Simon Usborne

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Simon Usborne

I hate confrontation. Even a whiff of beef can keep me up at night. As a journalist, I’ve learned to listen and to probe only gently, never raising my voice or outwardly judging. Yet, for a long time – until quite recently – I would occasionally engage in fierce political arguments with certain friends and family members. The trigger would usually be a passing comment about, say, renewable energy, the character of Boris Johnson or the #MeToo movement. Wine often had a place at the table.

2 weeks ago | ft.com | Simon Usborne

To run a speedboat operation on the Thames, it pays to have hair like Charlie Matheson’s.

3 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Simon Usborne

Home / EntertainmentBy Simon UsborneThe Times·2 Apr, 2025 09:00 PM18 mins to readSubscribe to listenAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Already a subscriber?  Sign in hereListening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. ‌SaveShare this articleReminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Simon Usborne

Of all the teenage anxieties that can take root, beard growth – or the lack of it – was the one that really got to Vikram Arora. His facial hair was patchier than a drought-hit lawn and by the time he went to college he was self-conscious. “You’d have older guys coming in with a bit of stubble and it was almost this guilty secret where I’d be thinking: ‘I wish I could have that,‘” he says. It was the 1990s and George Michael’s sculpted goatee was everywhere.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Simon Usborne

Of all the teenage anxieties that can take root, beard growth – or the lack of it – was the one that really got to Vikram Arora. His facial hair was patchier than a drought-hit lawn and by the time he went to college he was very self-conscious. “You’d have older guys coming in with a bit of stubble and it was almost this guilty secret where I’d be thinking: ‘I wish I could have that,’” he says. It was the 90s and George Michael’s sculpted goatee was everywhere.