Life
Dear Mary
Q. What should a host do when a guest says something so embarrassing in front of the assembled company that…
A gentleman of Bordeaux
There was a moment during the war when De Gaulle was being more than usually impossible. Roosevelt, furious, asked Churchill…
High life
New York Even after all these years, I’m still at times floored by the scale of the place. And…
Long life
Forgive me if I feel a little depressed at the moment. There are a lot of contributory factors — among…
Long life
Forgive me if I feel a little depressed at the moment. There are a lot of contributory factors — among…
Low life
The younger grandson, Klynton, four, has got in the habit recently of thrusting his hands in my trouser pockets and…
Low life
The younger grandson, Klynton, four, has got in the habit recently of thrusting his hands in my trouser pockets and…
Dreadlocks
‘Why are you filming this?’ ‘For everyone’s safety.’ Those are the last words in a 46-second video that was watched…
Real life
My adventures in penury land me with two job applications on my screen, one for MI6, one for Sainsbury’s. Do…
A big hand for the two-faced tax hacks
Something odd happened at the Guardian on Monday as the paper’s editorial staff were basking in the glow of their…
A big hand for the two-faced tax hacks
Something odd happened at the Guardian on Monday as the paper’s editorial staff were basking in the glow of their…
My tip for the next cool shop: Argos
When I was at school in the 1970s, some of the richer kids would come back from their summer holidays…
Bridge
Well done to Janet and her team for their victory at the London Easter Congress. My own team — David…
High life
My old friend and one-time doubles partner Ray Moore has stepped down as chief executive of the Indian Wells Tennis…
Low life
While I was in Provence, my hostess and I went out one day for a walk in the hills. We…
Real life
After a year of affordable car insurance, I knew I had to be in for it when my premium came…
Long life
The Parish Church of St Luke in Sydney Street, Chelsea, is enormous. Vaguely reminiscent of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, it…
My Cheltenham misery
Everybody has their glory memory from Cheltenham this year. Some celebrate the extraordinary seven victories for the quietly confident Willie…
Bridge
Tom Townsend, my esteemed teammate and the Telegraph’s bridge correspondent, did the double last weekend at the London Easter Festival…
Bellum sociorum
The internecine but friendly annual rivalry between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, generously hosted last month by the Chess Circle…
No. 402
Black to play. This is from Pichot-Khismatullin, Moscow 2016. What was Black’s killing blow? Answers to me at The Spectator…
Short story
In Competition No. 2941 you were invited to supply a short story entitled ‘Diary of a Superfluous Man’. Turgenev’s Tchulkaturin;…
2254: Ecofriendly
Answers to clues in italics must become 15 (hyphened) to create grid entries. Definitions of these entries are supplied by…
To 2251: Animal track
WILD HORSES, the title of a track on STICKY FINGERS (1D) by the ROLLING STONES (12), defines the other unclued…
Why I’m uneasy about academies for all
As someone who believes in limited government, I feel conflicted about universal academisation. I’m a fan of the academies policy…
