Family
Viking invasion
How the import of Danish sperm has become big business
Why Britain needs more marriage
Hungary is something of a bête noire in the international community. Viktor Orban and his government have had much-deserved condemnation…
One to spare
Why I donated my kidney
My Icelandic holiday with Kevin and Perry
I’m currently on holiday in Iceland. I say ‘holiday’, but I’m with my three teenage sons so it’s more like…
Blood lines
Where does a mother’s history end and a daughter’s begin?
Parenting matters. It’s about time we were brave enough to say so
The Duchess of Cambridge has been out and about hosting roundtables with very important people, discussing what can be done…
The good friend I never knew
I have just read an extraordinary new book. It’s by a close and old pal whom I’d count as one…
We love you Rangers, we do
Normal families spend the Easter holidays by the seaside or in the Mediterranean. But not the Youngs. My three boys…
Low life
‘I love this old watering can,’ said my sister, sprinkling the miniature rose. ‘Though I do worry about soaking Mum.…
Sib
I never cared much for the word sibling, though I hardly knew why. The reason must be that it was…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. My husband has developed an irksome habit whenever he goes abroad without me. We have cameras outside the house…
My three straight weeks of saintliness
I’m currently standing at the top of Brownie Point Mountain, having spent the past two weeks looking after our three…
Finding a voice
Howard Jacobson, who turns 80 this year, published his first novel aged 40. Since then he has produced roughly a…
Wild life
Malindi, the Indian Ocean When I lived in Jerusalem a long time ago, I often visited the Church of the…
Small matters
The difficulties of downsizing
Mum, Dad and the migrant question
A friend, a Cambridge professor, passing my old college last week, was startled to encounter a young lady standing outside…
The stolen children
My family still bears the scars of the forced adoption scandal
In good faith
Why I’m bribing my daughter to get confirmed
The Spectator’s Notes
Rarely does a piece of journalism bring a tear to my normally cynical eye, but I did find this happening…
Barometer
Drinks at the palace The Queen was reported to have given up regular drinking. What do we know about her…
My nightmare weekend of deer and dogs
Caroline and I are just back from a weekend break in Scotland and, nice though it was, I hadn’t realised…
Born again
The rise of the secular godparent
My marital own goal
The fighting started just as Caroline turned right on to the Uxbridge Road after emerging from QPR’s stadium on Loftus…
Writer’s notebook
When, three years ago, I announced my retirement from writing fiction, the only thing that surprised me was the surprise…
The sorry state of the modern apology
I think I would like to apologise for this article in case someone who reads it takes offence. I will…
