Life
The persecution of our local politicians
Have a thought for Darren Grimes, the 32-year-old Reform councillor. Since becoming deputy leader of Durham County Council in May,…
Why don’t we order houses from a catalogue?
One possible solution to the housing crisis is to convene a group of experts in property, housebuilding, planning and local…
Dear Mary: Can I retract a party invitation without causing offence?
Q. A very likeable woman has joined the company I work for and also just moved to my village. I…
How binding are Rachel Reeves’s ‘pledges’?
‘Pop goes the weasel!’ my husband exclaimed, expertly muddying the waters. We had just been listening to another news bulletin…
Wine to toast the fallen
Solemn, moving, serious: British. As silence fell and the wreaths were lain, even teenagers joined in the mood of reverence.…
The day Tilda Swinton came to stay
An exhibition at the Eye Film Museum in Amsterdam devoted to the multi-talented and award-winning actress Tilda Swinton, runs until…
The last B&B guests of the season
‘Where are you off to now?’ I asked the fellow from Hong Kong as he and his wife stood in…
Spectator Competition: A letter from Jane
Competition 3425 was prompted by Gill Hornby, a biographer of Jane Austen, telling an audience at the Cheltenham Literature Festival…
How to make the perfect pecan pie
A pecan pie has been on my kitchen table for the past few days, due to circumstances rendering every other…
Susanna Gross (1967-2025)
Michael Gove writes: The Spectator asks only one thing of its writers: that they entertain. Susanna Gross, who wrote our…
Aussie life
As this great metropolis falls apart, I’m hearing Australians are getting too cynical. But that’s not it at all. As…
Language
I’m sure I can’t be the only person irritated by the word ‘wellness’. It is the most fashionable of all…
Bagels that even New York can’t beat: Panzer’s Delicatessen reviewed
That Panzer’s Delicatessen in St John’s Wood is called Panzer’s – for the instrument of Blitzkrieg – is mad, until…
The maverick magnificence of Henry Pollock
‘Gosh he seems full of himself’ was how my friend’s wife reacted when she came in to see Henry Pollock…
Dear Mary: Do we turn up at a party even though no written invitation arrived?
Q. An extremely old friend is a successful purveyor of high-end goods. Last time we saw him he invited us…
What’s so fresh about ‘fresh hell’?
‘What fresh hell can this be?’ Dorothy Parker would ask if the doorbell rang. Now fresh hell has been freshly…
After 30 years, it’s farewell to The Turf
It was Frank Johnson who as The Spectator’s editor asked me to mix my then day job as the BBC’s…
