Books The tragedy of English football The miracle of 1966 aside, Paul Hayward’s “biography” of England’s national team is a story of sorry failure. By Michael Henderson
UK Politics Michael Henderson’s Diary: Rebranding cricket, resurrecting Ravel, and what Philip Larkin understood about England By Michael Henderson
Appreciation: Colin Bell Dubbed Nijinsky, after the champion racehorse, by Manchester City team-mates and fans, the unparalleled footballer was a modest man with… By Michael Henderson
How I finally learned to love jazz music Growing up in the Sixties, a child of the pop age, jazz barely grazed me. Now, I see it’s… By Michael Henderson
Roll on forever, champion cricketer “I don’t have to believe it if I don’t want to.” John O’Hara’s tribute to George Gershwin, when the… By Michael Henderson
The joy of festival cricket, pastime of small towns “There can be no summer in this land without cricket,” wrote Neville Cardus, the man who invented sports writing,… By Michael Henderson
Paris, New York, Chipping Campden: the surprising musical and literary heritage of a small Cotswolds town May in Chipping Campden. Unlike April in Paris, or autumn in New York, nobody has mythologised it in song.… By Michael Henderson
Why JB Priestley matters He is now best known for that dramatic pot-boiler, An Inspector Calls. But Priestley’s gripping novels show an instinctive… By Michael Henderson
Pelléas et Mélisande at Glyndebourne: ill-conceived and frequently absurd What a ghastly mess. By Michael Henderson
In a dry month, waiting for rain: what happens to innovators in old age? Arsène Wenger may have run his last meaningful race but others no longer young are still on the track.… By Michael Henderson