The strength of Coffee House lies in the quality of the arguments which follow our posts. Journalism today is about starting a conversation with readers, something we at The Spectator firmly believe in.
So on Wednesday, we invited 250 subscribers around for a cup of tea. We have a wonderful garden here at 22 Old Queen St, overlooking St James’ Park. We served up sandwiches and tea (courtesy of the East India Company) and listened to our readers’ likes, loves and dislikes. A few questions kept recurring. Is Dear Mary a real person? Yes, Mary Killen is very real – as is her mailbag. She even organises writers’ trips in exotic places now and again: when I grow up, I aspire to join her. When Jeremy Clarke opens his Low Life column describing waking up drunk on the pavement in Leicester Square, is he using artistic license? Nope.
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