Showing 1 - 10 of 16
Recalling a world of dots and dashes
Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/05/2025
» I forgot to mention in PostScript last week that Sunday, April 27, was Morse Code Day which marks the birth of Samuel Morse, inventor of the famous communications code. The reason for my interest is that it brings fond memories of the late 1960s when I worked at Cable and Wireless (C&W) communications company in Holborn, central London.
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.
Still plenty of smiles in Thailand
Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/01/2025
» A reader politely questioned a reference to the "Land of Smiles" in last week's column, suggesting the smiles are maybe not as forthcoming as they once were. Perhaps they are not but deep down Thai people remain a cheerful lot. After five decades in the kingdom I still get a kick out of an unsolicited Thai smile whether it be from a shopkeeper, check-out lady, bank cashier or simply someone on the street. Maybe it's because I look a bit funny.
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.
Something of a cover-up on the beach
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/08/2022
» A "No Bikinis" sign on a Thai beach prompted a considerable debate last week although it appears to be little more than a storm in a B-cup. The sign appeared on Koh Samae San, a small Chon Buri island owned by the Thai Navy which apparently disapproves of this type of swimwear.
New passport, pity about the mug shot
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/04/2021
» A fortnight ago I picked up my new British passport. It was pleasing to see it had gone back to the traditional black colour and a similar size to the burgundy EU passports Brits have experienced for three decades. Alas, I probably won't be using it very much.
When protesters wore duffel coats
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/10/2020
» There seem to be daily protests going on around the world at the moment for multifarious reasons and it got me thinking about the first street demonstrations I witnessed first-hand in England as a teenager back in the Stone Age.
A sad reminder of an infamous battle
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/06/2020
» Like most expats I keep an eye open for any news from my hometown, which happens to be Reading in Berkshire. I surfaced last Sunday morning to find the lead item on the news was the awful murder of three Reading people relaxing in Forbury Gardens, a small park in the centre of town. When something horrible like that happens in a place you once regularly frequented, no matter how long ago, it prompts a most uncomfortable, empty feeling. My condolences to those who lost loved ones.
A triumph of imagination over intelligence
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/02/2020
» I am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day, but considering the awful events of recent weeks, a bit of "love", however contrived, was a welcome break from the daily diet of depressing news. So this week, it feels like an appropriate time to dwell on matters of the heart, as long as it is not a cardiac arrest.
Ministry of Wishful Thinking might help
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/06/2019
» All week we have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the new cabinet, although maybe eagerly is not quite the right word. The selection of cabinet ministers has always been a tricky affair for any new government. It is hardly a secret that certain ministerial posts are a lot more popular than others, owing to what could be politely termed "fringe benefits" -- and we are not talking about free rides on the skytrain.