JOHN HUMPHRYS (pictured): War of the Astroturf that sums up Boris Johnson’s dilemma over lockdown The Battle of the Astroturf will not claim a prominent place in the history books. Unlike Hastings or Trafalgar, the fate of our nation did not hang in the balance. The casualties were limited, the heroes unsung. But it should … Read more
Yesterday’s P45 from Buckingham Palace may have made it very clear where the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lies: outside the royal orbit. But, as ever when it comes to the Sussexes, with clarity come yet more questions Yesterday’s P45 from Buckingham Palace may have made it very clear where the future … Read more
Evening shadows were falling across the Long Walk at Windsor Castle when the call came through. From her desk at the window of her private sitting room, the Queen could look up the broad avenue towards Frogmore where, less than two years ago, she had chuckled at the stream of lorries bringing the paraphernalia of Prince … Read more
As the second wave of Covid-19 retreats, the devastating impact on cancer patients is becoming ever more apparent. We are now facing a savage new health crisis, one which may prove even more destructive than the pandemic itself. Life-saving operations have been postponed, vital treatments delayed and new cases missed as screening programmes have been … Read more
Darlings, have you thought about what you are going to wear for the social event of the year — your Covid jab appointment? Over the past few weeks, many celebrities clearly have thought of little else. Sean Penn did it sockless, while Ian McKellen did it in a rainbow-knitted scarf. Anthony Hopkins did it in … Read more
Good old Kirstie Allsopp is right. Ironing tea towels really is a therapeutic experience — and God knows we could all do with more of those in these trying times. Indeed, I flatter myself that I write with a degree of authority, since I’m something of an obsessive ironer myself. What’s more, as long-suffering readers … Read more
As they tried desperately to attract the attention of the nation yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer’s aides promised that the Labour leader was about to unveil the most radical policy agenda since the Beveridge Reforms that reshaped Britain after the Second World War. Alas, it was not to be. Few pulses were set racing by yet … Read more
Some professions are best suited to the young. You seldom come across a professional gymnast in his 60s, for instance, or an air hostess in her 70s. The comparatively recent profession of disc jockey was designed for young men or, much more rarely, women in their 20s. When the pioneering pop station Radio Caroline first … Read more
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Kensington Palace, 2017 There’s an old saying that the apple never falls far from the tree. Not true in my case. My father was a working-class Tory and I was a typical young Leftie. We argued about everything. Except the Royal Family. One of my earliest memories of my childhood … Read more
Jeremy Mayhew, member of City of London’s governing body, told staff at the Barbican not to ‘feel too sorry’ for themselves There’s a widely held belief in the modern world that we have a human right to feel sorry for ourselves, and that particularly during the pandemic we should be allowed to let rip. So … Read more