A shameful whitewash
I have been researching and writing about black British history for over 30 years but never before have I been…
Licence to kill
As I read the last chapter of this book, news broke that the Russian ambassador to Ankara, Andrey Karlov, had…
Perfect Sunday evening schmaltz
Set in rural England in 1911, Tim Pears’s latest novel tells of a friendship between 12-year-old Leo, a precocious carter,…
Sweat-drenching, muscle-aching stuff
‘John, we need your autobiography.’ ‘I thought I’d express my life experience in song.’ ‘That’ll be fine.’ This would be…
An astronomical feat
Think of a computer and your mind might conjure the brushed steel contours of the latest must-have laptop or, for…
Inflation creeps back like the forgotten whiff of cigarette smoke
From supermarkets to superyacht builders, sales figures are remarkably buoyant: consumer debt may be rising too, but no one can…
How the Donald will beat the Green Blob
Just before Christmas I popped over to Washington DC to test the waters of the Trump administration. I spoke to…
As the cab doors locked, I wanted to get out
I meant to get the bus, but by the time I arrived at the stop at 5 p.m. last Tuesday, I…
Theresa May, left-wing Tory
Curbs on executive pay, restrictions on foreign takeovers and workers on boards. Not Jeremy Corbyn’s plan for Britain, but ideas…
The lies we tell ourselves about the NHS
The language of the left is a truly transformative grammar, so I suppose Noam Chomsky would heartily approve. There are…
Trump’s family favourites
Donald Trump will not find satisfaction as the 45th President of the United States of America. He really wants to…
Healthy ridicule
Something I have long noticed is how, the moment they leave office, many politicians suddenly undergo a strange transformation where,…
The trouble with Francis
On 2 January, the Vatican published a letter from Pope Francis to the world’s bishops in which he reminded them…
Hack of the century
To all those computer hackers exulting in pizza-encrusted bedrooms across central Europe — the US presidential election was influenced! The…
A priest at the door
It was October 2010 the night the priest came to our door. The knock startled Tim’s dullard beagle into a…
A stroke of genius
The picture had been chosen for its utterly gratuitous depiction of female beauty. It showed Justine Henin, the Belgian tennis…
Not owning a car
On two occasions, sainted members of my family have offered me a car for nothing. Both times, I turned them…
Don’t ask the experts
Michael Gove never intended to make his most famous remark. In an interview during the EU referen-dum campaign, the then…
Gone Giri
The London Classic is over with the final scores being as follows: Wesley So 6/9; Fabiano Caruana 5½; Viswanathan Anand,…
no. 439
Black to play. This position is from Topalov-Anand, London Classic 2016. How did Black conclude? Answers to me at The…
Festive features
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (99) and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (20) – whose DIRECTORS (37) were ERNST LUBITSCH (61)…
Comic effect
In Competition No. 2980 you were invited to submit an extract from a politician’s speech ghostwritten by a well-known comedian.…
Discovery
Two pairs of unclued lights are theme names. Remaining unclued lights aren’t in themselves thematic, but their unchecked letters complete…
