BBC
I, Bette Davis
It was called Frankly Speaking and by golly it was. The great screen actress Bette Davis was being interviewed by…
Screen grab
Ever since Boy got back from school my work schedule has fallen to pieces. Every few minutes, just when I’ve…
How to make a political party vanish
The establishment drive to marginalise Ukip has been under way for three months now, and it has having its effect.…
High life
It’s a famous quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one that Elton John should ponder (when he’s not out shopping, that…
The nailbiting run-up to Question Time
I was invited on Question Time this week, which gave me a few sleepless nights. Natalie Bennett’s disastrous interview on…
Anniversary
‘You must promise to be with us for our silver wedding D.V. which will be in four years,’ wrote Queen…
Thatcher’s soap
How EastEnders became a positive reflection of Tory values
Arab spring
Last weekend BBC Arabic celebrated 77 years since John Reith (as he then was) launched the first foreign-language service of…
High life
I had a short chat with BBC radio concerning the actor Jack Nicholson, whom I knew slightly during the Seventies…
Why everyone, and almost no one, is Charlie
Je suis Charlie indeed. This is the problem with placards — there is rarely enough room to fit in the caveats,…
The dangerous lie
Despite what our leaders tell us, Islamic extremism is all about Islam
Great Brittain
Jasper Rees talks to Shirley Williams about the forthcoming screen portrayal of her mother
Filling in the blanks
‘So — take heart,’ said Alan Bennett, sending us out from his play, Cocktail Sticks, on a cheery note. The…
Winning ways
If ever my near-neighbour William Sitwell is killed in a bizarre shooting accident and I end up taking his place…
Sistema’s secrets
An explosive new book uncovers abuse at the heart of one of classical music’s most revered institutions. Damian Thompson investigates
Diary
The most unfashionable show on television, Songs of Praise, has had a makeover. The BBC had apparently discovered that the…
Remember the Negroni Index? At last I’ve found a market that never stops rising
This dispatch comes to you from Venice — where I arrived at sunset on the Orient Express. More of that…
Fashion victim
At a birthday dinner over the weekend I was introduced to this delightful party girl of a certain age whose…
Independence will lead to artistic ‘desecration’
Daniel Jackson foresees an impoverished cultural landscape for an independentScotland, with artists forced to do Salmond’s bidding
Applause for the Beeb’s new leading lady – but did the male runner-up deserve such a kicking?
Hats off to Rona Fairhead, the former Financial Times executive who will succeed Lord Patten as chairman of the BBC…
Clarkson and the case of the cowardly comedian
‘Outspoken comic Frankie Boyle has called on the BBC to sack “cultural tumour” Jeremy Clarkson.’ Can anyone tell me what’s…
Letters
No ban on Lawson Sir: You write that the BBC ‘has effectively banned’ Lord Lawson from items on climate change…
Climatic correctness
Listen to ‘Is climate change a factor in the recent extreme weather?’ on Audioboo It is only a matter of…
Letters
Sugar added tax Sir: Julia Pickles (Letters, 14 June) suggests a sugar tax to combat the obesity epidemic and discourage…
A broadcaster’s notebook
I usually spend most of the week at home in South Devon in front of my computer. But for the…
