My present abode is one of the great deco houses left intact in the Bagel
New York What follows will bore the pants off you, but at least it beats another piece on Brexit.…
My image of the young Jeremy Corbyn is not a flattering one
I found the stone and the key underneath and let myself into the cottage — brr! I immediately made a…
Who will take the threat to horses from fireworks seriously?
Remember remember the 5th of November, when Britain’s most controversial pub chain stages a massive firework display in the middle…
The best thing about autumn is the return of jumping
Never mind Keats’s mists and mellow fruitfulness, or even that glorious autumnal odour of wet dog — a regular accompaniment…
Bridge
Erikas Vainikonis and his father Vytas are terrific bridge players and have supported the game very generously. Their brilliant new…
Bronze in Batumi
The hammering downpour before the last round in Batumi was, in retrospect, a precious omen. After all, England’s medal drought…
no. 579
Black to play. Erwin l’Ami–Luke McShane, Batumi, 2019. The pawn on e6 looks powerful, but White’s king is more vulnerable…
Station to station
In Competition No. 3123 you were invited to submit a poem that begins ‘By Waterloo Station I sat down and…
2433: House and garden
Across unclued lights (one of two words) combine with down ones to suggest the surnames of four famous English painters;…
to 2430: Petite traveller
On 19 October John le Carré turned eighty-eight (hinted at by TWO FAT LADIES (19/26/20)). His real forenames are DAVID…
40 years on, Life of Brian has made the world a darker place
I went to the Battle of Ideas at the Barbican last weekend, a free speech festival organised by the Brexit…
How veganism became mainstream
I have just returned from Canada, which seems to share Britain’s new-found obsession with veganism. There, chains such as Burger…
Dear Mary: how can I stop my dad treating my mum like a slave?
Q. Dad takes an old-fashioned approach to marriage: I have never seen him clear his plate and he does not…
The delights of Spanish wine – and art
First, an apology. In my last column, I appeared to be saying that good champagne does not age. This must…
What’s the different between ‘while’ and ‘whilst’?
‘Why is whilst only ever used in letters?’ asked my husband, casting aside an argumentative letter from his sister written…
Jacqueline Dark, Taryb Fiebig and Helen Sherman
Vivaldi is having further boosts to his popularity with the Brandenburg Orchestra delivering cracking performances of his Four Seasons in…
Lefties’ shaggy dog story
At this distance, it’s hard to credit the derangement of the US leftist media over Donald Trump. The president had…
Since records began
If we are being asked to shut down our coal export industry and the 48 coal turbines that supply 75…
North American notes
Al Jolson vs the vulgarian pugilist First to Canada. The election produced a minority government win for the incumbent Al…
Brother, can you spare a solar panel?
In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy being Green and no-one knows that better than Mike…
My finest hour
Every journalist dreams of the scoop that will make his name. Ten years ago this month I finally got mine…
Letter from Japan
With ubiquitous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples proclaiming the nationwide universality of religious belief, Japan is the ideal location for…
A bill of rights? Kel horreur!
Kel Richards’ proposal in these pages for a bill of rights (‘Conservative Notes’, 2 November 2019) as a solution to…
Out like Flynn
James Flynn is not an obvious enigma, even if he does hold the distinction of possibly being the only scholar…
