Cruise
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‘I told you my pension pot would pay for a cruise.’
The Spectator
Thursday
Letters | 18 October 2012
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Testing faith Sir: I can sympathise with Melissa Kite’s concern over her friend’s apparently unconsidered marital conversion (‘Till faith do us part’, 13 October), but I wonder whether her panic at the idea of thousands of secular or nominal Christians converting for love is justified. Yes, it is easy to become a Muslim, while an
Politics of retreat
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The closure of Britain’s consulate in Basra marks the end of an inglorious episode in our military history. This ought to have been the city where Britain would forever be seen as the liberator, given that it was our troops who supplanted Saddam Hussein’s forces almost ten years ago. Instead, Basra’s darkest moments came after
Portrait of the week | 18 October 2012
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Home Theresa May, the Home Secretary, blocked the extradition of Gary McKinnon to the United States, where he is suspected of having hacked into government computers. She told the Commons there was no doubt he had Asperger’s syndrome and suffered from depressive illness, and that there was a risk of suicide. Dominic Grieve, the Attorney
Books and Arts – 18 October 2012
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Wednesday
Shelf Life: Ol Parker
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Screenwriter for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and now promoting his latest film Now Is Good starring Dakota Fanning and Olivia Williams, filmmaker Ol Parker tells us which book is the funniest ever written, when he might find himself in bed with Martin Amis and what he does exactly when his wife, Thandie Newton, is
Thursday
Satire
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How satire works, No. 96: When government advisers watch The Thick of It
Online
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‘No more going up the hill, Jill — we can now order water online and have it delivered.’
Lobbying
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‘You call it whinging. I call it lobbying.’
Houses
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‘Business is terrible. Everyone’s baffled by it!’
Frescoes
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‘We were painting frescoes in your area and wondered if…’
Lamp Post
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You call it “Leaning on a lamp post”. I call it loitering with intent.’
Buddha
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‘I think I preferred it when Ernest had low self-esteem.’
Oxfam
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Titian
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Burglar
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Ambulance
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‘Certainly madam – and would you like the ambulance in medium, large or extra large?’
Bake Off
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Rifle
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Teddy
From our UK edition
‘OK, chaps, once we’re out of the tunnel we’ll use these wildlife costumes to blend into the surrounding countryside.’