Life

High life

Name dropping | 10 April 2010

New York In the 45 years I spent going to Annabel’s I never once heard anyone say, ‘Let’s go to Birley’s.’ It was Annabel’s or Harry’s, or Mark’s, but never Birley’s. Now I read that Richard Caring, the man who bought Mark Birley’s joints, is trying to stop Robin Birley, Mark’s only son, from using

Low life

Down memory lane

Joe always went ‘potty’ when there was snow on the ground, said Marjory. He would clamour at the back door to be let out to play in it, and once outside he’d rush around in frenzied circles, barking at it. Not that it snowed much during his lifetime, she added. Twice, she thinks. But each

Real life

Taking control

As so often, the commuters of Cobham were treated to the sight of me disappearing down Old Lane on the back of a reversing horse. There is always a rational explanation for this behaviour, and on this occasion the horse was impressing on me that she didn’t much fancy going to Effingham Common today, thanks

Dear Mary

Dear Mary | 10 April 2010

Q. Before going into hospital for an eye operation, a good friend asked me if she could do anything to help when I came out. I thought this was a very kind gesture but I am now back at home and have not heard a word from her. Should I ignore this as pure forgetfulness

Mind your language

Mind your language | 10 April 2010

A couple of weeks ago Gordon Brown’s people in Brussels insisted on changing the translation of a communiqué so that, instead of speaking of ‘economic government’ by the European Council, it declared ‘that the European Council must improve the economic governance of the EU, and we propose to increase its role in economic surveillance’. A