Christmas Present
Jotting and plotting
Real gardeners need to keep a journal
From austerity to the Swinging Sixties
Two books by David Kirby and Robyn Hitchcock are the equivalent of two albums’ worth of their authors’ holiday snaps
Keep prisoners of war off social media
Social media platforms are incentivising war crimes
The case for duelling
A Modest Proposal: If yes to assisted suicide, then why not duelling?
Sean Scully in France
He’s been showered with honours and awards — yet plenty of people can’t stand his work
Defending life and liberty
Abortion buffer zones hurt, rather than help women and babies
Wanted: a plan to reform the NHS
No serious party can sit out the ideological battle over the remorseless rise in public spending, including on health
Keir’s woetanical garden
Labour still don’t understand the scale of the reforms that are needed
Enthralling eclecticism
Roberto Gerhard: Don Quixote, &c. (Chandos)
The dangerous rise of egg harvesting
Women should not be encouraged to undergo a dangerous and unnecessary procedure
Doing shots
You can tell a lot about someone from their favourite Henry wife
Brooding blokes
Russian writers loved a pouting, picturesquely pained protagonist
