Life
The misguided bid to turn Alan Turing into an Asperger’s martyr
When I first heard the story of Alan Turing in my late teens I made what must be quite a…
Battle for Britain
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The myth of Steven Gerrard
‘As a leader and a man, he is incomparable to anyone I have ever worked with.’ Obviously quite some guy,…
Dear Mary: How will Joan Collins introduce herself now she’s a dame?
Q. We enjoyed the Christmas University Challenge series featuring mature graduates, some of whom were more in the public eye than…
The real reason there’s a queue outside the Cereal Killer Café
The Cereal Killer Café is a temple to cereal on Brick Lane, east London. It serves only cereal — and also…
What parenting meant in 1914
‘Not still War and Peace!’ exclaimed my husband on 1 January during the all-day Tolstoy splurge on Radio 4. In reality…
Sugar rush
The Cereal Killer Café is a temple to cereal on Brick Lane, east London. It serves only cereal — and also…
Myths and legends
‘As a leader and a man, he is incomparable to anyone I have ever worked with.’ Obviously quite some guy,…
Conquering Emperor
Welsh Grand National day at Chepstow could not have had a better climax than the big race. After slogging three…
Warning: these books could seriously damage your health
Welcome to 2015, the year that speaking and writing freely had to stop. Anything that might cause trauma to anyone…
That’s another year gone and, against the odds, I’m still here
A fruity voice on the train’s announcement system said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, make sure you have all your belongings, family…
Draft and save is as good a New Year’s resolution as any
Draft and save. That is as good a New Year’s resolution as any. Never send an email or letter in…
I think I’ve found a miracle cure for a bad back
I’ve had various ailments during my first 74 years — the worst being those induced by smoking, such as emphysema…
Bridge
It’s surprising how many perfectly good bridge players lack confidence when it comes to squeeze plays. They seem to think…
Ave et vale
2014 was the year in which Magnus Carlsen confirmed his position as world champion, and also the year in which…
No. 343
White to play. This position is from Caruana–Ponomariov, Dortmund 2014. The structure is symmetrical but White’s pieces are very active.…
New year haiku
In Competition No. 2878 you were invited to submit a poem composed of three haikus that looks forward to the…
2192: Never again
Eight unclued lights are of a kind; as is, fancifully, the ninth. Across 6 Hurry up to fill space with…
To 2190: Petra
‘ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME’ (1D/19) is a work by AUGUSTUS TOPLADY (18/13). ELIZABETH WINDSOR (4A/26) and MICHELLE OBAMA…
A year ago, I had big plans to unite the right. This year, I’m keeping my ambitions more modest
This time last year, I wrote an article saying my main project in 2014 would be to unite the right.…
Battle for Britain
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Let’s appoint a Ministry of Scandalous Ideas
My children have a phrase called ‘fomo’ — which stands for ‘fear of missing out’. It is a constant, mildly…
Dear Mary: What can I do about my neighbours’ downmarket recycling?
Q. Since recycling was introduced in our village, the wall at the end of our drive has become the depositing…
When a forgotten bottle turns out to be a treasure
I had not drunk the wine for 20 years, and nearly all the information which I thought that I had…
How ‘data’ became like ‘butter’
Someone on Radio 4 said she had heard about the sexism of Grand Theft Auto on ‘Women’s Hour’. It is…
