The Tory conference was a pseudo-sacred affair, with devotees paying homage in front of Thatcher’s old shrouds — and your reporter, initially barred, only need mention he’d once met her to gain access. But would she consider what was on offer a worthy legacy, asks ANDREW MURRAY

MY GARLIC chives look their best in early autumn, with their white, starburst flowers held on long, stiff stems, high above the foliage.
It’s no wonder some people grow them purely as ornamentals. The hoverflies and bees which have flocked to them for the last few weeks are disappearing now, and the plant itself will soon start fading away for the winter. But it’ll be back early next spring; this is a long-lived and reliable perennial.
Allium tuberosum is called garlic chives because it grows just like chives, and has a mild, garlicky flavour. You’ll also see it listed as Chinese chives; in much of east Asia it’s grown as a serious vegetable, not merely a garnish or flavouring herb, which is how we tend to employ it over here.

MAT COWARD looks back to a 1931 protest against mass unemployment featuring a young Ewan MacColl

Cat show killer, avenging the pawns, women hunt the Ripper, and running dry in the outback

Spice up your life – and your greenhouse – with MAT COWARD’s gardening tips

Doomed adolescents, when the missing person is you, classic whodunnit, and an anti-capitalist eco-thriller