Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Recalling the 'the quick brown fox' era
Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/03/2026
» Every day of the year has its own niche in history and March 1 is no exception. On this day 152 years ago the first typewriters went on sale in the US. It was 1874 and the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, invented in Milwaukee, was proudly presented by Remington & Sons in New York.
Hedgehoppers in search of good news
Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/02/2026
» Being the very first day of February it would have been nice if there was some good news worth celebrating, but unfortunately nothing immediately springs to mind. Cheerful news is an increasingly rare commodity these days. It all seems to be gloom and doom and hardly portends a joyful 2026. It can get a bit wearying grappling with news reports featuring contradictions, cover-ups and cock-ups, often accompanied by half-truths, prevarications and porky pies. But this is the world we now live in.
On top of the world in Kathmandu
Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/09/2025
» I was sorry to read about the unrest in Kathmandu this week. As a kid in the UK during the 1950s I used to daydream about far away places with strange-sounding names. One of those places was Kathmandu.
Are tourists ready for Thai ghosts?
Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/06/2024
» The latest inspiration from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is to promote "Ghost Tourism" to spice up the experiences of visitors who may be a little weary of bars, beaches and the usual bunkum.
Spies in the sky blowin' in the wind
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/02/2023
» The current "balloon" wars have been quite entertaining in a weird sort of way with a strange mix of espionage, propaganda and porky pies that are just enough to capture the public's imagination. Perhaps secretly we would like one of these unidentified flying objects (UFO) to be something a bit more mysterious than simply a common weather balloon. But we haven't quite yet reached the "little green men" stage.
A century of sawing people in half
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/01/2021
» The most important news of the week is that magicians are today celebrating the 100th anniversary of a woman being sawn in half on stage. We could all probably do with a bit of magic in our lives at the moment, so let's wave the wand with a quick "abracadabra" and take a magical mystery tour.
A sad reminder of an infamous battle
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/06/2020
» Like most expats I keep an eye open for any news from my hometown, which happens to be Reading in Berkshire. I surfaced last Sunday morning to find the lead item on the news was the awful murder of three Reading people relaxing in Forbury Gardens, a small park in the centre of town. When something horrible like that happens in a place you once regularly frequented, no matter how long ago, it prompts a most uncomfortable, empty feeling. My condolences to those who lost loved ones.
Shake hands on it… on second thoughts
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 15/03/2020
» I was at a recent gathering with friends in Bangkok where the customary handshakes were replaced by a variety of awkward fist bumps, elbow nudges, foot-shakes, waving of arms and other silly ways of saying "hello". But there were definitely no nose-to-nose greetings. Not shaking hands with your closest friends is probably the most noticeable example of how the Covid-19 crisis has affected everyday life. Even Britain's Queen Elizabeth has let it be known that she will not be shaking hands with anyone "for the foreseeable future".
The day the tree came tumbling down
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/05/2018
» Last week I suffered the distressing experience of watching the biggest tree in my garden be chopped down to a stump. The tree had been there for a decade, growing rapidly every year, and it felt almost like losing a favourite pet. I should explain that although I love trees, this arboreal assault was given my reluctant approval as the tree had grown to a such a height that if it came down in a storm it would demolish half of the house. All the same, I felt very uncomfortable watching it being hacked away branch by branch.