Showing 1 - 10 of 33
A plaintive song for the taxman
Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/03/2026
» I've just got back from filing my income tax and must thank the staff at the branch of the Revenue Department for their helpfulness and efficiency. It must be a thankless job knowing that nearly everyone they deal with would probably rather be somewhere else.
The time I really put my foot in it
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/10/2025
» A half-hearted spring-cleaning session at home during the week came to a welcome halt when I unearthed a couple of my father's wartime RAF books under a pile of disintegrating paperbacks. The Air Ministry books, published more than 80 years ago, always serve as a reminder of when as a kid I made a faux pas of embarrassing proportions.
The toothpaste which created TV history
Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/09/2025
» Last week marked the 70th anniversary of television advertisements in Britain. For years the BBC had been the only TV network in Britain and no ads were allowed. But in the mid-1950s along came Independent Television (ITV) which was launched to create competition, the big difference being that it was permitted to finance itself by showing advertisements.
When tittle tattle lost the battle
Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/05/2025
» This past week there have been many moving ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe) marking the end of the war in Europe. I was born shortly after the war (a "bundle for Britain") but this week's celebrations brought to mind wartime slogans and expressions that surfaced between 1939-45 and remained in use for years to come.
It's time to jive on the old six-five
Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/02/2025
» Today is Feb 16, admittedly not a date that would resonate amongst most people. But this day 68 years ago witnessed the first time British television launched a programme dedicated to pop music or rather rock-and-roll. Not exactly earth-shattering news, but it was a start.
There's nothing like an odd book title
Roger Crutchley, Published on 15/12/2024
» For 46 years the English literary magazine Bookseller has been holding an annual award for the oddest book title, also known as the Diagram Prize. It is generally agreed that a snappy title helps the sales of a book, although some can be a bit too snappy, bordering on ridiculous.
'Amazing Thailand' just won't go away
Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/10/2024
» I must confess to groaning just a little this week upon seeing the headline "Amazing Thailand is back". I am not sure it ever went away. We were informed that next year we are in for "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism Year" with the aim to attract more than 40 million visitors to these sunny shores. That's all a bit scary.
It's getting to be tough at the top
Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/08/2024
» In these turbulent times around the globe you wonder why anyone would aspire to be a prime minister, president, dictator, despot, tyrant or whatever. Even in Amazing Thailand it can't be much fun being the PM. Just imagine waking up every morning and realising you are responsible for 71 million Thai citizens, all probably with some kind of grievance. Most of us have enough problems looking just after ourselves … and maybe the dog.
It's feeling a bit on the warm side
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/04/2024
» It was Oscar Wilde who observed that "conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative". He might have had a point but it means there are a lot of unimaginative people in Thailand at present. I can hardly recall a conversation lately without a reference to the heat. It has definitely been "a bit on the warm side".
Sleeping on the job at 36,000 feet
Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/03/2024
» There was a rather bizarre story which emerged recently of an Indonesian domestic flight on which for half an hour both pilots were fast asleep at the same time.