Here's a health unto, er, The Spectator, actually!

The other day I gave three 'hurrahs' to celebrate the Queen's birthday but now I have another celebration to share with y'all.  Today will see the production of the 10,000th edition of the world's greatest magazine - The Spectator.  First published in 1827 and just imagine all those differing "events, dear boy, events" that it has covered over that period!  I have no idea what it was like in those earlier editions but I can say that over the past 30-40 years - I can't remember exactly when I began to read it - it has had an enormous influence on my thinking and my approach to all manner of things.  This is very much due to a string of superb editors - including Boris! - who on the whole took a very sensible, British approach to those 'damned events'!  I can truly say that my life would have been intellectually impoverished without it. Here is an intro from the current editor, Mr. Fraser Nelson:

A piece of history is made today: The Spectator becomes the first magazine in the world to produce a 10,000th issue. To mark this, we have a commemorative edition. Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie join our columnists and critics to look not just at our now-surreal world, but at the magazine’s almost-as-surreal life and times. John R. MacArthur examines Graham Greene’s five-year stint as our film critic, and we also publish some of the covers we prepared for events that never happened (Corbyn’s 2019 election victory, Hillary Clinton’s presidential win and Jeremy Hunt’s Tory leadership triumph).

And if you’re hoping for Boris Johnson to come bounding back to No.10 to lead Britain out of lockdown, James Forsyth has some bad news: word from Chequers is that our former editor is in a cautious mood and will change nothing fast. So there’s more than ever for you to read, as we all wait.

A new history of The Spectator is published by David Butterfield (on sale today) and its first chapter underlines a point I’ve been thinking about a lot over these past few weeks. R.S. Rintoul, who set up The Spectator in 1828 [my emphasis], feared there would never be a proper commercial market for a magazine that rejected partisanship, and that cared as much about art, books and ideas as economics and foreign affairs. But it worked. Why? Because of its writers, of course, but mainly due to our extraordinary readers. You have not just given us this longevity, but made sure that our 10,000th issue will also be the biggest seller in our history. So from all of us, to you: thank you. And I hope you enjoy the issue.

Fraser Nelson, Editor

 

 

 

Comments

[Loz]

Well the Speccie did well to steer clear of this douche ...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/04/22/europe-faces-moment-truth-one-mistake-risks-losing-italy-euro/

You don't need to get inside the paywall and read it (I haven't bothered, same old "doom loops" dirge we've been hearing for a decade, no doubt), you can deduce everything from the title: -

Europe faces its moment of truth: one more mistake and it risks losing both Italy and the euro

So what that is saying is: Not only have the Euros slipped the noose - "... one more mistake and ..." - well, if you have to make one more mistake then you've survived this one, right?

But then he goes on to say: "... it risks losing both Italy and the euro" - well, that means even the next mistake might not be fatal either, only risky!

AEP is such an ingrained cry-wolfer that he's even doing some future cry-wolfing before its even happened!

Why does the DT stick with this guy?

Others are acknowledging the EU has survived C19 too, that Mutti and the North will roll over France and Club Med yet again, here's Forbes (no paywall on this one) ...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2020/04/22/watch-italy-france-roll-over-in-eus-austerity-for-aid-coronavirus-relief-deal/#6a31e05f62e4

But there's a one-liner at the end for y'all to lift your spirits ...

As one investor said to me recently on the subject of EU’s relief disputes, “at this point, the Brits are going to all look back and say ‘thank God we are out’.”

Aaaah, bless.

But do you think the "investor" is thanking God that Blighty won't have to bail out France, Italy and Club Med? Or that Blighty won't have to endure the humiliation of externally imposed austerity in exchange for being bailed-out herself by Mutti and the North!?

Dunno.

SoD

[Whitewall]

Can the Spectator remain profitable with so few people earning a living now?

[Whitewall]

Now you Brits really need to cut this out!
https://www.thecollegefix.com/womens-studies-lecturer-worries-a-uk-developed-covid-19-vaccine-will-increase-patriotism/

Some nerve!