Life
Why we lie to ourselves about opinion polls
A strange ritual takes place on Twitter most evenings at around 10.30 p.m. Hundreds of political anoraks start tweeting the…
Why we lie to ourselves about opinion polls
A strange ritual takes place on Twitter most evenings at around 10.30 p.m. Hundreds of political anoraks start tweeting the…
Looking for answers you can’t see
Driving from Dover on the M20 a year ago I missed the turning for the M25. A month later I…
Wild life
Laikipia With a shriek, the warrior arched his body, readying to sling his spear at my chest. The tear-dropped javelin…
High life
As I was flipping through some television garbage trying to induce sleep, I came upon an old western starring Kirk…
Low life
For the Cheltenham Festival I received the customary tipster circular from my pal Soapy Joe. Soapy’s most convincing credential as…
Real life
Darcy was obviously listening to every word I said. After we got back from the ride from hell, in which…
Long life
In 1993, when I was living in Manhattan working for the New Yorker magazine, I was chosen as ‘distinguished visitor’…
Going for Gold
Irish racing guru Ted Walsh was asked at the start of Gold Cup day if retiring champion jockey Tony McCoy…
Bridge
You either love rubber bridge or you hate it. Personally I love it: I love the freedom it gives you…
Just So
Last week in a perceptive piece for the Times, Will Pavia animadverted upon the fact that the USA appears to…
No. 354
White to play. This is from Pillsbury-Tarrasch, Hastings 1895. White has only one move to bring his kingside attack to…
Men behaving badly
In Competition No. 2889 you were invited to submit an extract from an imaginary novel written from the perspective of…
2203: Peeping Toms
The unclued lights are of a kind; the ones Across are one theme, and those Down (one of two words)…
To 2200
The unclued Down lights can be abbreviated as MM, and the unclued Across lights as CC. Together as MMCC, they…
Will the perfect school always be a pipe dream?
Civitas has just published an interesting book called The Ins and Outs of Selective Secondary Schools. Edited by Anastasia de…
Battle for Britain
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New heights
For anyone who knows or cares about rock climbing — a minority sport if ever there was one, albeit pretty…
Your problems solved
Q. I’m a single bloke now and for various reasons don’t foresee any change to that status. I have moved…
Kitty corner with the PM
David Cameron is too cowardly, or too cynical, to debate with Ed ‘Two or Possibly Three Kitchens’ Miliband — which…
Scobberlotcher
Hilary Spurling found a certain blunting of the irregularities of John Aubrey’s language in Ruth Scurr’s vicarious autobiography of the…
Battle for Britain
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Just So
Last week in a perceptive piece for the Times, Will Pavia animadverted upon the fact that the USA appears to…
No. 354
White to play. This is from Pillsbury-Tarrasch, Hastings 1895. White has only one move to bring his kingside attack to…
Men behaving badly
In Competition No. 2889 you were invited to submit an extract from an imaginary novel written from the perspective of…
