riSl-Ii Thlc Spectator, 56 Doughty Strecet, London WC'IN 21]. tclcphone: 071-405 1706; Tclcx 27124; Fax 071-242 0603 UN-%FUNNY Il l recent SurvCy ol B1ritish MIs, 3() pcr...

P O L I T I C S Why the last thing the voters want is a general outbreak of sweet reason SI MON H EFFER A nlyonc Whogos into politics cxpccting to find fairness is probably...

SIX GO MAD IN ALGIERS Simon Courtauld recounts his involvement in a zany undercover operation AS THE I t hreat of' Islamic 'salvation' in Algeria has brought somc of thc...

Second opinion Sir: O(h dlear, oh dcear, kind Mr WaLugh was quite right to tell mle off orwas Wastiig mlly tillmc Witll pif'I'ling research oil thle effects of' income...

LE TTERS Yes, Lord Chancellor Sir: No cndeCavouL- is 11101mC imlpportalnt to ImlC than the systCl of' justicc which prcvails in oUr country and which has bencr subljct to what...

Swiss switch Silr: Some1] moii h1(1s ago yoU lpulh isllCd ;111 article (T he secret psolice statc, 27 .Ju ly I9 I) ill whichl the an1thlor described Switzerland as at nation of...

Sil: 'Thirty ycars ago I Sp)Celt Somc iillli falii - ing to colivil cc aI tilvcirlll owricl rjSt oultsi'de Atliciis that tihe (delicacy hic hiad just servd(l uip coulId not...

Shaggy dog story Sil: Chbristoplhle I-I dwards sCCeems completcly to have ImlissCd the point ill Vivicei lFlis's 'dog song' (Arts. 25 .I lalnllry). Filla frlo bein1g...

Rod for his ownl back Sir: AN. Wilson (D)iary, II IJanuary) talks of Molt 1I cr'ercsa being 'kcpt alive' as il slc WClC Som11 Soil of, braill-dallmagcd vcgtlahic. Angioplasty...

More balls Sir: Whilc tcsticics or 'rognions alil ics' may1tV | no longer hc ofTlclt'r iII I'lrclch restau rants (lct t is, I lFCbria ryv) your IrcaiCrS will lbc reticevcd to...

More informnationi Sir: Mr (iowiilg in 111c /)Ma *, ,f Nobod ' Says thait 1ic (idnil't mtinid at ;, jokc whlen it WaISIlt X iuLC, hIllt a IunI OII it 11;1111Ca, to his...

Spoiling the broth Sir: IIn an extremely disparaging refecrencc to tilie ( Onlselrvaltive Research D)epa rt men t's ('Campaiign (uide 1')1 (which I edited), SilllOl I lceffr (...

The Pregnant Girl All along I had kept My love dark, and stepped ( Carefully. Now I'm InI tears, For illy secret plainly shows: My Nomillb lhaes girown, and grows, And the...

Reducing all that's made ... Gabriele Annan SU RVIVINC;: TI I E U NCOL 1: I CILX I) WRIT INC;S OFI IIE:NRY GREEN edited by Matthew Yorke (Chllo, IS pp. p.302 Ti 'e 1ovelist I...

Discourse most eloquent musing William Trevor ()1)1) O BS by.liihn Up(likc l)(Olv/sch, 120,p p() 919 I, fictlion is i deccline', Jol lnJ pdikc WIlieCs, 'it iS beas we;IIS ha...

The Idea Stallndi:ng idly aIt the window, shc decidcs to introdLICe lhcr two friends, A sand( 13 to eahch othcr. Ihcy are sure to get on. At first thcy do not; and then thicy...

How to be very, very popular Anita Brookner A DUBIOUS LIEGACY by Mary Wesley iaflham, £14.9(, pp. 272 it is riot necessarily Ve ry intelligent to look askance at thle success...

The Pergola 'Iust got this pergola froilm SOmeC pergola People, Forget the name: it only came last week, It's made ol'teak, ShOUld kISt 111C OLs Illy tilim a111d theCnI SonIC...

Never did run smooth Peter Petrie '1 IL (I ()O RSI 01 OF FRLN( 'I I I IIS'I()ORY by Pierre Gotibert, tranlsated by Maarten Ultee ROuIt('(Ige, 135, £10.99, pp.3s36 'A .Racc...

Opera Koinigskinder (Londoll Coliseum) Bothered and bewildered Rupert Christiansen WN s,, *,at a di(Sap)poi nt ment this was. WC all love Hansel and (Gr'u'l, we all want to...

Pop music Blowing in the wind Marcus Berkmann RPI fUSlC, sic s WC all know, is scriOUS. Very serious. C(ripplingly serious, il l'act. YOU Only have to look at the...

High life Unspeakable pleasures Taki AI ItIl gi I dlon't lhut - iand haive nevce nact SO Illany shits as ar11ong the hnuting fratcrnity -- I find it OnllilgCOUS thait...

Television Fall guy John Diamond 'T7 crc's somctihiig ..bo.it Mick McMan4ius tIht I've always 1ikcd,' said Peter IMIakc, thc P)op artist and wrestling tan, as he stroked some...

Low life _ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ _- - .- _ .-, -- ------ . . . Shall we dance? Jeffrey Bernard A fi iciil ofl in nC told fle the other lly lltdt hC tlhoLglugt I hltd...

U11IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII. ,. '? '.,- , -, N- - .- - o_ _ -- me Christopher's :\N &, \ \\ e. -, -X ITI IS Nltiel- lucky that I like Christopher's. With T1aki, my fcllow columnist,...

SPEC TA TOR SPOR T With God on your side Frank Keating TI IF POPIT, 1 goa Ikccpcr in his Polish yotll, gaIVe 11 a IIadiClCC n 0 tllCo Itallial SOCcer sidCe, Foggia, onl its...