The dreamer
As 8 1/2 returns to our screens, Ian Thomson explores how a period of creative limbo spawned one of the greatest, dreamiest films ever made
Light fantastic
The watercolours of this mid-20th century British painter/designer may be slight but it doesn’t stop them being delightful
End of the Rainbow
Marcus Berkmann hesitates to recommend the music of Chris Rainbow (RIP) mainly because you probably won’t like it
Crossing cultures
But Ismene Brown is still mightily impressed by Scottish Ballet’s Streetcar Named Desire
Ayckbourn again
Plus: Spend Spend Spend, a stylish musical revival that should get a West End transfer - but they need some celebs
All that glitters is not gold
It doesn’t come with one sentimental ending but several. Every character in fact seems gets their own
Comics’ trip
Dara and Ed drive across Central America, Richard Ayoade and Adam Hills visit Istanbul and Griff Rhys Jones trains it through Africa
James Bond
The Bond film franchise has run out of ideas and is pulling its punches for fear of offending foreign governments. Why 007's finest days are behind him
Bridge
Bridge has always been a game of highs and lows, but what happened to Janet de Botton and her partner…
Polymath
I learn from The Problemist, the organ of the British Chess Problem Society, that the polymath Dr Jacob Bronowski also…
No. 357
Black to play. This is from Cochrane-Staunton, London 1842. How did Staunton exploit his menacing build up of pieces on…
Consequences
In Competition No. 2892 you were invited to submit an irregular quatrain in which you bring together two people from…
2206: Landslip
Four of the unclued lights (one of two words) and an unclued pair are of a kind, and can become…
To 2203: Peeping toms
The theme is CATS; the unclued Across lights are breeds of cats and unclued Down lights and TOPCAT (which had…
Miliband vs Millwall
I expect victory to go to the side that makes the fewest mistakes. And I reckon that’s my one
Why plane crashes are getting weirder
As the obvious fixes are found, we discover less and less likely ways that things can go wrong
A rum encounter
A drink to make you understand Treasure Island’s pirates — and a tasting with Ranald Macdonald
