Society

Thursday

Toby Young Toby Young

If you want a Boris backer, book me

The changing of the guard at 10 Downing Street always creates opportunities for the commentariat. I don’t just mean it gives them something to talk about for the next week or two; it also provides a chance for reinvention and renewal. Suppose you have been a relentless critic of Brexit for the past three years, convinced the British public made a catastrophic mistake. You’ve been pushing that line day in, day out, whether reviewing the papers for Marr or as a panellist on Politics Live. And let’s face it, you’re a little bit bored of hearing these same arguments coming out of your mouth. Well, the good news is, you

Mary Killen

Your problems solved | 25 July 2019

Q. It was 10 p.m. by the time the canapés appeared and by then it was already too late. The well-oiled guests, including many old friends, were not drawn from the widest gene pool; many of the men had been to ‘school’ and there was a large Oxbridge contingent, of which I was one. I was doing my best to amuse an attractive woman while my wife’s back was turned when the spouse of a well-known Guardian journalist cut me off mid-flow. ‘You’ve come up!’ she declared, apropos of absolutely nothing. ‘You’ve come up a long way, haven’t you?’ It is true that I grew up in an unfashionable part

Melissa Kite

Real life | 25 July 2019

‘Ah well, it can’t be helped,’ said the builder boyfriend. I call people who talk like that civilians. Nut jobs like me can’t process misfortune in such a way. He shouted and screamed for two days about the accident and then he just got over it. ‘Ah well, it can’t be helped,’ he said, after telling me his insurance company was accepting liability. ‘Hang on a minute,’ I said. ‘Before you take the blame for the whole thing, you did tell them a police car drove the wrong way down the street, the car in front of you slammed on its brakes and you went into the back of them?

Peter Jones

A recipe for comedy

Hardly a week goes by without a cook — sorry, chef — going bananas about the desecration of his hallowed ‘art’ by food reviewers, whose status is now so elevated that there is even a prize for budding initiates in the half-baked genre. Ancient comedians and satirists endlessly mocked cooks’ sense of their own magnificence. Cooks in Greek comedy always regarded themselves as supreme experts. A comic cook explained to the man who had hired him: ‘The complete cook is made on a wholly different level. He is an artist, a geometer and a doctor. This enables him to discover a fish’s true potential.’ Another cook instructed his pupils in

Lavatch

2418: Sweet

Unclued lights are of a kind, including one of two words, all listed in Chambers or Oxford (the required spelling of 12 across is given by both dictionaries). One clued light can be rearranged to form a possible two-word description of each unclued light and must be highlighted. Across 1    A certain confusion with church garment (8, hyphened) 8    Went back exhibiting profundity (4) 16    Dancer’s perhaps losing one without right performers (9) 17    Lean meat, game from the east (7) 22    Native Americans nearly get lost (4) 23    Unknown German crew turning on sailor (7) 25    Cherry drink knocked back in hardship (6) 26    Covers of special registers (7)

Edmund West

Great and small

‘I’m not going to your place, it looks like a crack den.’ It’s not exactly a vote of confidence when your mother describes your home that way. Admittedly, the bedsit I have lived in for ten years is tiny. There is no central heating. The white blinds have faded to yellow. It’s not much good for house parties: I could fit four people, five if I sat between the sink and the microwave. However, I would like to defend living in bedsits. Whenever I hear people complaining about housing in London, I wonder whether they have considered a bedsit. I’m autistic and work as a part-time carer, but even on

The Spectator

to 2415: The Limit

The word was ‘pale’, suggested by PEELIE-WALLY (1A) and the title, which, with changes to its FIRST VOWEL (7D/33), becomes ‘Pele’ (suggested by VOLCANO GODDESS (22/27)), ‘pile’ (LOADSAMONEY (41)), ‘pole’ (STANG (31)) and ‘pule’ (WHINE (10)). PALE (in the ninth column) was to be shaded. A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 12 August. There are two runners- up prizes of £20. (UK solvers can choose to receive the latest edition of the Chambers dictionary instead of cash — ring the word ‘dictionary’.) Entries to: Crossword 2418, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery. First prize

The Spectator

Winemaker Lunches – 2019 dates

Join us in the boardroom at 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP for the following Spectator Winemaker Lunches where a delicious, cold four-course lunch provided by Forman & Field will be served; arrive at 12.30pm for a 1pm start. To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Friday 6 September: Journey’s End  Since the Shropshire-based Gabb family took over Journey’s End in 1995, the estate has grown greatly in both size and reputation. The warm days/cool nights of the coastal Schapenberg Hills of Stellenbosch, the low yields and the sustainable approach to winemaking produce exquisite wines. Join winemaker Mike Dawson (on his first trip to the UK) as he takes us

The Spectator

Winemaker’s Lunch with Château de Pommard – Friday 11 October

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 11 October for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Château de Pommard. Château de Pommard – founded in 1726 in the heart of the Côte d’Or and now owned by the Carabello-Baum family – is the largest private Clos in Burgundy. Château de Pommard produces some truly incomparable red and white burgundies and, in the company of brand ambassador Olivier Bouchard, we will taste many examples which are likely to include the Meursault, Echezaux, Clos Marey Monge and the great Corton Charlemagne itself. This promises to be a wonderful occasion and we encourage you to book

The Spectator

Winemaker’s Lunch with Glenelly Estate – Friday 25 October

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 25 October for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Glenelly Estate. Glenelly Estate in Stellenbosch is an outstanding winery, founded by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing (former owner of Château Pichon-Lalande) in 2003. Export director, Nicolas Bureau (Mme de Lencquesaing’s grandson) will take us through a mouth-watering selection of the estate’s wines, including the Glass Collection Chardonnay, the Glenelly Estate Reserve Chardonnay, the Glass Collection Shiraz and the stunning, flagship wine: Lady May. This promises to be a wonderful occasion and we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. For more on Glenelly Estate visit glenellyestate.com/ Friday 25

