Real life
The atmosphere was a cross between All Quiet on the Western Front and Children of the Corn
Long life
The problem is our big beasts' inability to realise that their pre-eminence is partly down to luck
Bridge
I witnessed utter carnage at the bridge table the other week. I was watching the European Champions Cup online when…
Classic
London chess fans are about to enjoy a great treat. The London Chess Classic will run from the 10-14 December…
Chess puzzle
White to play. This position is a variation from Larsen-Portisch, London 1986. How can White exploit a fatal weakness in…
It’s a rap
In Competition No. 2876 you were invited to submit an example of an ill-advised foray by a poet laureate, past…
2191: Bunk
The other unclued entries, in pairs around 3D, provide the key words in a definition of 11D. Across …
To 2188: Pieces of eight
The eight unclued lights are anagrams of eight clued solutions: 2/12, 3/13, 8/35, 16/40, 18/28, 19/30, 24/27 and 26/38. First…
The perilous prospect of forced paternity leave
The campaign to force fathers to take equal time off is under way in Sweden. Expect it here next
Have airport designers noticed that laptops exist?
The public provision of tables is so bad that Starbucks now earns $15 billion a year renting out horizontal surfaces
Dear Mary: Your Problems Solved
Plus: Dealing with Uber driver flattery, and a cure for Christmas alone
Control
In his speech on immigration last week, David Cameron said a couple of funny things. I’m not talking about the…
Culture buff
We’ve established that capital city festivals are for other people. Their principal purpose is to bring people into the city,…
The art of persuasion
‘Our job is to simplify, to tear away the unrelated, to pluck out the weeds that are smothering the product…
Darkness descends on Patterson Lakes
Tony Abbott must heed the lessons of the Liberal loss in Victoria
Gay marriage and the death of freedom
Rather than striking a blow for individual liberties, the dogma of gay marriage is stifling them
The Cashmere Steamroller
Naomi Milgrom, one of Australia’s wealthiest women, defies the crtics with her philanthropic design and architecture
Kangaroos and Fertility
Australia has a serious aging problem: our fertility rate is below the level needed just to keep the population steady…
Islamic diary
Australia originally appeared to me in the form of a boyfriend. A fellow student brought him home one evening without…
Australian Letters
Friend or foe? Sir: The editorial piece ( Spectator Australia, 29 Nov.) and following article by James Allan deal broadly…
Dance One last dance
I’m dashing between dance theatres at the moment and there’s just so much to tell you about. I could linger…
