A brother’s suffering
My brother David died recently in the care of the NHS. His death was not their fault: no one can do anything about bone cancer except alleviate the pain. Which… Read more
The Nile in style
I guess Oberoi, in choosing the décor for Zahra, their five-star Nile cruiser, toyed with thoughts of ancient Egypt, or more recent arabesques, bling and filigree. Or Bedouin tents and… Read more
Afloat in France
How does being handed a glass of fizz as you step onto your private boat sound? Or loafing on deck while rural France drifts by? How does being handed… Read more
Pay attention at the back of the class, Mr Balls
When I first met John Abbott 20 years ago he told me a story: as a young teacher at the prestigious Manchester Grammar School he had led several expeditions of… Read more
A Cook’s Christmas
The opening scene in Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It has our heroine distressing supermarket mince pies with a rolling pin in the hope that other parents… Read more
Prue Leith
How many novels do I have to write before reviewers stop saying ‘surprisingly good for a cook’? A friend says tartly that it’s a bit rich to complain — I… Read more

