Child’s play
In Australia there are tens of thousands of emotionally stable, financially secure but medically infertile people. As much as they…
Culture buff
There’s never been a better time to be… in Canberra. Parliament isn’t sitting, there’s decent accommodation at reasonable rates; best…
A Day Off
Well, I’ll go window-shopping in Laroussefor seeds of words. Strangely, they’re not for sale — you help yourself to what…
Pauline conversion
Paul Keres, the Estonian grandmaster and many times world championship contender, was born a hundred years ago this month. His…
No. 392
White to play. This position is from Keres-Spassky, Gothenburg 1955. Can you spot White’s crushing blow? Answers to me at…
Going mental
In Competition No. 2931 you were invited to submit a psychiatric report on a well-known figure in literature. Shakespearean characters…
Dear Mary
Q. We have two granddaughters working hard and happily at university. It is our pleasure to give them some cash…
Brass tacks
The last time I reviewed a restaurant in Selfridges, a PR man rang up to ask what he could do…
Safety first
This week brings to a close an absurdly overblown cause célèbre. The Court of Appeal ruled that David Miranda’s detention…
High life
The death of David Bowie — how is it that Stephen Glover always gets it right about our over-reaction and…
Long life
Here I go again. I have stopped smoking. Until recently I had been smoking about 40 cigarettes a day, but…
Long life
Here I go again. I have stopped smoking. Until recently I had been smoking about 40 cigarettes a day, but…
Low life
Putting old or contaminated petrol in a car needn’t be catastrophic, but in the Golf’s case it was. With 37,000…
Low life
Putting old or contaminated petrol in a car needn’t be catastrophic, but in the Golf’s case it was. With 37,000…
Box set
There is no chance whatsoever of box set being replaced by the more correct form boxed set. So stop seething…
Real life
When in India, I always appal my highly educated tour guides. They despair of me, as they drag me round…
Three sides to our success
In the middle of Oxford is a socking great cinema: once the Ritz, it’s now an Odeon multiplex. Back in…
The Islamist Nazis and Corbyn’s wilful blindness
Many people watching Jeremy Corbyn’s interview on Marr last Sunday will have been shocked by his remarks about the need…
The Islamist Nazis and Corbyn’s wilful blindness
Many people watching Jeremy Corbyn’s interview on Marr last Sunday will have been shocked by his remarks about the need…
Small wonder
Cheltenham, Ascot and Sandown Park are wonderful but without the little tracks racing would be lost. It was perishing cold…
Small wonder
Cheltenham, Ascot and Sandown Park are wonderful but without the little tracks racing would be lost. It was perishing cold…
Barometer
Roll out the barrel The price of crude oil dropped below $30 a barrel. Why do we measure it in…
