diary

‘I was thrashed by a ruthless emperor – at ping pong’: Susanna Johnston collates her diary entries

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MEMOIR RESCUING MY FATHER by Susanna Johnston (Zuleika £10, 128pp)  Doting elder sister of the late Spectator editor Alexander Chancellor, slightly less adoring daughter of the late-lamented (and late-demented, poor man) former Reuters chairman Sir Christopher Chancellor, the writer Susanna Johnston has collated this charming, witty selection of vignettes and diaries from her well-connected life. … Read more

Diary of a business on the brink: Mother fights to save her company 

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 It is nearly a month since the Government turned the key on a nationwide lockdown — changing the world, almost overnight, for businesses across the UK. Despite being promised support packages, many small businesses fear they will not survive.  Figures this week revealed that banks have given vital loans to only 5,000 British firms — … Read more

Craig Brown loves 93-year-old Jan Morris’s beguilingly dotty diary

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Thinking Again Jan Morris Faber £16.99 Rating: Back in 2001, Jan Morris, then aged 74, announced that she had just written her final book. Oh yes? By my calculation, she has produced another six books since then – or seven if you include this new one. She has never been a slave to consistency. Whenever … Read more