Life
The Battle for Ukraine: Michael Heath
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2549: Obscurity
Doc writes: This is Columba’s last puzzle for The Spectator which we are pleased to publish now, three years after…
Puzzle no. 696
White to play and mate in two. Philip Hamilton Williams, Birmingham News, 1897. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.ukby Monday…
Solution to 2546: Picture book
NICOLAS POUSSIN painted ET IN ARCADIA EGO and A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME. The latter inspired ANTHONY POWELL,…
A voyage of discovery
If only toasts and good wishes were weapons of war. At every serious repast I have attended since the invasion…
Cli-Fi plus
In Competition No. 3242, you were asked to submit a short story that is a mash-up of cli-fi with a…
Varsity battle
The 140th edition of the Varsity Match took place last month at the Royal Automobile Club in London’s Pall Mall.…
Sib
I never cared much for the word sibling, though I hardly knew why. The reason must be that it was…
Real life
Since recovering from Covid, I seem to have quietly been developing supernatural powers. At first I thought I had simply…
Aussie life
Indulge yourself with a fascinating read of Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson’s 1911 recommendation for the protection of Australia’s coast. This…
Language
Have you noticed the trend to refer to some Australians as ‘First Nations’ people? Those Australians were once called ‘Aboriginal’…
How to save the Oscars
This Sunday’s Academy Awards will be a litmus test of whether Hollywood can uncouple itself from the political agenda of…
High life
Two weeks ago in St Moritz I ran into both Nicolas Niarchos and Nikolai von Bismarck, two talented young men…
Vernal
In Competition No. 3241, you were invited to submit a spring triolet. Banjo Paterson, the bard of the bush, had…
For the chop
Blacklock is the fourth restaurant of that name – there are others in Soho, Shoreditch and the City of London.…
Cirencester
‘Half! Half! Half!’ exclaimed my husband like a performing sea lion. Not that sea lions perform any more, but you…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. My husband has developed an irksome habit whenever he goes abroad without me. We have cameras outside the house…
Solution to 2545: With a twist
Suggested by 41, the other unclued lights were worms entered backwards in the grid. To comply with the preamble, 6…
England-Sweden Challenge
Three summers ago, I was invited to the Swedish city of Eskilstuna, for a brief but exciting match against their…
Real life
The window of the new shop was as brightly coloured as a circus entrance, and stuffed full of items bearing…
Where Eddie Jones is going wrong
Rugby Union, bloody hell. We’ve got to talk about Eddie, but before that, what about something much cheerier? Just when…
2548: Poem VII
Unclued lights are nine words taken from a poem whose first three words (as quoted in ODQ) will appear in…
Puzzle no.695
White to play and mate in 2. Composed by Bo Lindgren, Probleemblad 1969. Answers should be emailed to chess@spectator.co.uk by…
The Battle for Britain
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Bridge
The England U26 juniors have been flying high lately. A couple of weeks ago they won the Junior Camrose, and…
