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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Kensington Palace, 2017 There’s an old saying that the apple never falls far from the tree. Not true in my case. My father was a working-class Tory and I was a typical young Leftie. We argued about everything. Except the Royal Family. One of my earliest memories of my childhood … Read more
Boris Johnson needs a fool. Indeed, all prime ministers need one — and let’s have no cheap cracks from those who suspect his problem is not an absence of fools but a surplus of them. Nor, God forbid, should we heed the sharp-tongued friend of mine who observed: ‘All Johnson has to do if he’s … Read more
There was one particular stipulation when the BBC asked me to present Mastermind: I must not abandon the catchphrase made famous by my predecessor, Magnus Magnusson. Go on, altogether now: ‘I’ve started… so I’ll finish.’ I agreed. That was 18 years ago. Stepping down: John Humphrys When the present series comes to an end in … Read more
The bigger they are the harder they fall may be true of heavyweight boxers. It’s just as true of distinguished figures in public life. And they don’t come much more distinguished than Lord Sumption. He was a Supreme Court judge with more letters after his name than a postman’s sack. He’s won wide praise for … Read more
The warning came — as life-changing warnings so often do — completely out of the blue. I simply wasn’t ready for it and, anyway, life is scary enough as it is. Ocado has warned that prepared carrots are out of stock. Tesco has issued a similar warning in relation to packs of cauliflower. The significance … Read more
For a moment, I thought I’d finally lost it. Can’t complain, I suppose. A lifetime in journalism is bound to take its toll eventually. But not being able to remember my brother’s name? Or my eldest son’s? You’ll agree that is seriously worrying. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. I’d had an email from NS&I … Read more
Well, that’s scuppered my plans for Christmas. I knew there would be a limit to the number of people I could invite, so I came up with the ripping wheeze of inviting the virus instead of the relatives. All of it. No problem with the seating plan. Some scientists have calculated that the amount of … Read more
A wise columnist should not presume to second guess his readers — if only because they are at least as wise as he is. But enough flattery. I will risk guessing that if you had a vote in Tuesday’s election many of you — perhaps even most — of you would not plump for Trump. … Read more
A wise columnist should not presume to second guess his readers — if only because they are at least as wise as he is. But enough flattery. I will risk guessing that if you had a vote in Tuesday’s election many of you — perhaps even most — of you would not plump for Trump. … Read more
We had been walking for some time when we saw the church. It was awe-inspiring. Not because it had beautiful stained glass or a great spire reaching to the heavens. Quite the opposite. The tower was squat, the windows modest, the render on the stonework flaking away in places. But still as solid as the … Read more