David Simpkin

The Outfit? Great, isn't it...

This. Also, if I'm going straight on at a crossroads, it says absolutely nothing.

See also: the Fish Slapping Dance.

It's not merely that he's doing it wrong, it's that he's doing it wrong in *precisely* the funniest possible way.

The Unfree French by Richard Vinen. I've read a lot of Graham Robb's stuff, and this came highly recommended...

Oh, it is, but if you've set your students to design a lesson plan based around a picture book story time, and they *all* choose their favourite from when they were that age... The brief was to show students that other, newer books exist. It wasn't in any way a value judgement.

Plus there's the strong nostalgia for books of one's own childhood. I used to run the campus bookshop for a uni that specialised in teacher training. We agreed with the department to stock a wide range of new children's picture books in an attempt to wean students off 'Can't You Sleep, Little Bear'.

I don't think that they're being *told* to do this - it's more that The Traitors is now being played by people who've seen The Traitors, and therefore act (up) accordingly. Something similar happened with Big Brother, as I recall, as players became more overtly self-aware...

*Notes, clicks, buys*

Thanks, yes - I've just googled. Very impressive.

They got permission to do that there? That's even more impressive...

They are real?

We loved the temple ruins yesterday. It was only the fact that they were symmetrical that made me realise they weren't real.

That lovely quote in Harmetz's brilliant book: Veidt is asked if he minded playing Nazis, given everything. No, no, he says - I shall use my *considerable* acting talent to ensure that everybody else hates them just as much as I do...

My late mother was carried in a very sleek silver Mercedes - the kind of luxury she'd never known, but thoroughly deserved.

My cousin, a farmer from the moors above Lancaster, still does this...

Hasn't it, though. More Bourne than Smiley, but none the worse for that.

This is a great book, and if this kind of thing interests you, I absolutely recommend it...

Yup.

Exceptional film. Magnificent (TV trained) cast, all on fine, fine form.

We were Sunday Express people for a long time, so yes, same and same.

A late boomer/early Gen X writes: Giles Annuals, anyone?

It was always likely that he was coming back, but the pre-publicity was all "Oh, no, he's really, really dead, honest..."

So, The Night Manager (so far). Lovely twist, if slightly spoiled by the trailer (and, to be fair, by the executive producer credit). Now that we've heard about Roxana's father, do we all think that she will go all Inigo Montaya on either Teddy or [spoiler]?

Winchester? It has both of those and *lots* of good pubs...

Burton, Bude or Symons.

Also, the joke "What's the fastest cake in the world? Scone" makes no sense if you're pronouncing it 'skoan'...

They really don't. Stay safe, and look after yourself...

I think the other one is the "secret" relationships, which may still at this stage constitute spoilers...

On it 🙏