Peter Rhodes: A great plug for Scrabble

A FRIEND complains that her flower bed has been taken over by a large and unruly borage plant which she has named Gigantus boragus triffidum. The correct Latin name for borage is, of course, Normanus stanleii fletcheris

THERE was a great plug for Scrabble in The Handmaid's Tale (C4) in which Offred (Elisabeth Moss) enjoys an unexpected board-game session with her Commander (Joseph Fiennes ). The message is clear: Scrabble is better than sex. Or at least it's better than sex as practised in this drama's dystopian society where most women are barren and intercourse is a joyless threesome involving fertile maids and resentful wives. The difference with Scrabble is that a triple score is a happy event.

JEREMY Corbyn has always been a fierce campaigner against terrorism. He has never honoured the IRA nor befriended Hamas. He has voted consistently for tougher anti-terror legislation. He robustly supports police operating a shoot-to-kill policy against terrorists caught in the act. The above statement was brought to you by the Association for the Promotion of Whoppers, Hypocrisy and National Amnesia.

THIS year, Ramadan began on May 26 and ends on June 24. For most Muslims, it is a time for fasting and prayer and doing good deeds. For Islamist terrorists, the very best of good deeds is martyrdom, which may explain the timing of the weekend slaughter in London. What better way to ensure you are killed by the cops than to wear a fake suicide vest?

THE unanswered question is why, in the early days of Ramadan, the authorities decided to drop the nationwide terror alert status from critical, imposed after the Manchester suicide attack, to severe. I can only assume the aim was to persuade a jittery public that everything was under control and no further attacks were expected. Wrong on both counts.

SO let's assume, no matter what the threat experts say, that this Ramadan will bring more attacks in Britain. Just as we became wary of unattended bags during the IRA campaign, we must learn to be on our guard in public places, especially the sort of places that deranged Islamists regard as dens of alcohol and corruption. The only reason Saturday's killers were so successful is that they had the psychological advantage. They were ready for violence but their victims were not, and the official police advice is to run, hide and report. But there is another option. Sometimes, we can fight back.

ONE report suggests that customers in a pub threw glasses and chairs at a terrorist who burst in. If we switch on and are prepared to act together spontaneously, common sense tells us that one man with a knife is no match for 20 blokes with beer glasses and pub stools.

I BOUGHT a pair of sunglasses. They came on a card with a photo of a muscular, suntanned chap posing with a mountain bike. Clearly, these shades are designed for rugged use and the open road. On the back of the card the small print declared that although they conformed with the EU regulations, they are “not suitable for driving and road use." Purely for posing.