Life
McBess
My husband was surprised by quite a bit when we travelled by Underground in London the other day. Although he…
Dinner with the editors
Moro (‘moorish’ or ‘sexist’) is a Spanish restaurant on Exmouth Market, near the bones of the old Guardian and Observer…
A Victor for the future
Just do it. The people who make trainers have been telling us to ‘Just do it’ for 25 years now.…
Commercial approach
British racing is such a quirky minefield that some were surprised when in 2011 the authorities chose Paul Bittar, a…
High life
Gstaad Walking into a dinner party for 50 chic and some not-so-chic people in a nearby village last week, I…
Low life
My boy was downstairs cooking Sunday roast. Earlier, I had been clambering about on a woodpile, stepped awkwardly, and twisted…
Real life
The look on her face said it all. I can always tell my friend Denise is upset about something when…
Long life
With regard to modern technology, I find that people of around my age — by which I mean people in…
Bridge
To any player with even the smallest sadistic streak, squeezing your opponents is hugely satisfying. But there’s something even more…
Ukrainian knights
This week I pay tribute to the chess grandmasters from Ukraine, led by Vassily Ivanchuk, many times a candidate for…
No. 303
White to play. This position is from Moiseenko-Noah, Khanty-Mansisk Olympiad 2010. Even though the game is not yet out of…
All together now
In Competition 2836 you were invited to coin collective nouns for the following: tweeters, hackers, hoodies, WAGS, environmentalists, bankers, MPs…
2151: Sources
Three theme words which must be deduced each suggest three unclued lights (including one of two words and ignoring one…
to 2148: Eighth of February
Unclued lights can each be abbreviated so that together they give the letters of FEBRUARY: FAHRENHEIT (19), EARTH (32), BASS…
What’s happened to Harriet Harman?
Watching Harriet Harman being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg on Newsnight earlier this week was a strange experience. I felt as…
Battle for Britain
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How to give yourself a better chance
During the O.J. Simpson trial, the prosecution made much of the fact that Simpson had a record of violence towards…
Dear Mary
Q. One of my best friends, who knows I don’t have a great social life at university, has a brother…
Toast to a future wedding
Three of us, old friends, were meeting to arrange a marriage. The young couple have never actually met. Indeed, they…
Resilience
They were talking on the wireless about Brazilians in the flooded areas, or so I thought. Once the kettle had…
Toast to a future wedding
Three of us, old friends, were meeting to arrange a marriage. The young couple have never actually met. Indeed, they…
How to give yourself a better chance
During the O.J. Simpson trial, the prosecution made much of the fact that Simpson had a record of violence towards…
High life
Gstaad ‘On ne touche pas une femme, même avec une fleur,’ says an old French dictum, one not always adhered…
Low life
‘In my opinion,’ says Alistair Webster QC, author of the Liberal Democrats’ internal report into Lord Rennard’s droit de seigneur-style…
Real life
‘Quick, let’s slip one in the menu,’ said the builder, taking a leaflet from my handbag after we had paid…
