More him than her
Ever since Leonora Carrington, the last of the Surrealists, died in 2011, having made it to her 94th year with…
Let’s go round again
In Competition No. 3204, you were invited to supply a rondeau with a summery theme. The best-known English rondeau is…
Queen of Bohemia
Nina Hamnett’s art has long been overshadowed by her wild, hedonistic life, but that is changing, says Hermione Eyre — and about time
Who goes there?
Death of a Black Man is a little-known script from the 1970s written by Alfred Fagon who suffered a fatal…
Puzzle no. 659
White to play. Gukesh–Yip, Gelfand Challenge, June 2021. White has strong pressure on the f-file, but which move forces a…
High life
New York I hope this is my last week in the Bagel. I plan to fly first to Switzerland and…
Howard’s way
There was no printed programme for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s first concert under its music director designate Domingo Hindoyan.…
Portrait of the Week
Home The government contemplated its promised Planning Bill, blamed for contributing to the astonishing victory for the Liberal Democrat Sarah…
Barometer
Royal waves Does any other country have a royal yacht? — The Queen of Denmark uses HDMY Dannebrog, a 260ft…
Why we don’t say it
The official review into the Manchester Arena bombing was published this week. Four years after 22 mainly young people were…
The turf
There are many facets to Royal Ascot’s appeal. For some it is glamour, style and opulence. For some it is…
The wrong track
Under what circumstances can a government restrict the liberty of the people? An example was given last year: in a…
Still funny after all these years
A new biography of William Hogarth pays dutiful homage to his satirical genius but does not challenge its predecessors, writes Philip Hensher
Agricultural revolution
I was at a party the other day when who should accost me but Jeremy Clarkson. There were lots more…
2512: Impertinence
Clockwise round the grid from 34 run the answers (6,6,5, 11,4,3,7,4) (one hyphened) to eight riddles followed by the riddler’s…
Critique
Six years ago I wrote here about critique, as a noun or verb, and things have gone from bad to…
The Pride flag
Last month, the Pride flag was updated by the Intersex Equality Rights UK campaign group — the simple rainbow was…
Hogwarts and all
Harry Potter is a fictional orphan locked in a cupboard by his aunt and uncle, after which he discovers a…
Dear Mary
Q. We have old friends who live in the northern hinterlands and have a property in Provence where they normally…
Letters
The good doctors Sir: Not all GPs are currently ‘Dr No’ (12 June). I phoned my surgery at 9.30 the…
A lot of bottle
The question is surely destined to become a pub quiz staple: ‘Who moved a bottle 18 inches across a table…
