Showing 1 - 10 of 18
Where there's Muck there's puffins
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/11/2025
» Important news from Northern Ireland. For the first time in more than 25 years puffins have been spotted on the quaintly named Isle of Muck. The isle is a nature reserve on the Antrim coast and derives its unusual name from the adjacent town of Portmuck.
The amazing paddy fields of England
Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/10/2025
» Important news from Blighty. Rice has been grown for the first time in Britain in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. Apparently this is a result of an unusually hot summer. For a project that had once been dismissed as a joke it's quite an achievement. Let's hope the notoriously fickle English weather doesn't spoil it all. It will probably start snowing tomorrow.
I heard it on the radio, a long time ago
Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/03/2025
» News reports suggest the future of Voice of America (VOA) is seriously in doubt. I haven’t listened to VOA in five decades but there was a time I tuned in during my teenage years back in the Stone Age. It might seem strange for a spotty English kid to switch on VOA so I will attempt to explain.
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.
Playing cat and mouse at Downing Street
Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/10/2024
» Important news from London. Larry the Cat has a new housemate at Downing Street. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the arrival of a white Siberian kitten called Prince. This breed of cat is apparently "good at problem solving" so considering the state of the UK at the moment it should be kept very busy in the PM's office. It is unclear if it will attend Cabinet meetings as being a Russian breed it may face security issues.
An uninvited guest for breakfast
Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/04/2024
» Last Monday morning breakfast was abruptly interrupted when my dog on his daily sniffing patrol came charging into the living room and began barking agitatedly at the sofa on which I was sitting. Although the hound regularly enjoys a healthy bark in the garden, he knows the house rules for indoors… strictly no yelping. So this blatant breach of barking etiquette had me a little concerned.
Some 2023 tales you may have missed
Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/12/2023
» It is customary at this time of the year for PostScript to look back at some of the major happenings of the last 12 months. But we will have a change this year because the news has been far too depressing. So instead we will examine some of the not-so-major happenings of 2023 that you might have missed amongst all the gloom and doom. They may not be particularly significant but are a lot more fun than the grim stuff we read every day.
Going bananas over the 'Day-O' song
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/05/2023
» The recent death of the gifted Jamaican-American singer Harry Belafonte at the age of 96 inevitably sparked memories of when his biggest hit "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" swept the globe, including Britain.
Lots of promises as big day approaches
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/04/2023
» With the Great Event, otherwise known as election day, just around the corner, like most countries in the world we will have to brace ourselves for regular helpings of political poppycock including plenty of promises from prospective candidates. Still, it could be fun.
A lovely bunch of coconuts and all that
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/07/2020
» The humble coconut (ma prow) has been in the news lately following allegations of abuse of Thai monkeys used in harvesting the fruit. I admit to not being familiar enough with the training of the monkeys to know if they are maltreated as alleged and certainly would not endorse any cruelty. But if they are treated well it shouldn't be a problem. On sporadic visits to the South I've seen the monkeys at work and play, and they appeared to be quite happy scampering up the coconut palms. They certainly have more fun than those used in medical research.