A nation in trauma
Albania has come a long way in three decades — transformed from a Stalinist dictatorship into a functioning democracy —but it has been at considerable cost, says Will Nicoll
Museum relic
The existential crisis that they face - both philosophical and financial - means that museums have to be more nimble or they'll lose the Google generation
One foot on the catwalk
Plus: a semi-good, semi-wonky biographical play of Alexander McQueen at St James Theatre
Stolen goods
Too much of the behaviour of the main characters is shitty – and too much of the script is stolen from Bridget Jones or Richard Curtis
This is England
Perry comes of age in Provincial Punk, a retrospective at the Turner Contemporary that confirms his place in the English oddball tradition
Carmen v. Carmen
Plus: David McVicar's Glyndebourne Carmen faces off against Calixto Bieito's at ENO - and a clear winner emerges
Living history
Despite the CGI being a bit rubbish and the 'groundbreaking research' being fudged, James Delingpole enjoyed this epic new history documentary
Long life
Honeybees are meant to be on the way to extinction but no one’s told the bees of Northamptonshire
Bridge
If you live in or around London you can play a pairs duplicate every night (or day) of the week…
Shuffleduck
There are some odd opening moves in chess, such as 1 a3 and 1 g4. The former was used by…
No. 364
Black to play. This is from Westman-Walther, Havana 1966. Black has the possibility of a discovered check against the white…
Occasional verse
In Competition No. 2899 you were invited to write a poem commemorating the birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. The…
2213: Surprising
A phrase, formed by four unclued lights, incorporates a definition of the other unclued lights and an indication of the…
To 2210: Game Theory
The future is not for parties ‘playing politics’ (16 29 1A 15) is a quotation by Woodrow Wilson. 1A provides…
Thrills and chivalry at the most civilised place on earth
History was made at the most civilised place on earth
Dear Mary
Plus: Dealing with intrusive Americans; a snoring guest’s dilemma; teaching with a nicotine addiction
Eurovision-speak
With almost everyone choosing to sing in terrible English, this year’s was a tough battle
