The Time of Shoring Up
After the years at the gym, the diets and the supplements, he comes — nevertheless — to the time of…
Cruising
By the end of my ten-day Atlantic crossing to New York, a new wellbeing seemed to radiate from me. Lulled…
The Time of Shoring Up
After the years at the gym, the diets and the supplements, he comes — nevertheless — to the time of…
Homer nods
Paul Morphy, in a strange prefiguration of the later career of Bobby Fischer, was often described as ‘the pride and…
No. 381
Black to play. This is from Botterill-Basman, Eastbourne 1973. What is Black’s best move? Answers to me at The Spectator…
Right to reply
In Competition No. 2917 you were invited to submit a reply from Andrew Marvell’s coy mistress. Marvell’s mix of cajoling…
Your problems solved
Q. A friend of mine is performing a recital in Dublin and has sent round an email advertising the time…
High steaks
Smith & Wollensky is a restaurant from The Shining: a terrifying American steak joint by the Thames, four months old,…
Will Spain learn?
One of the unforeseen consequences of the reunification of Europe after the Cold War has been a resurgence of independence…
High life
If cheating is the cancer of sport, losing has to be its halitosis. I stunk out the joint in Amsterdam…
Long life
When Robert Peston, the economics editor of the BBC, interviewed George Osborne on television in an open-necked shirt with collar…
Long life
When Robert Peston, the economics editor of the BBC, interviewed George Osborne on television in an open-necked shirt with collar…
Low life
Every morning for the past two years, on waking, I’ve reached out for the white plastic tub on the bedside…
Low life
Every morning for the past two years, on waking, I’ve reached out for the white plastic tub on the bedside…
Critique
I lost my husband on the way from Malabar. He is easily lost. We had been talking about the verb…
Real life
At least two insurances are going to have to go, as I grapple with fear of penury, I have decided.…
Give Robshaw a break
Pity poor Chris Robshaw. England’s sturdy captain might have a knockout girlfriend and exceptional skills on the cappuccino machine, but…
The vision of Steve Jobs
Last week I went to a screening of Steve Jobs, the new biopic about the co-founder of Apple directed by…
The vision of Steve Jobs
Last week I went to a screening of Steve Jobs, the new biopic about the co-founder of Apple directed by…
Fair minded
One of Alan Bennett’s characters once lamented, ‘We tried to set up a small anarchist community …but people wouldn’t obey…
Fair minded
One of Alan Bennett’s characters once lamented, ‘We tried to set up a small anarchist community …but people wouldn’t obey…
Cicero on Labour taxes
Heidi Alexander, Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow health secretary, has emphasised how important it is ‘to weave into [Labour’s] language, our narrative…