The Spectator

Winemaker Lunches with Joseph Phelps Vineyards – Friday 8 November

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 8 November for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Joseph Phelps is a name to conjure with in California and under the expert tutelage of export director, Robert Baxter, we will enjoy the winery’s Freestone Chardonnay, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Freestone Pinot Noir, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the remarkable, highly sought-after Bordeaux blend that is Joseph Phelps Insignia, the first ever so-called icon wine of California, whose first vintage was 1973. This promises to be a wonderful occasion and we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. For more on Joseph

The Spectator

Winemaker Lunches with Domaine Léon Beyer – Friday 15 November

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 15 November for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Domaine Léon Beyer. The gregarious patron, Marc Beyer, a titan of Alsace winemaking, is coming to London specially to host this lunch, bringing with him a fine selection of the Beyer family’s world class single varietal bottlings including their celebrated Comtes d’Eguisheim cuvées and elegant Crémant d’Alsace. Marc will also talk us through his oenological philosophy and rich family history in the region dating back to 1580. This promises to be a wonderful occasion and we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. For more on Domaine

The Spectator

Winemaker’s Lunch with Château Grand-Puy Ducasse and Château Meyney – Friday 22 November

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 22 November for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Château Grand-Puy Ducasse and Château Meyney. Château Grand-Puy Ducasse (5ème Grand Cru Classé Pauillac) and Château Meyney (St Estèphe) are two of the most familiar names of Bordeaux and we are indeed fortunate to welcome Anne La Neour director of the estates’ owners, CA Grands Crus, to our boardroom to host this lunch. Anne will talk us through the intricacies of Bordeaux as we enjoy several fine vintages from these much-loved and perennially great value estates. This promises to be a wonderful occasion and we encourage you

The Spectator

Beermaker’s Lunch with Timothy Taylor’s Brewery – Friday 29 November

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 29 November for the next in our series of Spectator Beermaker Lunches with Timothy Taylor’s Brewery. Timothy Taylor is one of the UK’s most celebrated brewers, founded in Keighley, West Yorkshire, in 1858 and still family owned. Best known for its Landlord Pale Ale (four times Champion Beer of Britain), Timothy Taylor’s range includes Boltmaker Best Bitter and the brand new Knowle Spring Blonde. Guests will enjoy these and many others over lunch whilst learning more about British beer in general and Timothy Taylor’s in particular. This promises to be a wonderful occasion and we encourage you to book early

The Spectator

Winemaker’s Lunch with Domaine of the Bee – Friday 6 December

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 6 December for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Domaine of the Bee. Domaine of the Bee is a boutique wine estate in Languedoc-Roussillon (‘a tiny producer of enormous reds’) founded by Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, former wine buyer for Waitrose, his wife Amanda and Philippe Sacerdot. The wines are highly prized and Justin will introduce us to his English fizz, Hart of Gold as well as the 2018 Field of the Bee Blanc, 2018 Bee Pink, 2017 Bee-side Grenache and the mighty 2017 Domaine of the Bee Côtes du Roussillon Villages. This promises to be a

The Spectator

Winemaker’s Lunch with Château Quintus – Friday 13 December

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 13 December for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Château Quintus. Château Quintus is an exceptional estate in Saint-Emilion owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon, in whose portfolio it rubs shoulders with Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Clarendelle. In the company of estate manager, Francois Capdemourlin, readers will enjoy Clarendelle Blanc followed by the 2015 Le Dragon de Quintus, the 2011 and 2015 Château Quintus and, finally, the delectably sweet 2015 Clarendelle Amberwine. This promises to be a wonderful occasion and we encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. For

The Spectator

Winemaker’s Lunch with Bodegas Artadi – Friday 27 September

To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop. Join us in the Spectator boardroom on Friday 27 September for the next in our series of Spectator Winemaker Lunches with Bodegas Artadi. Bodegas Artadi dates from 1981 when Juan Carlos López de Lacalle, his family and 13 other growers founded the estate in Alava in the heart of Spain’s Basque country. Today, the company owns vineyards in Laguardia, Navarra and Alicante and produces extraordinary organic Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) wines with minimal intervention. Will Dennison of Pol Roger Portfolio, the UK’s exclusive distributor of Bodegas Artadi, will lead us as we discover why Artadi is one of the most talked about wineries in all Spain. This promises

Roger Alton Roger Alton

What does the future hold for cricket?

The name Cameron Delport might not be immediately familiar, but his exploits last week could mean more for the future of cricket than the electrifying events of the World Cup final. Delport is a burly, well-inked British-South African from Durban, and a few days ago he smacked 129 off just 49 balls to steer Essex to victory over Surrey in their T20 Blast encounter at Chelmsford. More specifically, at the Cloudfm County Ground; once the home of Graham Gooch, Keith Fletcher and Nasser Hussain, now happily sponsored by a facilities management business. (I don’t really know what that means either, but it’s what the ‘fm’ stands for. Not a radio

Mark Palmer

London City Airport

The late Frank Johnson — former editor of The Spectator — had a thing about London City Airport. ‘I never want to fly from anywhere else,’ he would say, often after returning from Germany, a country he loved, not least because of its Wagner connections. He was right, of course. Even today, more than 30 years since its official opening, flying out of City is a completely different experience from any other airport in the UK. Size matters, of course. It’s merely the 14th busiest airport in the UK, just ahead of Leeds Bradford and below East Midlands. It only has one 1,500-metre runway and the terminal has a distinctly