Le French bashing
Jonathan Meades thinks it’s rash to judge an entire country by the comings and goings of the rancorous former First Bimbo
North star
It’s easy to take the piss out of this seaside town, says William Cook, but people keep coming back so it must be doing something right
A star is born
Haobin Wang was one of the many delights in the Royal Academy of Music’s production of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, which far outclassed the Royal College’s Zauberflote
Just for laughs
But Lloyd Evans finds some surprising highlights in Hackney Empire’s classic Mother Goose and Leicester Square Theatre’s homoerotic Sleeping Booty!
Norwegian wood
The story on which this Norwegian adventure movie is based was a remarkable achievement. Sadly this isn’t
The power of hate
Marcus Berkmann mourns the passing of old-school rock criticism and its legendary bile
No brainer
And there’s an English mildness to the production and costume. Marianela Nunez compensates, though
Winning ways
James Delingpole gives us his tips on how to take Greg right back to his luvly jubbly honest cockney roots
All together now
On Archive on 4 Jarvis Cocker goes in search of Singing Together, which for 50 years each week saw schools around the country united in song
Bridge
Pierre Zimmermann, captain of the hugely successful Monaco team, plays with Franck Multon and they are probably the best sponsor/professional…
The answers
So they say 1. President François Hollande of France 2. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, of Nick Clegg, the…
London greats
The London Chess Classic, graced by two former world champions Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, as well as the world…
Christmas chess puzzle
White to play. This position is from Anderssen-Kieseritzky, London 1851. It is a brilliant encounter that became known as the…
Season’s greetings
In Competition No. 2877 you were invited to submit a Christmas round robin as it might have been written by…
Anagram Pie Christmas double puzzle
A first prize of £100, three prizes of £25 and six further prizes of the Chambers Book of Great Speeches…
To 2189: Offering
Answers to clues in italics — stramash (1A), pasteboard (33) and lineated (36) — are treated as in the ROMAN…
Can you be a great father and lead a Great Life?
If I want to be in the future, I’d better pull my socks up
