Words change the thing. Kingsley Amis said that. He’s an author of diminishing influence, a mid-century comic novelist who delivers much less potency and insight than his son Martin – something that would annoy him, by all accounts. The late Kingsley Amis... See more
Look, don’t worry. It MIGHT be all right after all. You know a week or two ago when you were waist-deep in yet another box of Celebrations, when you felt inflated, slightly touched by gluttonous guilt, and then you hit the cheese again? Right then you sai... See more
The next 12 months, it’s about dwarf aubergines. Just stick them there, beside the chilli plant centrepiece. Mind your head on the baby cucumber hanging basket as you come in. Flowers are very 2025. In 2026, stand down the spiky gladiola, forget the strug... See more
Gordon Brown’s commitment to tackling poverty, especially poverty impacting children, is manifest. His route since leaving Downing Street in 2010 has not been conventional. As an ex-PM, chancellor, and the man whose leadership saved the world from financi... See more
As I was walking past a coffee shop in Central London last week, I saw my old pal Barry McIlhenney inside. In the brief moment I glanced through, I could see he was, in typical fashion, holding court. I was in a real hurry and thought I’d catch him on the... See more
