Life
Cocklebarrow gives Cheltenham a run for its money
The second-best day of the year is finally here. Obviously, nothing beats the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival –…
My house is devouring me (and my relationship)
The panic of another season bore down on me as the builder boyfriend painted the breakfast room with the green…
The secret life of my friend Evelyn
Provence It’s difficult to believe that Evelyn will be 90 in a few months’ time. I’ve known her for more…
The rise of toxic femininity
At the end of last year, the government announced a programme designed to tackle the radicalisation of young men in…
Aussie life
Most dads will settle for their kids growing up happy, healthy and (reaches for nearest wooden surface) tattoo-free. It’s a…
Language
When something is partly good and partly bad, we used to say it was ‘a curate’s egg’. Odd expression. Why…
Spectator Competition: Alternative facts
Competition 3432 invited you to submit a passage containing some AI-style ‘hallucinations’ (it would be just as anthropomorphic to call…
How to befriend Sudan’s guerilla commanders
Juba, South Sudan After the 43°C heat of the day in Juba, sundown brings a merciful reprieve. My dearest friend…
I judge judgmental people
The woman in the queue behind us in the supermarket glared angrily as my mother tried and failed to tap…
The speed-camera approach to government
I was recently shown an AI analysis of long-term trends in the public’s attitude to government. The AI had been…
Dear Mary: How do you swerve a dinner party bore?
Dear Mary: How do you swerve a dinner party bore?
The quest for the perfect January red wine
There are different ways to approach the tyranny of Dry January. One is to drink in secret. Another is to…
Penetrating Trumpland is a breeze
For this trip, I’ve had to divulge my social media handles, blood group, shoe size etc, and have therefore assumed…
Grok is the Botticelli of our time
Liz Kendall, the Technology Secretary, stood up in the Commons on Monday and thundered against Elon Musk, saying the government…
Aussie life
I’ve been an actor and satirist for forty years, and suddenly I’m told my words might be violent, requiring institutional…
Language
Antisemitism is a word I have written about more than once, but clearly, it’s a word we need to look…
What makes a good trainer?
We’re spoilt for choice in the Cotswolds. There’s a brilliant National Hunt trainer in every valley and the villages are…
