social distancing
Barometer
At Redwall Abbey Does fiction provide any guide as to the ultimate fate of Labour’s Red Wall? — Redwall Abbey…
Real life
The girl in the posh soap shop put her right arm out, palm flat in my face, and shouted: ‘Stand…
The turf
Fortunately for me and the politicians we entertained over my years covering the darkest profession, Mrs Oakley didn’t do a…
Real life
‘Please be aware there is now a Covid surcharge,’ I told the builder boyfriend one morning, as we discussed the…
Dear Mary
Q. On my way to Devon recently I stopped for lunch with an impeccably mannered friend. He produced first crab…
There’s nothing ‘wild’ about elopement
I didn’t realise how attached I was to the traditional British wedding — the whole messy, pricey, drunken business —…
Dear Mary
Q. Our daughter is going ahead with her wedding despite the restriction on guest numbers. Although it is a relief…
Real life
We went on our first outing, to the beach at Littlehampton, but I’m not sure it was as stress-relieving as…
High Life
Gstaad So the days — and months — drift by. This once peaceful Alpine town is packed with rich refugees…
Real life
The spaniel curled up in her basket with one of my shoes, one of his socks and a packet of…
Tech to plug in to while you’re self-isolating
For the past 12 years, Roger Alton and I have shared this half page like Box and Cox: he writes…
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Q. Our son and his girlfriend have announced their engagement and we are delighted with his choice. Our problem is…
Below the crisis, a question floats: ‘Where do we find purpose?’
Perhaps we are at least past the beginning of this crisis. The phase where the hunt for multipacks of loo-rolls…
