Clarkson’s plaque: a boon to anyone suffering doubt | David Mitchell

In an age where we crave certainty, maybe we should thank Simonstone Hall for deciding to commemorate a Jeremy Clarkson fracas with a plaque

At times of crisis and doubt, we crave certainty. I really envy everyone who’s certain that the best way of countering the threat of Islamist terrorism is definitely to bomb Isis. Equally I envy everyone who’s certain that the best way of doing that is definitely not to bomb Isis. The two groups’ total certainty is all the more inspiring for the fact that they must surely know about each other.

The unavailability of hot food at 10pm is not exactly a selling point for a country house hotel