Life
High life
Gstaad When indolence becomes intolerable, remembrances of things past become a lifesaver. Charles Moore’s SpectatorNotes also helps. His recent…
Puzzle no. 602
Nepomniachtchi (lachesisQ)–Andriasian (Zaven_ChessMood), Abu Dhabi Super Blitz, April 2020. White is in danger here. Which move did he play to…
Hovering amid the din
‘I am extraordinarily patient — provided I get my own way in the end’. That’s a disposition fit for a…
Cavalier approach
This April was indeed the cruellest month, at least for those of us banged up in cities. From the country…
Bridge
I’m aware that this column is in danger of turning into the Alex Hydes fanzine, but after writing about his…
Dear Mary
Q. I am being driven to distraction by a touchy relation who has responded to the lockdown by WhatsApping me…
Clapping for Caroline
One of the nice things about having a column in The Spectator is that I get a chance to reply…
Travelling lite
The brother of a friend in Durban was once given a generous donation by a wealthy aunt. ‘I hate to…
Low life
Once a week we break French emergency law and have a friend round for drinks on the terrace. The terrace…
The Battle for Britain
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Dear Mary
Q. Several of my friends and family members have moved on from dark thoughts concerning 9/11, the Kennedy assassination and…
High Life
As Cole Porter might have said, only second-rate people go on and on about their inner lives. Self-analysis, according to…
Low life
In 2001, aged 44, I was hired to write a weekly column for this august paper, and for the first…
Real life
The man was unloading cycles from the boot of his car just as I was about to take the turning…
The illusion of certainty
The newspapers are full of stories about how small groups of engineers from Formula 1 teams have been able to…
Solution to 2451: Cretinous
Unclued lights are anagrams of the names of countries (anagram of Cretinous): UNHOARDS (1A: anagram of Honduras), ATWAIN (5: Taiwan),…
2454: 17 Across
Thirteen unclued lights are of a kind (all singular, not plural) and confirmed in Chambers. 17 across gives the puzzle’s…
Anniversary clerihews
In Competition No. 3145, to mark the 10,000th issue of The Spectator, you were invited to submit clerihews (two couplets,…
Puzzle No. 601
Black to play. Sjugirov–Carlsen, Chess24 Banter Blitz Semi Final. In this wild position, Carlsen’s next move put the result beyond…
FantasticStar beats MagzyBogues
‘I’m just completely collapsing in these games… unbelievable.’ World Champion Magnus Carlsen didn’t hide his anguish after losing a game…
Furlough
In July, in its ‘Guess the definition’ slot, next to the day’s birthdays, the Daily Mail asked its readers to…
The Battle for Britain
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If you really want to lose friends, start a magazine
I’m more impressed than most that The Spectator has racked up 10,000 issues, because I used to be a magazine…
Bridge
The Alt Invitational is the online tournament that is attracting some of the best players on earth. When the whole…
Fare game
A fictional Spectator restaurant critic called Forbes McAllister appeared on Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge. He was played…
