business 
The dilemma Six months ago I met a man I used to work with when I was young and he was middle-aged. Now I’m middle-aged and he is old. We established an incredible sexual and romantic connection. This was so powerful and beautiful. He told me I make him feel so free and so accepted … Read more
There’s nothing funny about your co-worker being assassinated. But it was the death of my beloved colleague and friend Hisham al-Hashimi that led me into the world of standup comedy. I knew it would trash my hard-won career in international security, but I didn’t care any more. Hisham had run a workshop with me in … Read more
My cat Lucy, a blue Burmese, is the fluffiest, most adorable little feline in the world. She’s also the cattiest of all cats, an ill-tempered spawn of the underworld who takes arbitrary swipes at my other cats for having the temerity to exist. Lucy recently had a litter of three kittens. I don’t have kids … Read more
The engine shuddered to life around half past noon local time on Sunday, and with a guttural roar, the 92-foot-tall Spectrum rocket lifted slowly away from its launch tower, marking the first liftoff of its kind on the European continent. The rocket, launched by Isar Aerospace from within the Arctic Circle at a spaceport on … Read more
Why are you expected to be quiet in an art gallery? Thierry Dupond, Charente-Maritime, France Send new questions to [email protected]. Readers reply It’s so as not to disrupt the concentration of other patrons; who if you made a noise would find it a painter hear, grisaille about the disturbance, make encaustic remarks to the effect … Read more
Tucked into the rolling hills between Bertinoro and Cesena, Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba’s home is not just a place to live, it is a testament to the seamless fusion of art, nature and design. For the celebrated sculptor, artist and designer, whose whimsical creations have captivated the design world, this sanctuary is both a refuge and … Read more
It may be the oldest art form in the world, practised 5,000 years ago by Ötzi the iceman and his fellow copper age Europeans. But with its more recent associations with red-light entertainment and gangland crime, modern tattooing has long been shunned by the galleries that turn lines on canvas into financial assets. A new … Read more
My disabled 84-year-old mother was due to return to the UK on a Ryanair flight after visiting me in Germany. I had booked special assistance to help her on to the plane. After I’d checked her in, assistance staff pushed her wheelchair to the departure gate and told her they would return to help her … Read more
Packing is a fine art. No one wants to lug heavy bags around transport hubs or arrive at the other end to a chaotically stuffed bag full of creased clothes. But we all have our “essentials” to cram in. For some, that’ll be a full skincare routine or a semblance of a wardrobe; for others, … Read more
In tune with the changeable weather, dinners this week have veered between substantial winter casseroles and lighter, more uplifting dishes. A typical dinner was one of a spicy noodle dish glowing red with chilli followed by a pale and gently flavoured panna cotta. A sort of whip-and-kiss effect that followed that of the week’s see-saw … Read more