Purr
The Spectator
Thursday
Spectator letters: PPE, Biblical bishops and Pamela Hansford Johnson
Degrees of ability Sir: Nick Cohen has written an amusing piece on PPE (‘Crash course’, 27 September), marred by lazy journalism. I never said that Cameron was ‘my ablest pupil’, an impossible judgment to make. What I said was that he was ‘one of my ablest pupils’. He was also, incidentally, one of the nicest. And I
Don’t worry Brooks Newmark: paisley was sexy once…
Paisley power Paisley pyjamas were in the news. While associated with the town in Renfrewshire, whose mills produced the patterns from 1805, what we know as paisley was first popularised in France thanks to its part in the courtship between the power couple of the day: Napoleon and Josephine. — While stationed in Egypt in 1798 he sent her a
Portrait of the week | 2 October 2014
Home The Commons, having been specially recalled, passed, by 524 votes to 43, a motion supporting ‘the use of UK air strikes to support Iraqi, including Kurdish, security forces’ efforts against Isil in Iraq’. Only after four days did RAF Tornados from Akrotiri in Cyprus find some targets in Iraq to bomb. In support of
Britain doesn’t need hateful laws to defeat hate preachers
If the Labour party conference in Manchester felt like a funeral, the Conservatives’ gathering in Birmingham had the air of a wedding. It had jazz bands, champagne bars and a near-universal mood of celebration — which is odd, given that every opinion poll and bookmaker reckons the Tories are on course to lose power next year.
Books and arts – 2 October 2014
Podcast: naked selfies, happy Tories and divorced Catholics
Why is everyone obsessed with taking naked photos of themselves? From celebrities to politicians, people can’t seem to stop taking explicit ‘selfies’. It’s the ultimate expression of our increasingly puerile and narcissistic society, says Rod Liddle in this week’s issue. Rod joins Freddy Gray on this week’s podcast, along with Maria Miller MP, the former
The Spectator at war: Slow and steady
From The Spectator, 3 October 1914: Quick results must not be expected. It must be remembered that in military as in political affairs it is a comparatively easy task to prophesy, but in both cases the prophets are always apt to have much too ambitious a time-table. Events which are expected to happen in a
From the archives | 2 October 2014
From ‘Voluntary and compulsory service’, The Spectator, 3 October 1914: We do not suggest that the voluntary principle should be abandoned during this war. The system is being worked for all it is worth; it is answering well, thanks to the splendid spirit of the country; and it would be absurd to change it mid-way
Wednesday
David Cameron’s speech to the Conservative conference – full text and audio
listen to ‘David Cameron’s speech to the Conservative conference’ on audioBoom
The Spectator at war: Birthday wishes
From The Spectator, 3 October 1914: All Britain and all the Empire have during the week been congratulating Lord Roberts on his eighty-second birthday. His vigour, physical, intellectual, and moral, is marvellous. In spite of his years, he is able to give an enormous deal of help to the nation in its need. His suggestion
Tuesday
Theresa May’s speech on terrorism and extremism – full text and audio
Our values will prevail in the fight against terrorism and extremism Thank you, Alexander, for that thoughtful and inspiring speech. listen to ‘Theresa May’s speech on terrorism and extremism’ on audioBoom It’s difficult for most of us here in this hall to really appreciate the effects of stop and search. You see, most of us
The Spectator at war: The ‘butcher’s bill’
From The Spectator, 3 October 1914: There has been a good deal of speculation of late as to the total sum of German casualties. It is clear that they are very much greater than the official returns acknowledge. The best way to estimate them is by our own. These, since the beginning of the war,
Monday
The Spectator at war: German courage and tenacity
From The Spectator, 3 October 1914: THERE is no great change to be chronicled in the western theatre of the war. The Germans still stick with splendid courage and tenacity to their trenches, but the counter-attacks by which they are defending themselves have none of them succeeded. It is true that they have inflicted great
Podcast: George Osborne’s conference speech
Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth were both at George Osborne’s speech this afternoon. Here’s a special podcast, with analysis of the speech and a look at what else we might expect from this year’s conference: listen to ‘Podcast special: George Osborne’s speech’ on audioBoom
Sunday
The Spectator at war: A ‘five-footers’ regiment
From The Spectator, 26 September 1914: [TO THE EDITOR OF THE ” SPECTATOR.”] SIR,—Devon recruiters are in despair at the raising of the standard of height to 5 ft. 6 in., for the average height of our West Country men is apparently low. To the non-military mind it seems difficult to understand why the man of
Saturday
The Spectator at war: Aids to recruiting
From The Spectator, 26 September 1914: [TO THE EDITOR of THE “SPECTATOR.”] Sir,—I am having put up in our parish church a brass on which is inscribed the names of all parishioners who are serving in the present war. A space will be left after each name in which the fortune of the parishioner can be
Friday
The Spectator at war: How it strikes the soldier
From The Spectator, 26 September 1914: One knew, of course, perfectly well that there was a very good feeling between men and officers in the British Army, and that there was a great deal of mutual respect and liking and good fellowship. What is very moving, however, is the belief that every soldier seems to
Thursday
Hell 2
‘Frankly, the last 666 years have been hell.’
