Life
Enjoying the Ryder
Well, that was a lot of fuss wasn’t it? The Ryder Cup is a strange old creation, only fractionally less…
Bronze Angel delight
Rightly, the authorities are doing all they can to find and discipline the disgruntled racegoer who threw a beer can…
High life
Athens This grimy semi-Levantine ancient city has its beauty spots, with childhood memories indelibly attached. There is a turn-of-the-century apartment…
Real life
A crazy woman is living inside my head. It’s not just the normal crazy woman who camps out there from…
2181: Obit II
The 19 of a great 1A of 6 and for the 1D occurred in 37 25 years ago this month.…
To 2178: Saint and playwright
In Vanity Fair (18/2), George Osborne is associated with 6/30 and 10/31. As Chancellor, he was preceded by 8, 26…
Low life
‘Stand outside the fishmongers in 20 minutes and call this number,’ she said, ‘and I can arrange it.’ On Saturday…
Long life
Winslow Hall is a large and handsome country house in Buckinghamshire, built in 1700 by Sir Christopher Wren, which Tony…
Wild life
England We dropped off our daughter Eve at her new school in the Midlands and started the long journey…
Bridge
There aren’t many instantly recognisable stars in the bridge world, but Andrew Robson is definitely one — as he was…
Scotch miss
This week, a tribute to the one major Scottish contribution to chess, the invention of the Scotch game, later to…
No. 333
White to play. This position is from Yu–Ganguly, Indonesia 2012. This encounter also started with the Scotch Game opening. Both…
Prose poem
In Competition No. 2866 you were invited to pick a well-known poem and write a short story with the same…
I’m the moody one in this marriage
Women spend ten days a year in a grumpy mood, according to the Daily Mail. The top triggers include being…
Battle for Britain
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The psychology of either/or
It is a trick which often works on children. Do not tell them to eat vegetables; instead ask whether they…
Dear Mary
Q. The Idler Academy is within walking distance of my house and I note from the programme of autumn events…
For the love of the Loire
Rivers are the cradles of civilisation and the Loire is an outstanding example. It is one of the head-waters of…
The Islamic State
I’m puzzled by the dropping of the one part of the name of the Islamic State that seems certain. That…
For the love of the Loire
Rivers are the cradles of civilisation and the Loire is an outstanding example. It is one of the head-waters of…
The psychology of either/or
It is a trick which often works on children. Do not tell them to eat vegetables; instead ask whether they…
Wild life
England We dropped off our daughter Eve at her new school in the Midlands and started the long journey…
High life
Next time you read about an auctioneer’s gavel coming down on a $150 million painting bought by some flunkey representing…
Low life
I’m round at Amy and Bill’s for Sunday afternoon tea. Amy and Bill are my in-laws, kind of. When I…
Real life
After a rush of blood to the head, I decided it might be a good idea to ask some awkward…
