Hilary Mantel For his 1959 life of the present queen’s grandmother, biographer James Pope-Hennessy compiled indiscreet and sharp-eyed interview notes, now edited by Hugo Vickers into The Quest for Queen Mary (Zuleika): very funny and astute, it provides a loathly feast for royal-watchers. Death and Nightingales by Eugene McCabe (Vintage), published in 1992 and now reissued, is set in rural Ireland in the 1880s: poetic and compelling, with a heart-stopping plot twist, it seems to me a perfect novel. Jonathan Sacks One of the most bracing reads of 2018 was Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt’s The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure (Allen Lane). Confronting the ever-growing constraints on free speech in universities, the authors show how a generation of students is being encouraged to develop mindsets that will do them psychological as well as intellectual harm. Brilliantly written, forcefully argued and … [Read more...] about ConsumerBusinessSpotlightConsumerBusinessSpotlightConsumerBusinessSpotlightConsumerBusinessSpotlightConsumerBusinessSpotlightThe best books of 2018
Queen elizabeth the queen mother
Trump dodged hundreds of millions in inheritance taxes, documents show
President Donald Trump participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents, an investigation by The New York Times has found. Mr Trump won the presidency proclaiming himself a self-made billionaire, and he has long insisted that his father, legendary New York City builder Fred C. Trump, provided almost no financial help. But The Times’ investigation, based on a vast trove of confidential tax returns and financial records, reveals that he received the equivalent today of at least $413m from his father’s real estate empire, starting when he was a toddler and continuing to this day. Much of this money came to Trump because he helped his parents dodge taxes. He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise ms of dollars in gifts from their parents, records and interviews show. Records indicate that Trump helped his father take improper tax deductions worth … [Read more...] about Trump dodged hundreds of millions in inheritance taxes, documents show
Brilliant, Black and Welsh: A celebration of 100 inspiring people
Black History Month Wales begins this October... And it has given us the perfect excuse to celebrate the fact that Wales is full of brilliant, black Welsh people. To honour this annual event-packed month and this year's 70th anniversary of the Windrush arrivals, we are featuring 100 brilliant Afro Caribbean and African Welsh people who have helped shaped our nation. Each has been chosen by the Black History Wales-wide network of members as supported by the Black History Committee to mark its Black History Month theme - "Icons of Black Wales". Each has been chosen for their extraordinary commitment and contributions to public life, science, health, education, the arts, sport, business and equal rights. Each is an inspiration, has achieved something remarkable and has made a real difference. The list appears here in no particular order, and we know it could have contained hundreds of other important figures. We'd love to see your own nominations at the comments in the bottom. And we hope … [Read more...] about Brilliant, Black and Welsh: A celebration of 100 inspiring people
The 130 architectural and cultural gems staging FREE events
Dozens of Greater Manchester's most stunning buildings are opening their doors over the next two weekends - and all events are free. It's part of Heritage Open Days, England's largest festival of history and culture, which each September sees places across the country throw open their doors to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Over the next two weekends, more than 130 architectural and cultural gems will be staging fantastic free events. Some of them are among the region's best-known landmarks, others are hidden gems, and some are places that are not generally open to the public and are offering a rare chance to look inside. It’s your chance to see hidden places across Greater Manchester and try out new experiences – and it doesn't cost a penny. Below is a list of all of the venues holding free events across the two weekends. For full details and opening times of each event, go to the Heritage Open Days website here . Albion United Reformed Church Albion … [Read more...] about The 130 architectural and cultural gems staging FREE events
All the memories that make a house a home packed away for mum’s new adventure
My mum moved house last week. No, no, not into a home. (She’s the youngest 70-something you’re likely to meet and I guarantee she’d leave you standing in a 10K.) She just needed somewhere a wee bit bigger, what with the five grandchildren and a sixth on the way, and her eldest son’s disgraceful penchant for bringing friends on extended Ayrshire golfing holidays. Obviously, with the move looming, I’ve been spending a fair bit of time calming mum down, reassuring her that everything will go smoothly, that there’s nothing to get upset about, that it’s just bricks and mortar and all that. No big deal. As we wrapped glasses in newspaper, sorted junk in the attic, packed boxes and did all the usual stuff, I remembered this house – the house I grew up in – had also been my grandparents’ house before that. In a mad handshake deal back in 1972 – so labyrinth in its complexity that even those involved in it have had brain … [Read more...] about All the memories that make a house a home packed away for mum’s new adventure