Life
Language
John writes to ask about the word ‘noisome’? Does it (he asks) have anything to do with noise? The answer…
Cullen skink is comfort in a bowl
They say not to judge a book by its cover – but what about judging a recipe by its name?…
How to drink sake
There is a fellow called Anthony Newman who is fascinated by drink, as a consumer, a producer and an intellectual.…
LSD was a fuss about nothing
The flight from Nice to Bristol was packed. As soon as the doors closed I spotted a hummingbird hawk-moth bumping…
The war over my grass verges
Hanging a pair of gates at the rear of the house gave us so much satisfaction, it suddenly seemed strange…
Dear Mary: How do we tie down an invitation to our friends’ holiday home?
Q. Some friends of ours have an amazing house on the coast in Kenya. Every time we see them they…
My portable charger obsession
A femtosecond, derived from the Danish word femte meaning ‘fifteen’, is a unit of time in the International System of…
Spectator Competition: Bad advice
Comp. 3423 invited you to submit a passage about a command or suggestion from literature being taken too literally. I…
What makes a ‘survivor’?
Are you a survivor? We are not, luckily, all Gloria Gaynors. She declared in 1979: ‘I’ve got all my life…
Bernard Cornwell: ‘I don’t believe in writer’s block’
They say never meet your heroes, but Bernard Cornwell didn’t disappoint. Knowing I’m a superfan, the events team at The…
Somali nomads are living the good life
Northeastern Kenya We were in beautiful bush country up towards Somalia, in pastures that shone like spun gold in the…
Aussie life
Damn you, politicians. Damn you for what you have done to this country you were supposed to serve and govern…
Politics
Will the Liberal party take a stand on net zero or not? (I am using net zero as a shorthand…
Almost too interesting for Notting Hill: Speedboat Bar reviewed
When you are old enough, you can measure your life in restaurants. I remember, for instance, when the Electric Diner…
The failed evolution of the horse
The thoroughbred looked cross, with flared nostrils and a pinched expression, so I should have known what was about to…
From South Africa to Saracens, two rugby stars are born
Moments when a 24-carat superstar bursts on the scene are few and far between, but always something to cherish. And…
Spectator Competition: Daylight saving
For Competition 3422 you were invited to submit a poem or passage on the theme of ‘daylight saving’. In a…
What does ‘potash’ have to do with potassium?
‘“I am not screwed,” replied the Caterpillar, solemnly. “Whisky and potass does not agree with everybody; but I am not…
The day I got naked with the Germans
A man called Gianluca and I mounted the steps to the Friedrichsbad in pensive silence. We hadn’t made eye contact…
