Life
Bridge
It was great to see an England team win the hotly contested World Bridge Tour ‘Survivor Cup’ recently. Many congratulations…
Real life
Being told by the Tories not to put a local election poster in my window because it will only remind…
The turf
Want to know the winner of the Grand National in 2023? You heard it here first: when the ante-post books…
Low life
‘Willie or bum?’ I said to Catriona on the motorway. Everything in my recent medical career has been introduced via…
Answering back
In Competition No. 3196, you were invited to supply a reply to the poet from Frances Cornford’s fat woman or…
2504: Collectors’ items
Clockwise round the peri-meter go two lines of a topical verse, thirteen words altogether. (The barred off square divides the…
High life
New York What follows has been covered ad nauseam, but I wonder why people were surprised at the planned breakaway…
to 2501: Delightful
The ‘Transport of Delight’, in the song by Flanders and Swann, was that ‘big six-wheeler, scarlet-painted, diesel-engined, London Transport, ninety-seven…
Transported
The St Pancras Brasserie and Champagne Bar by Searcys is as expansive as its name, but ghostly. It is an…
Aussie life
The café of the suburban outdoor pool I swam in when I lived in Melbourne in the 1990’s had a…
Aussie language
In the light of the catastrophic floods on the east coast, it’s time to talk about ‘climate science’. Not the…
Real Life
Trying to get hold of HRT in the time of Covid is like trying to score crack. Possibly, scoring crack…
When thoughts turn to Venice
We were discussing travel, that forbidden delight now tantalisingly close. Where would be our first destination? Forswearing originality, I chose…
Dear Mary
Q. My husband and I have started receiving invitations to large summer events scheduled for after 21 June. We have…
Supermajority
‘Wizard,’ said William. ‘Super,’ said Ginger, in William and the Moon Rocket (1954). More recently we have had Alex Salmond,…
High life
New York The high life has gone with the wind because of you know what. The last time I went…
Internet connection
Dear Sir, I beg to introduce myself to you as a clerk in the Accounts Department of the Port Trust…
Bridge
There are many drawbacks to playing bridge online but there is one thing that’s quite enjoyable: the speed and accuracy…
The Battle for Britain
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Let me out
Has it ever been more difficult to plan a family holiday? At the time of writing, it is illegal to…
Low Life
The other week I turned up for the village walking club’s Monday hike. A dawn meet. Two cars. A 90-minute…
The Polgar Challenge
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, at 15 years old one of India’s most exceptional young players, emerged as the winner of the Polgar…
Puzzle no. 650
Black to play. Praggnanandhaa–Salimova, April 2021. White’s last move, Bg2-f3, was a blunder. Which move should Black play to exploit…
Make mine a double
In Competition No. 3195, you were invited to submit an extract from the racier, mass-market version of a well-known literary…
2503: Applery
Six unclued lights are the names of traditional English county towns with one letter misprinted so as to form new…
