How I joined the manosphere via lemon cake recipes, by a 78-year-old grandmother

By internet enthusiast Nancy Wilkes, who doesn’t understand what her grandson means, she’s making the right clicks

I CAN’T find Mary Berry anywhere. Her recipes, I mean. That book has been my Bible – albeit stained with jam which you wouldn’t do with the actual word of God – for years.

But do I need to find it when there’s the web? I booted up the PC, got out the laminated sheet with the passwords on and 27 minutes and 138 updates later, I was on. ‘Please Google’ – it costs nothing to be polite – ‘can I have Mrs Berry with jam xxx’.

Perhaps my punctuation was off. But a woman, writhing, covered in what looked like shop-bought jam? Not the Mary I knew, but perhaps money got tight after Bake-Off. 

Well then, pound cake. I clicked on a video with a comely girl promising her cake would be pounded, because Gen Z know nothing about grammar. If she did make the cake it was further in than I watched. And four men? She’s never heard the phrase ‘too many cooks’.

So I clicked on a delicate little bald boy, with very sensitive eyes, just to be away from her. Andrew Tate, his name is. Such a traditional, strong name. You can’t go wrong with an Andrew.

He was telling me women ought to make him a sandwich. Quite the feminist; in my day, if you gave a man a sandwich instead of a hot dinner he’d leave for the pub and not come back.

But even though he’s a progressive he made good sense. Old-fashioned values about women knowing their role, getting married and staying at home, like when Mrs Thatcher was prime minister.

He’s a lovely lad, not lost his innocence, spends all day playing war with his friends and having shiny cars, and I agree with him that high body counts are ridiculous. That’s why I like Vera but I can’t stick Midsomer Murders.

I’ll watch again, to see this Chad and Stacey he’s so excited about come round. Not sure about all the ‘cucks’ and ‘beta males’ though. I suppose calling names lets him feel he’s got back at the bullies.

I’ve started following Andy. I hope he post recipes. I know you’re not supposed to say ‘gay’ now but he has the look of a man who’d make a delectable spiced apple turnover.

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Your astrological week ahead for March 21st, with Psychic Bob

Aries, March 21st–April 19th

“And check out my new two-hop craft beer, Dua Lipa’s Dual IPA.”

Taurus, April 20th–May 20th

‘We have International Women’s Day, but when’s International Seagull Day? It’s double standards,’ squawks the weird bloke in the pub with an orange beak and feet poking tellingly out from his trenchcoat.

Gemini, May 21st–June 21st

[couple lost in woodland] “Wait, isn’t that the sound of late 1980s jangle indie?”

Cancer, June 22nd–July 22nd

When I put ‘no ONS’ on my dating profile, I don’t mean no one-night stands, I mean that I won’t shag any of those f**king nerds at the Office for National Statistics.

Leo, July 23rd–August 22nd

Imagine if, in pop songs, instead of singing ‘hero’ we sung ‘heron’. ‘I’m holding out for a heron’. ‘I need a heron’. ‘And then a heron comes along.’ Ridiculous, isn’t it? Reason enough to abandon pop music and turn to the Lord.

Virgo, August 23rd–September 22nd

Your tree surgeon got struck off for performing unnecessary breast augmentation surgery on a horse chestnut.

Libra, September 23rd–October 22nd

“Where we’re going we don’t need roads! So Cecil Rhodes, 1853-1902, if you wouldn’t mind getting out here and we’ll pick you up on the way back.”

Scorpio, October 23rd–November 22nd

Weirdly, the sex workers in your area are offering an ALDI price match.

Sagittarius, November 22nd–December 21st

If only I could find Zack Polanski’s past as a fraudulent breast-enlarging hypnotist funny. But I’m not right wing.

Capricorn, December 22nd–January 19th

Go ahead, make my day. Buy me that lovely bunch of chrysanthemums.

Aquarius, January 20th–February 18th

Always get a receipt when buying a book in case it proves defective.

Pisces, February 19th–March 20th

Plenty of guys are holding a big fish in their Tinder profiles. Where I stand out is by bringing one on the date.