Strauss’s swansong
Richard Strauss’s operatic swansong Capriccio made an elegant and untaxing conclusion to the Royal Opera’s season. It was done in…
Character study
Frances Ha will make many spit ‘Frances…Bah!’ but I won’t be among them. Yes, it is rather kooky, and highly…
Public lives
Watching Burton and Taylor (BBC4, Monday) I felt a bit like I do when I go to the theatre —…
Celebrity triumphs
The licence fee is both a blessing and a curse for the BBC. The clue is in that nickname —…
Battle of the buildings
A rare jewel sits in the middle of the Hyde Park Corner roundabout. The Quadrant Gallery, run by English Heritage,…
High life
Thun ‘Mokusoo!’ All 200 of us already on our knees and sitting on our heels in the Japanese ‘seiza’ position…
Low life
‘How was your journey?’ I said. In summer, the place next door is let to visitors on a weekly basis.…
Real life
‘Piccolo problemo.’ Luigi, the hotel manager, delivered the fateful news as he served me my first lemon soda of the…
Long life
The people of Rome have always liked to believe the worst of their bishop. When I was a correspondent in…
Wild life
Kenya Home is beyond the perimeter of modern Kenya and way off the grid. When the ancient generator goes off…
Bridge
Friday 19 July saw Young Chelsea’s last duplicate at the old premises in Barkston Gardens. And what a swell party…
100 not out
On Monday next week the centenary British Championship commences at the Riviera International Centre in Torquay. The leading contenders are…
No. 276
White to play. This position is from Moiseenko-Pasiev, Fidé World Blitz 2013. White’s next move set up a winning tactic.…
Hatchet job
In Competition 2807 you were invited to submit a hatchet job by a well-known author of your choice on a…
2123: Go on then!
The unclued lights, (one individually, one of two words and three pairs), are of a kind. Across 4…
Solution to 2120: Urban — or what?
The unclued lights are foreign cities, as known in their own countries. First prize Vicky Thomas, Apokoronas, Crete Runners-up …
Royally entertaining
Seeing the royal hack pack in full cry on Monday reminded me of the week I spent with the late…
Can anyone save Aussie cricket?
Insomniacs, invalids and cricket obsessives (step forward yours truly) were probably the only people who stumbled on it, but BBC4…
Dear Mary
Q. I know this seems petty but last year, on our villa holiday, my brother-in-law always took the best chair…
Eating the Shard
What to say about the Shard that isn’t said by the fact it is 1,020 feet high and looks like…
‘Correct names’
In a very rum letter to the Daily Telegraph, the Mother’s Union of all people joined with some other bodies…
Lurching to the right
It’s the great irony of our times: Tony Abbott, derided as being an unpopular opposition leader, is in fact the…
Palace diary
At exactly 9.45 p.m., glasses charged, we stand while a toast is proposed to the Queen. ‘The Queen’, we all…
Australian Notes
More from Poor Peter’s Almanac: Kevin Rudd is disliked by all who know him but is popular on television. Tony…
