We believe in freedom. Free press. Free speech. Free markets. If you share these values, join us today. | | ‘I hate being a burden to her’: Chris Lancaster with his wife, Emma | | Chris Lancaster Puzzles Editor | There aren’t many illnesses for which there is no respite, no treatment and no cure, and which carry a guaranteed death sentence, normally within two to three years. Motor neurone disease (MND) is one of them, which is why it was a shock to be diagnosed with it in December 2023, at the comparatively young age of 52.
I am The Telegraph’s Puzzles Editor and, while I can still compile a crossword, the disease has gradually robbed me of the faculties I need to do my job. I can no longer write, I find it difficult to type and I have lost much of my ability to spell, think of words and do arithmetic.
I also have huge difficulty walking and, because MND has damaged my ability to swallow, I can no longer eat solid food and will soon have to cut out liquids. My voice is also failing. Unfortunately, I have reached the terminal phase of the disease, and the truth is, I have only weeks – months at most – left to live.
To my surprise, though, I am not depressed. I am exhausted. I am in pain. I hate being a burden to Emma, my wife, and my three children. But the experience has taught me what’s important in life. The NHS has been largely fantastic.
And I have been bowled over by the professionalism and compassion of the MND Association, one of the charities supported by this year’s Telegraph Christmas Appeal. Ever since my diagnosis, they have been there to answer my questions, help with finances or simply be a shoulder to cry on.
Living day-to-day may feel like some sort of hell but there is still joy in life. And I am sure there is more yet to come.
Continue reading ➤
Plus, Chris’s colleagues from The Telegraph’s Puzzles team have dedicated this Saturday’s Prize Cryptic to him. Try it here. | | Sir Steve Webb Chancellor’s pledge to spare state pension from income tax creates a dangerous and messy double standard Continue reading ➤ Rishi Sunak Men will die if we fail to expand prostate cancer screening Continue reading ➤ Brendan O’Neill Sally Rooney’s smugness is boundless Continue reading ➤ | Sharpen your talking points. Explore incisive opinion from Britain’s leading comment writers. | | Throughout his career at the BBC, David Dimbleby remained the model of impartiality, leading coverage of state occasions with authority and gravitas. Now, in a new series on the monarchy, the presenter is casting a more critical eye. He tells Anita Singh, our Arts Editor, why a republic wouldn’t necessarily be such a bad idea. Continue reading ➤ | | | The “best food scene outside London”, seaside resorts and towns both ancient and modern – Lancashire has had an impact on British culture and global history that belies its humble “brand”. Here are 10 reasons to explore the historic county and discover the unassuming charm of this corner of the North. Continue reading ➤ | | | After spending £3,200 on their all-inclusive golden anniversary celebration, PH and his wife hoped for a night of carefree celebration. Instead, they allege that the hotel they had hired to run the event severely underdelivered on the buffet, leaving 100 guests to fight over a few carrot sticks, and contaminating the nut-free cake despite prior warnings of guests with allergies. As the hotel continued to deny the couple compensation, they turned to Katie Morley, Consumer Champion, to investigate. Continue reading ➤ | |  | | Ken Hainsworth, 89, is dedicated to keeping Glasshouses Cricket Club, in the Yorkshire Dales, afloat despite dwindling interest in the sport | | Grass-roots cricket, football and rugby have been a bedrock of communities over the length and breadth of Britain for more than a century, writes Jeremy Wilson. Yet, with entire leagues and clubs disappearing, there are now stark warnings that these traditional sporting structures are facing an existential crisis. I met those who have dedicated their lives to grass-roots sport and why they fear for the future. Continue reading ➤ | | | Grenoble is an Alpine gateway for British skiers and is known as France’s Silicon Valley. It is also wrestling with a brutal drug war. Henry Samuel reports on child traffickers, mafia-style shootings and a city split over its embattled Green mayor’s laissez-faire approach to the “mini-Marseille” in the mountains. Continue reading ➤ | | | Neuroscientists at Cambridge University confirmed this week what single women like Olivia Petter, 31, were already well aware of: men’s brains retain an adolescent “structure” far beyond their teenage years. “Many 30-something men I have dated are scared of commitment, act like children and want to be mothered,” says Olivia. “Now science has explained why.” Continue reading ➤ | | | Follow our guide (with a step-by-step video) for mastering a festive-door decoration. All you need before you begin are a base, scissors, floristry wire, a mix of evergreen foliage and decorations. Mulled wine and Christmas songs optional… Continue reading ➤ Below are two more articles that I hope will be useful this weekend: | Andrew Baker’s Saturday Quiz |
Gather round for the latest instalment of my Saturday quiz.
You can find the answers at the end of the newsletter. - The writer and scholar C S Lewis was born on this date in 1898. Which imaginary realm did he chronicle in his best-known work?
- The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-06 mapped the vast territory which the United States had just bought from France. Which territory?
- “How can you govern a country,” asked Charles de Gaulle, the French President, in 1962, “which has 246 varieties of…” what?
- Russia is the world’s largest country; which is the next largest individual nation?
- Who was the last tsar of Russia, executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918?
| Hearty weekend eating Toasted porridge and a coconut slice | Toasted porridge with apple and blackberries |  | Eleanor Steafel Feature writer and recipe columnist | Let’s begin with a proper breakfast. Sami Tamimi’s aubergine and bean stew with eggs and sumac onions would be a lovely warming thing to come home to after a cold morning dog walk or Park Run. Or if you’re a porridge household, try Mark Hix’s toasted porridge with caramelised apples and blackberries. | Blackcurrant coconut slice | Can I make a case for my blackcurrant coconut slice next? It’s very easy to make and you’ll be glad of it this afternoon when a cup of tea and something sweet is in order. One reader, Deborah, has made it a few times and has had some luck substituting half the coconut for ground almonds.
| Diana Henry’s thumbprint cookies | These thumbprint cookies would be a nice project, and a good thing to make if you’re heading to friends for dinner and are in need of a gift. If you’re home for supper tonight, why not make Diana Henry’s ragu with sausages and beef mince.
Happy cooking, and see you next Saturday!
Eleanor writes a weekly Recipes newsletter every Friday. Sign up here. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was CHAUFFEUR. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. Please send me your thoughts on this newsletter. You can email me here. | Quiz answers: - Narnia
- Louisiana
- Cheese
- Canada
- Nicholas II
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