Showing 1 - 10 of 35
A missing item in the rural soundtrack
Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/01/2026
» As usual at this time of the year I have been enjoying life in the Northeastern province of Chaiyaphum for several weeks. However on this visit there was something slightly different which I couldn't immediately put my finger on. It took a few days before realising I was not being woken up by the usual early morning chorus of roosters or chickens of any sort.
Let's hope 2026 is not too amazing
Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/01/2026
» Well here we are on the fourth day of a brand new year. I trust everyone is holding up well after the festivities because it can be quite gruelling pretending to behave in a jovial fashion if you are not feeling jovial at all.
Not even the penguins were spared
Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/12/2025
» Well, we've just about slithered our way through the Year of the Snake. Suffice to say, 2025 wasn't much fun. At least the previous year we had the "Happy Hippo" which kept us vaguely amused in a daft sort of way.
Maybe it's time to look on the bright side
Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/01/2025
» It is that time of the year when columnists are expected to make a few pertinent predictions concerning what could be in store for the next 12 months. However, things are so unpredictable at the moment that even Nostradamus would struggle to come up with a half-decent forecast. We are also entering the Year of the Snake which is not particularly comforting.
A magical weekend at Yasgur's Farm
Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/08/2024
» Every year there are anniversaries marking significant events from the past and they always serve as uncomfortable reminders that I am getting a bit old. A classic example is this weekend with the 55th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival. Now that's scary. Surely it couldn't have been that long ago?
Lop Buri before the monkeying around
Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/06/2024
» One of the first towns I visited in Thailand in the early 1970s was Lop Buri, about 150 km north of Bangkok. Its main appeal was its convenient three-hour train journey from Hua Lamphong. It offered a chance to escape Bangkok for a couple of days and experience a taste of life in a small town.
Delicate art of being nasty and nice
Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/03/2024
» One word we have been subjected to almost on a daily basis recently is "diplomacy" as politicians grapple with the world's woes without much success. A dictionary definition of diplomacy is "tact or skill in dealing with people". Unfortunately it is more complex than that as the world is in such a mess. Perhaps Ambrose Bierce was nearer the mark in his Devil's Dictionary when he described diplomacy as "the patriotic art of lying for one's country".
Sad tale of a sycamore and a chainsaw
Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/10/2023
» Every now and again there is a news story that leaves you scratching your head prompting the question "What were they thinking?" That was my reaction on reading of the destruction by vandals of an iconic sycamore tree in the northern England county of Northumberland.
If it's 'early doors' there's plenty of time
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/06/2023
» A Thai reader asked recently the meaning of the expression "early doors" which he had heard used frequently in English football commentaries. It has become quite a familiar observation in sport to indicate a game is still at an early stage. It also creeps into everyday language although perhaps in the more common form of "early days".
Being ginger adds spice to life
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/06/2023
» I have been reprimanded by a reader of ginger persuasion for failing to mention two significant days in the calendar for those of us who have grown up saddled with nicknames like "Ginger Nut", "Ginger Bonce", "Tomato Head", "Carrot Top", not to mention "Freckle Face". I plead guilty to allowing the recent "Cuddle a Ginger Day" and "World Redhead Day" slip by without a single bleat in support of gingers.