15 FEBRUARY 1997, page 42

Radio

The mechanic as hero Michael Vestey I n bored moments in the 1920s, Cyril Connolly would conjure aphorisms like this: 'The best-seller is the golden touch of mediocre talent.'......

Gardens

Rainbow colours Ursula Buchan I t is not difficult to tell which families of flowers have been a very long time in culti- vation, for they often have names taken from Greek......