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A gentleman might be unafraid to speak the truth — but lying is sometimes necessary
After three days of deliberations, the outcome was an ice-cream cone into which one could put sweet-and-sour pork
I only became an FT columnist by fluke . . . It won’t ever happen again
‘Old school’ venues are beautiful, delicious, atmospheric, calm and, most of all, relaxed. Designers should learn from them
Meetings can be boring. We asked readers which person, living or dead, they would like to invite along
The main problem with Singapore is that it is a tiny country jam-packed with goody two-shoes
Usually I just go home, fling my shoes off, get a cold fizzy drink and sit down with my dogs — and perhaps try to irritate my wife
It’s usually those with less money who order the more expensive items in a group that splits a restaurant bill
A good pair of shoes requires constant wearing, so that they develop proper creases and a sense of maturity
You can’t blame the person who orders more extravagantly than others because you could have done so yourself
Fortunately, none of Beijing’s bigwigs come from Wenzhou, a city where many men perm their hair (and wear high heels)
A gentleman needs at least two suits, two shirts, and always wears highly polished shoes. And, of course, black socks
When motionless, it looks like a caramelised, flattened Brillo pad — but does it disqualify him from running as president?
People go sockless in those countries that don’t want to distinguish between going to work and going on holiday
I wouldn’t want to roll around in bubbled nakedness at 38,000ft
A cancellation can work to your advantage . . . such as inviting somebody else who might be ‘better’
I don’t ever get into the airline sleeper suits because they are not large enough for my frame
The yobbish shouting in between points by spectators is egotistical, inconsiderate, selfish, vulgar and thuggish
The days when the row of cutlery either side of the plate was set as an obstacle course for the uninitiated are gone
Sir David Tang, agony uncle, solves you’re dilemmas: this week, why three-star beats five-star; and the myth of the ‘hard pillow’
‘Because I am very ticklish, I get the giggles when told to extend my arms horizontally
Scratch the surface of a concierge’s snobbery, and you end up with a mediocre tourist guide with pedestrian knowledge
There are no ‘safety’ rules in commercial travelling for breast implants, so there should be no alarm over private jets
Vulgar solutions are the most effective for vulgar dining places. Otherwise, forget about going to them
God forbid if Marie Kondo, the earthly goddess of Japanese minimalism, were let loose at Castle Howard or Blenheim
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