Stephen's Blog

Did Jack Straw burnish or tarnish his image at the Chilcot hearings yesterday? One the one hand he described doubts that most of us hope our senior politicians have when making the gravest of decisions. Apparently, he expressed these doubts to Blair...

Parallel me had better be having a bloody good time of it. Because if there is not a parallel me maxing out on supermodels whilst saving the world – christ, I hope he’s not like Bono – then what on earth am I doing here?
I like to think that I occupy this pinnacle of middle ground semi-achievement for a reason; that in my own small way I ensure the space time continuum fully functions, allowing my other selves to fly headlong at the sun....

The Parma AC shield stuck to the pillar, the barista shouting food orders along the glass and brass counter in a thick Italian accent, the San Pellegrino lemonade sitting alongside the Coke cans - the M Bar is not one of a faux Italian chain.
Beneath the Victorian arches of Leadenhall Market, the M Bar has survived City crashes and crunches since 1975. And even in these constrained times, careworn insurance brokers still need a caffeine shot to kick-start the day....

Stupidly, I once took the tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden; the ticket seller laughed at me. Ever since, I’ve made an effort to walk if I’m moving about Central London.
How many commuters cram underground to get from Waterloo to London Bridge when a brisk riverside walk encompassing the Southbank, the Tate, the Globe and a view of St Paul’s takes just 25 minutes? How about the ten-minute walk from Euston to Holborn...