Patrick Kidd

A charity gala marking the 125th anniversary of Coward’s birth at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London included a world premiere and a phalanx of theatrical titans

Sherlock Holmes creator wrote 100 years ago that baseball was “game England needs” thanks to its quick turnaround compared with “old man’s game” of cricket. Sounds familiar

One Australian called Don Bradman’s cap a “$5 piece of cloth” but the legendary batsman’s baggy green has estimated value of £200,000 when it goes on auction

Plus: Notre Dame hops over Hammersmith Bridge; when in Rome by Stanley Tucci; Christmas comes to No 10; and Winston Churchill’s smoke and mirrors

Real tennis star Camden Riviere holds the oldest world title in sport, dating back to 1740, and last week the 37-year-old became British Open champion once again

Plus; MP’s Bury FC allegiance; a poor year for eccentric books; Boris Johnson’s sauna diplomacy; and Mark Kermode’s deference to his own critics (at home)

I love the Ryder Cup but £580 for a day at Bethpage is obscene, while £250 is a lot for ten seconds of sprint action. So, give me the rugby clash at £15, with Timothy Taylor’s in the bar

Plus: the year’s most sobering Christmas card and the moment Ralph Fiennes thought his career was over

Patrick Kidd observes Oxford’s crews on the course from Putney to Mortlake as they step up preparations for next year’s contest against Cambridge

Annual Oval lunch reveals how London cartoonist caused an international incident with his depiction of the England and Surrey batsman in one of the first recorded instances of cancel culture