

25 January 2025 9:00 am

Those who use TikTok, or are familiar with Ed Davey’s dance routines on social media, may have heard of the…

How to serve smelt

18 January 2025 9:00 am

Donald Trump has form with the smelt. In his 2016 presidential run, he complained that California’s authorities were prioritising the…

Claudia Winkleman understands the power of a cape

11 January 2025 9:00 am

The cape is having a moment thanks to the Highland wardrobe of Claudia Winkleman, who is currently presenting The Traitors…

The unwritten rules of visitors books

4 January 2025 9:00 am

Two things come to mind when I think about visitors books. The first is the memory of leaving the home…

What carols owe to Martin Luther

14 December 2024 9:00 am

It’s 500 years since Martin Luther, along with the preacher Paul Speratus, put together the first Protestant hymn book, the…