Life
Politics
Will the Liberal party take a stand on net zero or not? (I am using net zero as a shorthand…
Almost too interesting for Notting Hill: Speedboat Bar reviewed
When you are old enough, you can measure your life in restaurants. I remember, for instance, when the Electric Diner…
The failed evolution of the horse
The thoroughbred looked cross, with flared nostrils and a pinched expression, so I should have known what was about to…
From South Africa to Saracens, two rugby stars are born
Moments when a 24-carat superstar bursts on the scene are few and far between, but always something to cherish. And…
Spectator Competition: Daylight saving
For Competition 3422 you were invited to submit a poem or passage on the theme of ‘daylight saving’. In a…
What does ‘potash’ have to do with potassium?
‘“I am not screwed,” replied the Caterpillar, solemnly. “Whisky and potass does not agree with everybody; but I am not…
The day I got naked with the Germans
A man called Gianluca and I mounted the steps to the Friedrichsbad in pensive silence. We hadn’t made eye contact…
Goodbye and good riddance to ‘non-crime’
The congratulatory messages started pouring in shortly after 5.30 p.m. on Monday. The Metropolitan Police had just issued a press…
Dear Mary: How can I turn down invitations without offending people?
Q. I was recently lent six books by a friend I see regularly for yoga. I was bemoaning the fact…
My most profitable day on a racecourse ever
The Champions Day finale at Ascot gave us, as it should, the best race of the season. Thanks to weather…
Aussie life
It’s not often you can say, ‘I know exactly how he feels’ about your Prime Minister. But in following the…
Language
Cheryl asks me to explain why we call someone who is off their rocker ‘dotty’. Well, ‘dotty’ has had that…
A sip of Israeli history
We were drinking Israeli wine as the talk ranged from frivolity to seriousness: from Donald Trump to the tragic paradoxes…
Why men are the disposable sex
I am a proud father. Both my daughters got good degrees. But better still, they smoke, go to pubs and…
Spectator Competition: Right to reply
For Competition 3421 you were invited to submit a reply from Slough to offset Betjeman’s rude lines on the subject.…
