Showing 1 - 10 of 51
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.
Time, ladies and gentlemen, please
Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/11/2025
» Well it looks like a decision has finally been made even though it has taken 53 years. According to Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Zarum, that quirky ban on the sale of alcohol in Thailand from 2pm to 5pm will soon be lifted. The ban had always defied logic. Let's hope there's not a catch, as the build-up to it, which involved several U-turns, has been a trifle confusing to say the least.
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.
Great debates… and some not so great
Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/03/2025
» No-confidence debates similar to that which took place in the Thai parliament earlier in the week have become something of a tradition in the kingdom, but I can’t recall any such motion ever being successful. Still, at least it gives the MPs an opportunity to share their words of wisdom with us hoi polloi.
Feline stardom doesn't come easy
Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/11/2024
» In the final credits of many American films you often see the "no animals were harmed" disclaimer, meaning representatives of the American Humane Association were present to ensure no animals were mistreated during the course of filming.
Those pesky pigeons and a plastic owl
Roger Crutchley, Published on 21/07/2024
» Fond as I am of our feathered friends I admit to getting in a bit of a flap over the rapidly increasing number of pigeons (nok pilab) that have been descending on our residence in recent times. Some people call pigeons "rats with wings", others more generously "doves without the PR". I must confess to be leaning towards the first of those opinions.
A perfectly British public paradox
Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/07/2024
» Much has been made of the "working class" background of the newly-elected government in the UK and how very few of Sir Keir Starmer's Cabinet attended posh "public schools". This brings us to one of the paradoxes of British and particularly English culture. The institutions which are called "public schools" in England are anything but public and are actually elite private fee-paying institutions.
Thailand through the looking glass
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/01/2024
» It's that time of the year when newspaper columnists predict what's in store for the next 12 months. Hopefully it will be an improvement on last year. We have just about scraped through the Year of the Rabbit but I haven't got too much faith in what the Year of the Dragon has to offer. We cannot rule out another annus horribilis.
The dictionaries have a word for it
Roger Crutchley, Published on 26/11/2023
» It's that much-anticipated time when dictionary publishers come out with their "words of the year". In recent times such words have become increasingly depressing. You may recall last year Collins Dictionary went for "permacrisis" which has turned out to be uncomfortably accurate in light of world events over the ensuing 12 months.
The song that broke all the taboos
Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/07/2023
» The song "Je t'aime" surfaced on the airwaves last week following the death of its star performer Jane Birkin at the age of 76. I don't know enough about her to comment on her career, suffice to say the English actress went on to captivate France.