Martin buckley

STOW-ON-THE-WOLD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

The continuing popularity of Hot Wheels, Matchbox and other model cars proves that even in this era of smartphone doomscrolling, there’s still room for tactile pleasure when it comes to children’s toy

Opera is dead. And has been for quite a long time. I don’t care what anybody says about Poulenc and Prokofiev, I cannot be persuaded that any listenable music theatre has been written since Puccini. (

Christmas is a time of comforting traditions, isn’t it? In our household, Christmas begins in early December with a showing of The Muppet Christmas Carol while we wrestle the Christmas tree into place

Lost Cars of the 1960s £19.99 With previous ...

Today’s queues may be digital, but the fight to secure that must-have present and avoid small, disappointed faces is timeless. Tom Howells looks at the toys topping recent (and less recent) Christmas wish lists