Poem

Royal Flush

• 28 June 1999

The new Poet Laureate produced his first poem

Disaster! Disaster!

• 21 June 1999

A cabinet minister described the low Euro-poll turnout, and the low Labour vote as "an absolutely bloody disaster"

Lecter Tour

• 14 June 1999

The sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs" was published

Goodbye, Dolly

• 07 June 1999

Dolly the cloned sheep is prematurely ageing. The average age of theatregoers was said to be 58

Buddha's Tooth

• 31 May 1999

One of Buddha's teeth is drawing crowds in Hong Kong. There's a second in Sri Lanka, but the existence of one in Taiwan is hotly disputed

On Seeing a Photograph of Affan Ramic's Dead Son

• 24 May 1999

Nonsense

• 17 May 1999

Nato bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. It was a "tragic mistake" (with apologies to Lewis Carroll)

Because

• 10 May 1999

The body of George Mallory was found on Everest, still in its tweeds, after 75 years. Tory poll ratings hit a new low.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .

• 03 May 1999

Queuing started six weeks early for the new "Star Wars" film. There was a second nail bomb in the East End, and a new school massacre in the USA

Across the Universe

• 26 April 1999

A new solar system like our own has been identified