Miles Kington
The Kington letters: Final words of a comic genius
Ever the master humorist, Miles Kington kept readers laughing right up to the end. But at the time of his death last week, the 'Independent' columnist was also working on a literary farewell - a series of typically brilliant letters to his friend and agent, Gill Coleridge...
Miles remembered: An editor's dream dies
The last time I spoke to Miles Kington was three days before he died. It was 6pm, the Comment pages were due off in an hour, and he still hadn’t filed. For Miles, this was unheard of. His stuff was usually in by early afternoon. Day in, day out, for more than 20 years, he was 100 per cent reliable, and 100 per cent brilliant. An editor’s dream, in other words.
Michael Bywater remembers Miles Kington
Miles Kington, who has died suddenly at the age of 94 after apparently contracting a rare leg disease from a Madeira cake allegedly sent to him by extremist followers of the late Philip Larkin, was best known to readers of this newspaper as The Independent's daily columnist for over 20 years. But the truth of his life was very different.
Miles & Me by Jonathan Sale
For more than two decades, Miles Kington's daily musings on culture, politics and modern life were cherished by readers of The Independent. His death this week robs Britain of one its most original humorists. Here, friends reflect on the man they loved, while over the page are extracts from some of his finest columns
Let's Parler Kington: Miles at his very best
2 March 1990 In these days of high winds, a fence acts as a natural resting place for anything being blown cheerfully cross-country, and you are certain to find a colourful selection of countryside riches on the windward side of many a fence. Orange synthetic twine, blue feed-bags, empty cement sacks, old newspapers, abandoned prams, tangerine boxes, beige files marked MINISTRY OF DEFENCE: HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – these are some of the things I have spotted in the past week in our locality.
Recently by Miles Kington
Miles Kington Remembered: Passive suffering: an extraordinary legal precedent
Friday, 9 May 2008
A most extraordinary case is going on in the High Court at the moment, which seeks to create a new offence called "passive suffering". Here is an extract from yesterday's enlightening proceedings...
Miles Kington Remembered: Need a divorce? Ask a composer – he'll know the score
Thursday, 8 May 2008
"So, don't forget to join us to help celebrate Copland, Shostakovich and Bach!"
Miles Kington Remembered: Words will all grow, flourish and die, eventually
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Every newspaper has its linguistic expert these days, answering readers' questions on English usage, but there has never been a language maven quite like our resident sage, Dr Wordsmith.
Miles Kington Remembered: A geographical conundrum of continental proportions
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Miles Kington Remembered: Birds do it, bees do it, even – ahem – garden flowers do it...
Friday, 2 May 2008
I wasn't entirely surprised to learn the other day that girls as young as 12 or 13 were now getting pregnant in Britain. You see, I was brought up on an old copy of Ripley's Believe it or Not!, in which Mr Ripley told us incredible but true facts from round the globe, and one of these incredible but true facts was that the youngest grandmother in the world was only 32 years old. This was because the daughter she'd had at 16 had also given birth at 16.
Miles Kington Remembered: Freud's topical application for nervous speech writers
Thursday, 1 May 2008
There are two diametrically opposed schools of thought when it comes to writing an after-dinner speech. There is the Clement Freud school of thought and the non-Clement Freud school of thought. I learnt this when as a young man I foolishly accepted an invitation to take part in a Cambridge Union debate.
Miles Kington Remembered: When in Rome, be careful where you unfurl your umbrella
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
"I was in Rome last week," I said, as I took my foaming pint from the landlord and paused in order to get people's attention before launching into my travel tale.
Miles Kington Remembered: A well-travelled American is just a drop in two oceans
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Miles Kington Remembered: We prepare for old age, but we don't prepare for death
Monday, 28 April 2008
(19 June 2000)
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1 Matthew Norman: American democracy in all its filthy glory
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6 Sarah Churchwell: Hang on in there, Hillary. It's too soon to quit
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1 Matthew Norman: American democracy in all its filthy glory
2 Johann Hari: The loathsome smearing of Israel's critics
3 Sarah Churchwell: Hang on in there, Hillary. It's too soon to quit
5 Leading article: Life and death in the shadow of a vile regime
6 David Cameron: We are the champions of progressive ideals
7 The Sketch: The denial of a man who cannot accept being wrong
8 Johann Hari: I like to be informed – but TV's not helping
Commented
1 Matthew Norman: American democracy in all its filthy glory
3 Sarah Churchwell: Hang on in there, Hillary. It's too soon to quit
4 Johann Hari: The loathsome smearing of Israel's critics
5 The Sketch: The denial of a man who cannot accept being wrong
6 Ann Furedi: Why the status quo must be maintained
7 David Cameron: We are the champions of progressive ideals
8 You Write the Caption - 5/05/08
9 Joan Bakewell: Giant white horses and the dangers of 'plop' art
10 Janet Street-Porter: Deep in rural England, fresh fields for the BNP
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