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Saturday 22 November 2008

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The latest culture as recommended by our staff

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Last time we observed that Greeks and Romans saw advantages in making citizenship exclusive. But while we long to be dreamily inclusive (as Lib Dems have argued), ethnic, religious and other barriers seem to stand in the way. The Romans can help us.

The turf

Robin Oakley

26th September, 2007

‘Any fool can get a horse fit to run,’ I have been told by many a trainer. ‘It’s getting inside their minds that counts.’

Spectator Sport

Frank Keating

26th September, 2007

Even before the last splurge of qualifying group games are played in rugby union’s World Cup, consensus agrees the tournament has already turned into a calamity for the four from the British Isles.

Television and me: whatever it is, the answer's yes

Toby Young

19th September, 2007

Being a journalist, sooner or later, you’ll get a call asking if you want to be in a reality show.

Gardens

Ursula Buchan

19th September, 2007

It is more than 40 years since the foundation of the Garden History Society signalled that the study of the history of gardens and designed landscapes had become an important subject in its own right, instead of being simply an optional add-on to the study of historic buildings.

High life

Taki

19th September, 2007

One tends to do a lot of reading on board a boat while sailing far from the madding yobs.

Low life

Jeremy Clarke

19th September, 2007

The gym attendant is giving me private boxing lessons for ten quid an hour.

Spectator sport

Frank Keating

19th September, 2007

Spectator readers Alan Magid and Timothy Straker were quick on the draw (Letters, 25 August, 8 September) to champion Mike by P.G. Wodehouse in a matey reproach to Robert Stewart’s assertion in his review of Baseball Haiku (Books, 18 August) that there had never been a significant cricket novel.

Your problems solved

Mary Killen

19th September, 2007

I work in an office where the loo is shared by three separate professions — all rather civilised ones, at that.

Heaven and hell

Mary Wakefield

19th September, 2007

6.57 a.m. I wake up three minutes before the alarm is due to go off, aware that I have slept badly: dipping in and out of consciousness.

Winter wonderland

Stanley Johnson

19th September, 2007

At the beginning of 1984 — more than 23 years ago — I was lucky enough to be invited by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to join its research and supply vessel, the John Biscoe, on a six-week trip to Antarctica.

A mean time in Greenwich

Christian House

19th September, 2007

At 17, Truman Capote ‘just wanted to get out of Greenwich and get to New York’.

Going walkabout

James Leith

19th September, 2007

Court, non-residents were only allowed access to the four ‘public’ beaches as the guest of a resident.

Elias calling

Rosemary Behan

19th September, 2007

Inside Russia

Clover Stroud

19th September, 2007

Churchill described Russia as a ‘riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’.

The turf

Robin Oakley

12th September, 2007

Former US champion jockey Eddie Arcaro has entered the new Oxford Dictionary of Quotations with his comment, ‘When a jockey retires he becomes just another little man.’

Motoring

Alan Judd

12th September, 2007

Depreciation is to cars what compound interest is to us: it bites sooner and deeper than you think.

High life

Taki

12th September, 2007

I simply can’t understand why so many Greek women resemble Scandinavians. Everywhere I look there are blondes — fat blondes, short blondes, hairy blondes, but blondes nevertheless.

Low life

Jeremy Clarke

12th September, 2007

She lay on her side and watched the people coming and going from the tented stalls and music stages.

Letter from Arcadia

Roy Hattersley

12th September, 2007

I should not have been surprised to discover that The Spectator has a profound influence on village life — a happy state of affairs which was illustrated last Friday evening immediately before the start of our junior fell races.