Life
A toast to Le Roi Jean Quinze
There ought to be a new literary award: the antisocial book of the year. A dozen years ago, Claire Tomalin’s…
Astel
Dear old Ian Hislop was pottering around North Petherton, Somerset, on television, to talk about the Alfred Jewel, found nearby…
A toast to Le Roi Jean Quinze
There ought to be a new literary award: the antisocial book of the year. A dozen years ago, Claire Tomalin’s…
Ideas that breed
A 14-year-old at an American school recently caused a stir when he claimed that the US government could save over…
Wild life
From a way off, as he entered the café, he looked young and handsome but when he sat down there…
High life
New York This is a tale of two escape artists in one city. Let’s start with my old friend the…
Low life
In the blue corner, wearing 4oz gloves, is the Ninja. Real name Klynton. The younger of my two grandsons. Also…
Real life
‘Can I go and play with Twiggy?’ If dogs could talk, this is what my spaniel Cydney would be saying…
Long life
The arrival of spring is not an unmitigated joy. The warmth is nice, of course, as are the fresh leaves…
Taxing questions
We all have to adjust to reality, like the lady who entered a Barbados bar having already enjoyed several gin…
Bridge
I have always been drawn to a bit of a rogue and I must admit I found the coughing German…
Express train
The erratic Ukrainian grandmaster Vassily Ivanchuk has scored an overwhelming victory in a rapidplay tournament sponsored by the Latvian railway.…
No. 310
Black to play. This is from Kantans-Malakhov, Latvian Railway Open, Riga 2014. Black has achieved a tremendous build-up on the…
Poet’s choice
In Competition No. 2843 you were given a list of poets’ surnames — motion, bridges, wilde, gray, cope, hood, burns…
2158: Late bloomers
The unclued lights (33 with I) are of a kind, all verifiable in Chambers under the appropriate headword. Across…
2155: Poor Billy’s left out
The unclued lights are SIBYLS (the title was an anagram of BILLY’S with L omitted). First prize Judith Bevis, Newport,…
An initiation into anxiety
Before I had children I don’t think I appreciated what anxiety was. I’d been anxious at various points in my…
Battle for Britain
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A sporting chance
The brotherhood of cricket, as we know, transcends race, creed, class and nationality. It can also be a big help…
Dear Mary
Q. We have just moved into a charming little hamlet in Warwickshire and were delighted to find a bottle of…
Relaxing with Marcus
In the ‘Chefs’ Last Supper’ in the National Portrait Gallery, Marcus Wareing is throwing a brie at Gordon Ramsay, who…
Multiverse
‘So there are lots of universes besides ours,’ the ancient atomists concluded, in the brief account by Peter Jones (Ancient…
Relaxing with Marcus
In the ‘Chefs’ Last Supper’ in the National Portrait Gallery, Marcus Wareing is throwing a brie at Gordon Ramsay, who…
A sporting chance
The brotherhood of cricket, as we know, transcends race, creed, class and nationality. It can also be a big help…
Taxing questions
We all have to adjust to reality, like the lady who entered a Barbados bar having already enjoyed several gin…
