Dressing the word salad
We owe the ghostwriter of this book a debt of gratitude. A novelist called Geraldine Brooks is cited as a…
The rustle of underwear
If ever there was gorgeous chocolate-box theatre it’s this magnificently staged production of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca directed by Anne-Louise…
Aussie life
Talking with an old friend recently about relations between the sexes, I said men these days don’t know if they’re…
Language
Do you know Banjo Paterson’s ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ I asked? Yes, was the answer, I have it off by…
The Spectator state of mind
It is party time in New York as we toast the launch of The Spectator’s swish new office on Fifth…
My run-in with airport security
Dante’s Beach, Ravenna ‘Welcome back, signore!’ said the woman in uniform at the all-seeing security doorway which passengers must walk…
Keir Starmer and the ancient question of word vs deed
Sir Keir Starmer said that Britain had come to a fork in the road. As usual, he took it –…
So boring it’s mesmerising: The Place to Eat at John Lewis reviewed
I am, like a strain of Withnail, in the John Lewis café by mistake. I meant to review the new…
Robert Jenrick is right
I’ve just got back from doing a spot of shopping in my local town – and do you know what…
Who will stand up for motherhood?
Scientists at the Oregon Health and Science University have created the beginnings of a baby using not human eggs, but…
How could the Co-op be so insensitive to Jewish shoppers?
Between news bulletins of the Manchester synagogue attack last week, I popped into my local Co-op for some groceries. When…
Excruciating: Netflix’s House of Guinness reviewed
First the surprising news: not a single one of the four Guinness siblings in 1868 Dublin is black; and only…
The death of cinéma vérité
Oh, how we lived. Or, how we thought we lived. Despite the numerous criticisms levelled at the BBC on a…
My toxic affair with my Land Rover
For the past decade I’ve been in a toxic relationship. Sure, there were red flags – most of them on…
In defence of Chris Cash
Can you be a spy by mistake? If, with no treacherous intent, without ever intending to disadvantage your own country,…
Greta Thunberg and the ship of hate
I was amused to read about the spat that broke out on Greta Thunberg’s flotilla between conservative Muslims and members…
What we need from our new Archbishop of Canterbury
There have been 106 Archbishops of Canterbury since Gregory the Great declared Augustine his ‘Apostle to the English’ in 597.…
Does it matter that the BBC lost the Boat Race?
So we won’t be watching the Boat Race next year on the BBC, but on Channel 4. Never again will…
Dear Mary: How do I avoid offending old friends if I don’t recognise them at a party?
Q. I am shortly to attend a big London party at which I will see many old acquaintances. However, first…
My personalised number plate is worth more than my car
A poll has confirmed what most people know already – personalised number plates are vulgar, divisive and a complete waste…
The civil service is killing restorative justice
Failing institutions don’t like challenge, let alone being shown up. Few institutions are failing more tragically than our prisons –…
Portrait of the week: Synagogue attack, pro-Palestine protests and a new Archbishop of Canterbury
Home Two men at a synagogue at Heaton Park in Manchester were killed on Yom Kippur when Jihad al-Shamie, 35,…
