When it comes to spies, boring beats glamour
Evening Standard|July 22, 2024
AS a childhood reader of spy novels, I acquired high expectations of the secret world.
Ethan Croft
When it comes to spies, boring beats glamour

British spies would be flamboyant and exceptional. But looking around the post-university scene, I realise that all the people I knew who became spies are dull. There was the humdrum civil service fast streamer who mysteriously ended up living in Portsmouth, location of MI6’s training camp, for a few months. Another vanilla acquaintance abandoned post-university travels plans to move to Cheltenham, home of GCHQ. There was an unmemorable trainee army officer whose digital footprint disappeared without trace.

This story is from the July 22, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 22, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EVENING STANDARDView All
Who's in, who's out and who will Trump go after now?
The London Standard

Who's in, who's out and who will Trump go after now?

The president-elect is building up his power base and plotting his revenge on those who have wronged him. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a wild ride

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 28, 2024
Vamos Rafa! It's time to go for Spain's brave warrior
The London Standard

Vamos Rafa! It's time to go for Spain's brave warrior

'Shy and funny' Nadal bows out as sport's ultimate competitor

time-read
2 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Does Angeball have a winning future at Spurs?
The London Standard

Does Angeball have a winning future at Spurs?

Head coach divides supporters with his ultra-attacking tactics

time-read
5 mins  |
November 21, 2024
The £5bn-a-year tax timebomb that's set to devastate London hospitality
The London Standard

The £5bn-a-year tax timebomb that's set to devastate London hospitality

The capital will bear the brunt of Rachel Reeves’s National Insurance raid

time-read
4 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Live like a Queen...
The London Standard

Live like a Queen...

...in the house gifted to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII in 1540 and now onsale for 3.75 million

time-read
3 mins  |
November 21, 2024
At home with...Matthew Williamson
The London Standard

At home with...Matthew Williamson

The designer’s Belsize Park flatis a grand canvas for his ever-changing colour palette

time-read
5 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Hidden London
The London Standard

Hidden London

The first time I made my way to Maison Assouline was with a broken foot, in a tragic boot and crutches.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Jameela Jamil on why New York will always have her heart...
The London Standard

Jameela Jamil on why New York will always have her heart...

..and her stomach. The actor and activist shares her favourite brunch spot, a secret bar and her brownstone fantasies

time-read
6 mins  |
November 21, 2024
The London Standard

My life in bespoke suits

Back in the Eighties, suits were so wide that even the shoulder pads had shoulder pads. Suits back then were boxy, square, and designed to make you look like a quarterback, a bouncer or a tank.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 21, 2024
Cher's wild world
The London Standard

Cher's wild world

The singer's memoir is full of jaw-dropping tales

time-read
4 mins  |
November 21, 2024