Category: A’s Assortment

IF, like me, you prefer your detective stories laced with a hefty shot of humour, may I recommend the works of Jonathan Latimer? Born in Chicago in 1906, Latimer was a … Continue readingThe case for Jonathan Latimer

HOT news from the insect community: A new species of beetle has been discovered and named after junior world leader Greta Thunberg. Nelloptodes gretae would appear to have little in common … Continue readingSt Greta joins the beetles

AFTER 32 years in Parliament, Labour veteran Diane Abbott had the honour yesterday of becoming the first black MP to represent his or her party at Prime Minister’s Questions. And … Continue readingGood old Diane. If she didn’t exist, we’d have to make her up

A BONKERS bishop delivers his sermon at Norwich Cathedral from half way up a helter skelter. The Rt Rev Jonathan Meyrick tells his flock that ‘God is a tourist attraction’. The mitred … Continue readingRoll up, roll up for Crazy Cathedral Capers

SOME of us, I guess, were just born lucky. This morning I received the following email: Dear Sir/ Madam, Please forgive me if my request is not acceptable by your … Continue readingWe’re in the money!

ACCORDING to the Bible (Romans 6:23), the wages of sin is death. According to a French court, however, the wages of sin is also a nice fat payout. Incredibly, appeal judges … Continue readingDeath on the job

WHEN writing Tuesday’s piece about German food, I was confident it was so exaggerated that no one could possibly take it seriously. And indeed hundreds of readers gave it the thumbs-up, Teutons … Continue readingGerman cuisine: An apology

JUST in case you thought Project Fear could be ratcheted up no further, here comes another devastating warning. The Germans have threatened that their food producers might stop exporting to the … Continue readingGerman food: What we’ll be missing

A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara; Picador 2015 WHEN our dog Bingo clattered into a garden table while chasing a ball, causing terminal damage to wine glasses and a newly … Continue readingA not so little slice of life

THE answer to the prejudice blighting the world has been staring us all in the visage, according to an Italian psychologist. Zapping the brain with electricity would wipe out bias … Continue readingZap those Brexit mutineers, Boris