For anyone who’s paid attention to Britain’s South Asian community and its response to the Covid crisis, Thursday’s dramatic announcement of new restrictions in northern England will have come as no surprise. The areas affected, including Blackburn, Oldham, Bradford and Manchester, have large populations with roots in the Indian subcontinent. And while West Yorkshire Tory … Read more
Monday, July 13 I’ve decamped to St Tropez for the summer to recharge after the extraordinary frenzy of the first six months of 2020 (has it really only been HALF A YEAR?). A Times columnist joked recently that I must be ‘getting very fat’ with all the Ministers that I was ‘having for breakfast’ on … Read more
Laurence Fox says: ‘I’ve been sexually molested by a famous woman. It can happen to anyone’ in Twitter post that sends internet into overdrive Actor Laurence Fox tweets: ‘I’ve been sexually molested by a famous woman’ Addressing followers on Tuesday night, he added: ‘It can happen to anyone’ Replies are filled with jokes, including from … Read more
The one lesson I’ve learned from life: Joanna Scanlan says always ask for what you want Joanna Scanlan, 58, who lives in London, is best known for role in The Thick Of It She was told she would be ill for the rest of her life, if she doesn’t go back to work She says … Read more
‘I’ve survived!’ Author Michael Rosen, 74, leaves hospital after three month battle with coronavirus as wife shares photo showing him back home Award-winning poet and children’s author was taken into intensive care in March Mr Rosen spent 47 days in intensive care before finally returning home yesterday He charted his battle with Covid -19 on Twitter … Read more
Usually by this stage in June I’m obsessively checking the ten-day forecast for Glastonbury. Will it be another ghastly mudfest or will we all be smiling seraphically in the sunshine? This week, hundreds of thousands of us were meant to be heading off to the 50th anniversary of the festival. For me, a proud Glasto … Read more
A person wearing a face-muzzle, a baseball cap and socks adorned with the words ‘Hotter than Hell’ appeared at my side. He or she (I had better be careful not to assign a gender) spoke sharply to me, like someone with power: ‘Why have you chosen to stand here?’ For a moment, I was taken … Read more
Around 8.30 on Monday morning, I was confronted by an unfamiliar sight: my teenage daughter, up and dressed, preparing to leave the house. Fair to say it’s been some weeks since she last saw the right side of lunchtime, so I was a little surprised. And then I remembered: the shops were reopening. After weeks … Read more
Money Mail revealed last week how interest in competitions and prize draws has boomed during lockdown. We spoke to two super-successful pros who had won impressive hauls by entering scores of competitions each week. Since then, we have been inundated with emails and letters from our own army of competition enthusiasts. Winning ways: After reporting … Read more
Most of us had ambitious plans for lockdown — to cultivate that veggie plot, paint the house, take up yoga, volunteer — but few of us have conquered the ambitious ‘to do’ list we sketched out in March. TV presenter Anita Rani has, however, been so productive in lockdown that her presence on TV and … Read more