From ‘Literature and Soliders’, The Spectator, 19 June 1915: In this war some of the most moving poetry has been written by young soldiers. The most vivid accounts of fighting have been extracted from soldiers’ letters. These were certainly not written with- out a close companionship with letters. We wonder how many torn and thumbed
From ‘News of the Week’, The Spectator, 19 June 1915: In the British section of the western theatre of war our troops have taken the offensive to the west of La Bassée and to the east of Ypres. In the La Bassée district on Tuesday evening they won several trenches, but these trenches were retaken
From ‘Longs and Shorts’, The Spectator, 12 June 1915: Names of things in constant use should never be too long. The cinematograph has inevitably dwindled into the “cinema,” while young America calls these shows the “movies.” But the passion for polysyllables, though considerably abated, has not died out of the Press. (How could it, when
From ‘Convalescents—Some Portraits’, The Spectator, 12 June 1915: No. 12. hardly spoke any French. He was very fat, middle-aged, and placid, his face perfectly round, and his whole form almost spherical. A farthing and a penny and two matches could be arranged to form an excellent representation of his silhouette. We discovered that he was
From ‘The Industrial Reserve’, The Spectator, 12 June 1915: The Industrial Reserve (227 Strand, W.C.), which was started eight weeks ago, and has already placed over nine hundred men in useful employment, directly or indirectly concerned with war work. These men are for the most part drawn from classes who do not ordinarily come into
‘So, what have you been up to on your phone?’
‘Wow! I can’t believe we’re meeting the actual tooth fairy.’
‘Do you have one that’s much more feminine?
Woad rage
‘We’re beach body ready.’
‘It’s every young girl’s dream — to divorce a millionaire.’
‘I’m not sure — it’s either your mother or a cold-caller....’
The long arm of the FBI Sir: The White House may be less willing than it was to play the role of the world’s policeman in international affairs, but the FBI seems eager to be the world’s cop. No doubt, as Martin Vander Weyer has noted (Any other business, 6 May), the US Attorney General
Forty years on The forthcoming EU referendum has rekindled memories of the in-out Common Market referendum of 1975. But it seems a strange looking-glass world now. — Mrs Thatcher was a keen ‘yes’ campaigner, sporting a jumper with the flags of EC member states. Neil Kinnock campaigned for a British exit. The SNP and Plaid
David Cameron is now facing the biggest challenge of his leadership: how to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the EU without destroying his party. His dilemma mirrors the situation of Harold Wilson 40 years ago this month. So far, the old Labour man looks the better strategist. Wilson, who had a majority of three, avoided mass
