Life
Dear Mary
Q. I live in a row of town houses with a communal strip of garden in front. Three of the…
The Battle for Britain
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My life as a dogsbody
Even a small dog can be quite high maintenance. No, I’m not talking about Mali, our one-year-old cavapoochon, but Bertie,…
Riding high
Think of a punishing distance for a bike race. Double it, multiply by ten, throw in two of the world’s…
Puzzle no. 661
Black to play. Daggupati–Mishra, Charlotte 2020. 1…Rf1+ 2 Kg2 is a dead end, as White’s queen covers the f2 square.…
Universal
In Competition No. 3206, you were invited to supply a sonnet on the universe. The late Frank Kermode reckoned that…
Aussie Life
The only time that the BBC has ‘emu-lated’ an Australian broadcaster was in the early Seventies, when it suspended its…
Aussie Language
‘Muck-raking’ is an old journalism expression coined in the US around 1900 to describe two types of journalists: a) those…
My problem with the Euros
I’m struggling to work up much enthusiasm about England’s progress in the Euros. I know, I know, Tuesday night’s victory…
Dear Mary
Q. The other night, while hosting a house party, I was one of only three people still chatting by the…
Why I won’t buy a Tesla
I loved the Ford Mustang Mach-E which I had on loan for four days. It was gorgeous to drive, and…
Huntin’, shootin’, fishin’
In 1923 in Whose Body? we were introduced to Lord Peter Wimsey on his way to an auction where he…
The Battle for Britain
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A time for New Zealand wines
‘The doors clap to, the pane is bright with showers.’ With ‘summer’ determined to do its worst, there is one…
Bridge
I have a confession to make. I did something I haven’t done for over 20 years: I went on holiday.…
2513: Golden anniversary
1A, on 23 17, 41 1D 8 in this 31 was 21D. This anniversary announcement consists of eleven words and…
Pop culture
In Competition No. 3205, you were invited to supply a rigorous literary-critical analysis of a well-known pop song. Thanks to…
Solution to 2510: Prom Session
Twelve symmetrically disposed unclued entries comprise three pairs of Spoonerisms (an anagram of the title): POURING RAIN/ROARING PAIN, FRYING PAN/PRYING…
Fifty years of The Spectator crossword
by Tom Johnson aka Doc During the early spring of 1971, a package of eighteen unsolicited crosswords arrived in…
Firestarter
It’s a joy to watch a player like Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who can light a fire with his bare hands. Where…
Real life
The woman sat alone and stony-faced in the passenger seat of the car as it blocked the road. She was…
Wild life
Kenya In March, Global Britain signed a new, post-Brexit trade deal with Kenya. This was a welcome agreement for my…
Low life
The village square is a long and pedestrianised oblong shaded along its length by massive pollarded plane trees. It’s known…
Puzzle no. 660
White to play. So–Vachier-Lagrave, Paris, June 2021. The queen on e7 can be taken, but Black’s last move was …Rd8,…
High life
Taki 3 July 2021 9:00 am
Wimbledon is here at last, after its absence in 2020. What struck me watching the French Open on television a…