The true villains of our TV crime dramas? The creators
Idly watching the first episode of a TV crime drama series recently, I found myself in a slightly troubled frame…
The House of Lords’ Valkyries fighting for assisted suicide
It seems counter-intuitive to say that the House of Lords is more representative than the House of Commons. Yet in…
‘Pray your boilers don’t fail’: the Church of England is in the grip of eco-zealots
It came to pass in 2020 that a decree went out from the General Synod that all the Church of…
2733: Balancing Act – solution
To CREATE an EQUATION from the PUZZLE NUMBER, INTRODUCE an EQUALS SIGN and RAISE a SINGLE DIGIT. By following this…
Spectator Competition: Dear John
For Competition 3443 you were invited to submit a dear John letter in the style of a well-known writer. The…
Am I a libertarian after all?
I have never been the greatest fan of libertarianism as a political ideology. Libertarians seem to me to be the…
Cocklebarrow gives Cheltenham a run for its money
The second-best day of the year is finally here. Obviously, nothing beats the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival –…
The poisonous truth about British universities
This week it became clear that almost none of the adults whose job it is to teach students the truth…
My house is devouring me (and my relationship)
The panic of another season bore down on me as the builder boyfriend painted the breakfast room with the green…
The secret life of my friend Evelyn
Provence It’s difficult to believe that Evelyn will be 90 in a few months’ time. I’ve known her for more…
The rise of toxic femininity
At the end of last year, the government announced a programme designed to tackle the radicalisation of young men in…
Heaven is an Airfix Spitfire
Last weekend, I sat in my kitchen to build and paint an Airfix model. I’d experimented before with mindful colouring…
The five Haldanean principles that could reshape Britain
If Reform get into government, there is one man they seem likely to turn to for guidance. He is an…
