Showing 1 - 10 of 66
It can even get a bit chilly in Hell
Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/04/2026
» The pause in the Middle East conflict is very welcome although with the opposing elements both claiming a "great victory" it's all a trifle confusing. Prior to the ceasefire, we had witnessed increasingly belligerent exchanges from both sides containing sombre warnings that the opposing forces were destined to end up in "hell". In fact the word "hell" was appearing so frequently it was in danger of losing its intended impact.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Last Frontier unlike any other place
Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/08/2025
» Alaska has been thrust into the news this weekend for reasons that require no explanation. It's a suitably symbolic venue for the Trump-Putin summit considering it was once part of the Russian Empire. It is certainly an extraordinary part of the world that is much appreciated by those who love the wilderness.
Thai police officer becomes the bee's knees
Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/04/2025
» The feel-good story this week involves a most unlikely hero, a Thai policeman. It is not often that the local gendarmerie are the subject of uplifting news, but that was the case in the Northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom when an alert policeman rescued a woman from a swarm of attacking bees.
Singers who inspire the plant kingdom
Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/03/2025
» In last week's item about Thailand's talented Blackpink singer Lisa I failed to mention that Chiang Mai University researchers have named a newly discovered flower after her. It is of the custard apple variety and scientifically named Friesodielsia lalisae.
Why custard doesn't cut the mustard
Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/10/2024
» Last week I came across an expression I hadn't heard for years, courtesy of the Bangkok Post's cryptic crossword. The clue was "It's sweet (but cowardly)". The answer turned out to be "custard". That took me back to pre-teen days when "cowardy, cowardy custard" (without the 'L') was a taunt heard at my primary school when someone timid was being teased.
When Bangkok bid for the Olympics
Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/07/2024
» It's been 100 years since the last Paris Olympics which was dramatically portrayed in the stirring 1981 film Chariots of Fire. I can still picture that opening scene with the British athletes running along the beach to the sounds of that Vangelis anthem. It's hard to believe that was made 43 years ago. If this year's Olympics are even half as exciting as the 1924 event it will be an achievement.