Books and arts – 9 April 2015
The Spectator
Thursday
Before Dad’s Army
From ‘Our Home Guards’, The Spectator, 10 April 1915: There is nothing of the national picnic; or of playing at soldiers about the Home Guards. Those who enter the corps mean business, and not a good time in the open air under a series of military aliases. Some of the special features of the movement are
Wednesday
The Spectator at war: Righting wrong
From ‘News of the Week’, The Spectator, 10 April 1915: With much satisfaction we record that Mrs. Johnson, formerly of Redhill and now of Old Town, Croydon, has been awarded by the Home Office £500 compensation for eighteen months’ wrongful imprisonment. This unhappy woman was wrongly convicted in October, 1912, and July, 1913, of writing
Tuesday
As it happened: Scottish leaders’ debate
Welcome to The Spectator’s live coverage of the Scottish leaders’ debate on STV. We’ll be providing the latest developments and analysis on the programme, starting at 8pm this evening. This page will automatically reloadd
The Spectator at war: Three month suspension
From ‘A Possible Compromise’, The Spectator, 10 April 1915: If the Government have not the courage to adopt total prohibition, then we reluctantly suggest the following plan. Let the Cabinet adopt the policy of the suspension of the sale of all intoxicants for three months—say from April 20th till July 20th. Such suspension would cover
Thursday
Serene
‘Kids today don’t know the meaning of the word “serene”.’
Phone 8
‘It’s the latest must-nick phone.’
Bunter
‘It’s about this normally sized boy at a school full of weirdly thin people.’
Spider Letter
‘In the old days he used to talk to me.’
Easter Egg
‘I unwrapped the packaging and it was empty.’
Children 2
‘I’ve left the children to their own devices.’
Barry
‘Oh, come on, Barry! A lettuce and a sliced loaf on the way back wasn’t too much to remember.’
Cock Crow
‘You forgot to put the cocks forward.’
Windows 2
‘It’s about these stained-glass windows that were put in last week...’
Emoticons
‘I hate it when he uses emoticons.’
Ar
‘It’s been in my possession ever since I mugged the little old lady queuing up with it outside.’
Cooks 2
Why, gentlemen, contrary to popular belief…’
Coins 2
‘It’s a horde of Anglo-Saxon coins.’