Life
Spectator Competition: Problematic
For Competition 3406 you were invited to cast a well-known fictional or non-fictional character, living or dead, in the role…
The politics of pips
‘What larks!’ exclaimed my husband archly, assuming that a connection between personal independence payments and Pip in Great Expectations would…
Ofcom still isn’t sure what a woman is
Earlier this week, GB News again found itself at odds with Ofcom. The channel had written to the broadcast regulator…
State-school cricket at Lord’s? Bring it on
A state-school cricket competition announced last week with a final at Lord’s is such a good idea you wonder why…
‘Boldness was his friend in betting and in life’: A tribute to the great Barry Hills
I have always enjoyed Royal Windsor Racecourse, as it styles itself. It may not have quite so many dignitaries popping…
Will the Irish ever forgive the English?
Leaving home is the best way to find out who you are. In my case, it’s a muddle. Welsh dad.…
I’ve become a slave to my Airbnb star rating
‘Right, we’re going to book into Pauline’s B&B and give her a four-star rating and that will drop her down…
Dear Mary: How can I get enough champagne at a party?
Q. I had the same Spanish housekeeper for 25 years and was devoted to her, and she to me. She…
Aussie life
The past sometimes intrudes upon the present in curious and unexpected ways. Last week, on SBS, the irresistible and irrepressible…
Language
Is ‘de-escalate’ in the running to be the Word of the Year for 2025? Or (as seems more likely) the…
To rehydrate, drink beer
‘The nuisance of the tropics is/the sheer necessity of fizz.’ Over the past few days, during which England endured sub-tropical…
The secret to ‘womankeeping’
God, men are pathetic. At least, that’s the view of Angelica Puzio Ferrara, a researcher at Stanford, who has come…
Dear Mary: Where should I seat Hollywood stars at dinner?
Q. My husband and I have recently made very good friends with some neighbours in France. They know I am…
The rise and rise of the ‘tantric sector’
For the past 25 years I have commuted to London from Otford, a delightful village outside Sevenoaks. I do this…
The cunning meanings of quant
The FT headline said: ‘Man Group orders quants back to office five days a week.’ I didn’t know what quants…
My daring escape from the Italian police
Dante’s Beach, Ravenna I often feel as if I know what it was like to be a member of La…
