Society & Culture
Farewell, Argos catalogue, the book of dreams that democratised playtime
For many children, dissecting its pages for gifts became its own kind of play activity. Perceptive scholars of a distant future may traverse the Argos catalogue to demystify our world
“I miss the honey lady”: How one resident helped her community to understand what is truly valuable
The loss of a neighbour’s friendship motivated a local group to build a social asset—one that has been a salvation during lockdown
The underrated, exhilarating joy of getting your first car
In today's big cities, having a car engenders mild pariah status. Then coronavirus screeched into town
Coronavirus will transform the way we travel—but will it be for the better?
When historians look back on Britain in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, they may see the era of mass travel abroad as an aberration caused by a combination of an aggressive business model and governments keen to increase…
Daylight robbery: How London is losing its fight for light
A complicated scheme involving developers, surveyors, councils and consultants is letting daylight standards slip across the city—and throwing more more residents in the dark
Letters and diaries: Meetings of great minds throughout history
Momentous meetings of our times
What nature teaches us about change
A lot has been written about the solace of nature during uncertain times. But as I picked my way along the coastal path each day, I began to understand that going outside offered me something else as well: a new…
What lockdown taught me about being single
Lockdown experienced with a family, or even just with your significant other, is obviously very different to lockdown with your cat—but there's a romance to a life lived singly
How racist is Britain?
The three charts that show the difficulties minorities face in Britain
It’s time to face the facts—our male pop stars need to try a bit harder
Britain is crowded with male singer-songwriters who look like your little brother’s friend that your mum is letting crash for a few weeks because he has “stuff” going on at home
Lockdown has shown a new side of London—and why our restaurants matter more than ever
Even in a huge city, sometimes you don’t need to go searching for anything—the best things are close to home
Shades of King Creon: The ancient forebears of Trump and Johnson
Our strongman leaders have been behaving like stubborn, intransigent kings in Greek tragedies, crashing blindly up against justice, convinced that they are right and all others are wrong