Life
Does Canopus have a connection with canopy?
I spent some time looking for the connection between the ancient city of Canopus and the English canopy. Nelson won…
2716: Cluelessness
Eight entries – only four of which comprise one word – possess titular properties. Across 11 Playful killer whales swimming,…
Spectator Competition: Hard lines
For Competition 3412 you were invited to submit a poem about the struggle of writing a poem.This challenge drew a…
Medics make the worst patients
Provence Apart from three Covid years, the German rock cover band Five and the Red One (named, so they say,…
My angry Fairy Liquid battle
‘Please do NOT wash up!’ reads the makeshift sign I have fixed above the kitchen sink. It instructs our B&B…
The unorthodox appeal of the Shergar Cup
With DJs and MCs inviting the crowd to dance on the parade-ring steps as if they were on a beach…
Aussie life
Much of the advice you received as a child is now redundant. For example, don’t even think about telling an…
Language
From time to time there are journalists who like to aggrandise their humble trade by claiming they are ‘speaking truth…
North Uist’s whisky is one to watch
There are at least two Long Islands. One of them, eternally famous for The Great Gatsby, is a fascinating blend…
The mysteries of ‘spoof’
‘Spook or spoof?’ asked my husband, throwing a copy of the paper over to me, and only missing by a…
The case for an independent Kent
I’m just back from Vancouver, where I was speaking at a fundraiser for the Free Speech Union of Canada. At…
Land value and the Somebody Else’s Problem paradox
‘The Somebody Else’s Problem field can be run for years on a single torch battery. This is because it relies…
The day I went to Noel Gallagher’s house for tea
In front of me, a sea of lads in bucket hats and Adidas, with pints. Behind me, a sea of…
Dear Mary: Was I wrong to strip my guest’s bed before she left?
Q. My friend has had an irritating experience in our local cinema. She speaks fluent French and teaches it in…
Deluded Americans are descending on Ireland
The American girl was listing her reasons for moving to Ireland in protest at Donald Trump. ‘I cannot stay in…
