Life
Real life
If the buyer asks me any more questions I am going to pull out. I have to put my foot…
Big trouble upstream
At a wedding a few years back a very gloomy looking guest, a well-known Geordie actor as it happens, arrived…
A myth that keeps growing and growing
I had lunch recently with an assistant head of a leading independent school and he told me about their ‘growth…
A myth that keeps growing and growing
I had lunch recently with an assistant head of a leading independent school and he told me about their ‘growth…
The turf
You had to feel for ITV’s new racing team on their opening day at Cheltenham. It was cold, wet and…
The turf
You had to feel for ITV’s new racing team on their opening day at Cheltenham. It was cold, wet and…
Bridge
The Friday night IMPs game at the Young Chelsea is still the best game around. Some of yesterday’s internationals may…
Making work for ourselves
In 1929 John Maynard Keynes predicted that by 2029 people in the developed nations could enjoy a perfectly civilised standard…
Wild life
We had my parents-in-law Gerry and Jean to stay with us on the farm over Christmas and being in a…
The Battle for Britain
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Bridge
There’s a bit of a ruckus going on in the bridge world at the moment; a lot of people are…
Gone Giri
The London Classic is over with the final scores being as follows: Wesley So 6/9; Fabiano Caruana 5½; Viswanathan Anand,…
no. 439
Black to play. This position is from Topalov-Anand, London Classic 2016. How did Black conclude? Answers to me at The…
Festive features
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (99) and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (20) – whose DIRECTORS (37) were ERNST LUBITSCH (61)…
Comic effect
In Competition No. 2980 you were invited to submit an extract from a politician’s speech ghostwritten by a well-known comedian.…
Discovery
Two pairs of unclued lights are theme names. Remaining unclued lights aren’t in themselves thematic, but their unchecked letters complete…
Dear Mary
Q. My son decided to go straight into work and has got a job. The problem is that it is…
Sherry to start
Someone came up with a century-old quotation plangent with irony and sadness: ‘The year 1916 was cursed: 1917 will surely…
High life
There are Dames and there are dames. Dame Vivien, an old friend, became one for her philanthropy. Dame Edna, the…
Long life
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, likes making and keeping New Year resolutions. In recent years he has learnt Mandarin,…
Low life
Still depressed, or, as Matthew Arnold put it, ‘the foot less prompt to meet the morning dew’, I got out…
Nativism
The title of America’s first woman bishop was claimed in 1918 by Bishop Alma White, leader of the Pillar of…
Real life
A few moments after saying the communion rite, the priest looked at his congregation and uttered easily the most disturbing…
Why we need more universities
In 1961, shortly after getting a job as a lecturer at Cambridge, my father had an idea. The faculty buildings,…
The Battle for Britain
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