Diary

‘I am an instinctive, conventional, tribal Conservative voter. But now I just can’t bear even to listen to the shenanigans in Parliament a moment longer’

‘The Today Programme will survive John Humphrys leaving but will we all survive the death of the right to make poor jokes?’

‘The urge to renew tussles with the impulse to preserve’

‘Discovering Judaism has been a profound and fascinating process, from celebrating festivals to the spiritual joy of synagogue’

‘Every holiday of my childhood was spent either looking at art or making it. I remain helpless to resist the pull of the landscape on one side and lure of galleries on the other’

‘Every alcohol substitute I’ve ever tasted has the flavour roughly of fake grass blended with lemon pips’