This is Trevor Phillips. Since 2006 he has headed the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. He is a man who supports freedom of speech. Until you say something he doesn’t like. He is as fine an example as you’ll find of the gobsmacking hyprocrisy of the Politically Correct. This week Mr Phillips’s organisation began county court…

As my regular reader knows I’m an avid follower of David Patrick Columbia’s New York Social Diary and have introduced several friends to its considerable pleasures. So much so that one of them suggested I should launch a Venice Social Diary. After all, there are some weeks when Mr F and I can hardly hear ourselves…

It’s 10am and I’m at my desk, about to start work. Truly. I mean, I’ve been up since 6.00. But here’s the thing. This is Italy. See, I met my friend Mim for an early morning walk – we like to go along the Zattere, west to east, first one to dive into a turning…

Every year August Italian-style takes me by surprise. Everything closes, from Sonia the candle lady to Tonolo, the purveyor of fruit tarts. There’s nowhere to buy flowers, nowhere to get a photocopy made. And this morning Mr Bassich the fish man informed me he’s closing Saturday until September. Our building is practically empty, the builders who are…