Miscellaneous

In Competition No. 3141, you were invited to submit a song we can sing instead of ‘Happy Birthday’ during hand-washing. Congratulations all round: this challenge produced a cheering entry — funny, varied and drawing inspiration from far and wide; from the Knack’s ‘My Sharona’ to the Hokey-Cokey. Commendations to David Silverman, Frank Upton and Nick Syrett. The winners earn £25 each. And now the peak is near, So wash your hands with soap and water. My friends, I’ll say it clear, We wash our hands because we oughta. We’ve lived a life that’s free With many friends who all desire us; But now it’s time to kill Coronavirus.   We

Bridge is obviously another casualty of the coronavirus. Clubs have closed their doors; tournaments have been cancelled; championships have been postponed. Safety, of course, comes first. But for many of us, the prospect of life without the constant challenge and stimulation of the game, or the companionship of our fellow players, is pretty miserable. There is a silver lining, though: we can still play and practise online. In fact, I intend to do a lot of it — especially bidding with my regular partners. Thank God for BBO (Bridge Base Online)! To keep our bridge brains sharp, we can also browse through BBO’s Vugraph archives and re-live the action of

We’ve teamed up with Spectator Life’s Best Coastal Hotels to offer our valued subscribers the chance to WIN a limited edition ‘edible garden’ Beatrix Potter-inspired afternoon tea available until 31st March. With beautiful character inspired options for both grown-ups and little ones worth £25 per adult and £12.50 per child. Perfect for Mother’s Day, winning aside! ‍ Teas will be served at your choice of the following Luxury Family Hotels’ properties: · Fowey Hall Hotel, Fowey, Cornwall (as featured in Spectator Life’s article) · Moonfleet Manor, Dorset (also featured in Spectator Life’s article) · New Park Manor, New Forest · The Ickworth, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk · Woolley Grange Hotel, Bradford-on-Avon

Today The Spectator launches a new website, designed to showcase its world-class journalism, popular podcast channels and 24/7 news coverage and commentary. The website has been designed in advance of our 10,000th issue, as The Spectator – the oldest magazine in the word – becomes the first publication in history to reach this milestone The issue, which goes on sale on 23 April – St George’s Day – will look back on our 192-year history as well as mark the start of a new digital era. The website’s redesign pays tribute to the print magazine, while modernising our look and feel to showcase the variety of what The Spectator produces.

In the 1800s, several chess matches were conducted by telegraph. Modern technology ought to make long-distance matches easier than ever, but in fact competitive international chess is almost always played in person these days. That is partly because it is impossible to police computer-assisted cheating if the players play at home. But equally, the practical barriers to travel are (usually) much fewer in the modern age. But prominent chess players (especially in the days of the USSR) have often had to negotiate political obstacles. Shohreh Bayat, from Iran, was in Shanghai in January for the first leg of the Women’s World Championship, where she was the chief arbiter — one