Valentines
From our UK edition
‘Roses are red. Begonias maybe. Hello Hugh Grant. I’m having your baby.’
The Spectator
Thursday
Floods of incompetence – why Chris Smith should resign from the Environment Agency
From our UK edition
[audioplayer src=’http://traffic.libsyn.com/spectator/TheViewFrom22_6_February_2014_v4.mp3′ title=’Fraser Nelson discusses the Environment Agency:’ startat=1350] Listen [/audioplayer]When Prince Charles arrived in Somerset to meet some of those caught up in the disaster which in five weeks has drowned 50 square miles of that county in floodwater, a reporter asked him whether he blamed the Environment Agency. Judiciously, he replied, ‘You may
Spectator letters: Bernard Jenkin and the cabbies fight back, rising school fees, Nigel Lawson on aid
From our UK edition
Private pain Sir: A line in Alec Marsh’s article (‘Britain’s one-child policy’, 1 February) caught my eye; that school fees have ‘almost doubled in the past decade’. I recently found an 1823 bill for an ancestor’s attendance at dame school (broadly equivalent to a prep school) that was approximately £3 a term for full boarding.
Barometer: When Britain was good at the Winter Olympics
From our UK edition
Our first winter Hopes will not be high for a big haul of British medals in Sochi, but we have not always been Cinderellas at winter sports. In the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924 Britain sent 44 competitors, more than any other country, and ended up sixth in the medals, above the host
Portrait of the week: water, water, everywhere
From our UK edition
Home The Somerset Levels continued to wallow in floods. The Environment Agency was widely blamed for not having dredged channels, and for putting the welfare of water voles before flood prevention. Its chairman, Lord Smith of Finsbury, said there were ‘tricky issues of policy and priority: town or country, front rooms or farmland?’ The Prince
Books and Arts – 6 February 2014
From our UK edition
Monday
Michael Gove’s speech on improving schools – full text and audio
From our UK edition
This morning Michael Gove gave a speech at the London Academy of Excellence on improving ‘bog standard’ state schools. Here’s what he said:- listen to ‘Michael Gove’s speech on improving ‘bog standard’ schools’ on Audioboo
Thursday
Queen
From our UK edition
Food 2
From our UK edition
‘They’ll only eat food the government wants to ban.’
Cats 2
From our UK edition
‘Ugh! Have you seen the number of cats on the internet?’
Balls 2
From our UK edition
‘Oh great — now nobody’s going to believe this happened.’
Omg 2
From our UK edition
Attraction
From our UK edition
‘Opposites attract.’
Neighbourhood
From our UK edition
House 2
From our UK edition
‘It’s a general rule of thumb for this part of London — if you can’t read the “for sale” sign you can’t afford the house.’
Smoking 4
From our UK edition
‘You’ve been smoking, haven’t you? Your clothes reek of fresh air.’
Frack 2
From our UK edition
Kiev
From our UK edition
Duel
From our UK edition
Saatchi vs Taki duel
Florist
From our UK edition
‘I want you to be open and honest and to not leave any hairs on the couch.’
