The bigger they are the harder they fall may be true of heavyweight boxers. It’s just as true of distinguished figures in public life. And they don’t come much more distinguished than Lord Sumption. He was a Supreme Court judge with more letters after his name than a postman’s sack. He’s won wide praise for … Read more
The warning came — as life-changing warnings so often do — completely out of the blue. I simply wasn’t ready for it and, anyway, life is scary enough as it is. Ocado has warned that prepared carrots are out of stock. Tesco has issued a similar warning in relation to packs of cauliflower. The significance … Read more
For a moment, I thought I’d finally lost it. Can’t complain, I suppose. A lifetime in journalism is bound to take its toll eventually. But not being able to remember my brother’s name? Or my eldest son’s? You’ll agree that is seriously worrying. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. I’d had an email from NS&I … Read more
Well, that’s scuppered my plans for Christmas. I knew there would be a limit to the number of people I could invite, so I came up with the ripping wheeze of inviting the virus instead of the relatives. All of it. No problem with the seating plan. Some scientists have calculated that the amount of … Read more
A wise columnist should not presume to second guess his readers — if only because they are at least as wise as he is. But enough flattery. I will risk guessing that if you had a vote in Tuesday’s election many of you — perhaps even most — of you would not plump for Trump. … Read more
A wise columnist should not presume to second guess his readers — if only because they are at least as wise as he is. But enough flattery. I will risk guessing that if you had a vote in Tuesday’s election many of you — perhaps even most — of you would not plump for Trump. … Read more
We had been walking for some time when we saw the church. It was awe-inspiring. Not because it had beautiful stained glass or a great spire reaching to the heavens. Quite the opposite. The tower was squat, the windows modest, the render on the stonework flaking away in places. But still as solid as the … Read more
Eagle-eyed viewers of Mastermind may just have spotted something unusual when it returned to BBC2 last week. They would have noticed that there was no audience in the studio. That was blindingly obvious. Only the really sharp-eyed might have spotted that the presenter (yours truly) might — just possibly — have occasionally had a delicate … Read more
This may be the first newspaper column I have ever begun with a personal appeal to my readers. My defence is that we are living in such strange times. Unprecedented even. And for once I’m not referring to the Covid crisis. Some of you may disagree with what I write. In normal times that wouldn’t … Read more
The bank manager was reasonably friendly but just a little aloof. First names were not used. He was Mr Jones. I was Mr Humphrys. We sat either side of his highly polished mahogany desk on which there were two very small glasses of dry sherry — one for him and one for me. I was … Read more