Showing 1 - 8 of 8
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.
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.
Celluloid sleuths more fun in the old days
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/03/2023
» I was watching a US cops and robbers film the other day in which the police were using those large portable phones that were around just at the start of the cellphone revolution. Nothing dates a film more than the type of phones they are using. Those unwieldy early portable phones look quite comical these days and seem more cumbersome than convenient.
It's important to know your onions
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/02/2023
» There was a news photograph recently in which a Filipina bride in Iloilo on the island of Panay carried a bouquet of onions down the aisle rather than flowers. She explained that while flowers would soon be thrown away the onions would last and ensure the newlyweds have something to eat in the ensuing weeks. Now that is a practical housewife.
The soggy socks and sandbags month
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/10/2022
» Judging from the pervading sense of dampness experienced during the past week we are entering the annual soggy socks season so beloved by the populace. The meteorological office has been getting into the spirit of things with forecasts of heavy rains brought by what began as Typhoon Noru.
Familiar places gone but not forgotten
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/04/2021
» Last week I was walking along upper Sukhumvit after an excursion to the somewhat inappropriately-named Trendy building on Soi 13. I decided to drop in on my long-time travel agent nearby who I hadn't seen for a while, just to say hello. The lady in charge has an appealing personality and always cheers me up.
Mullumbimby's 'Russians' in good voice
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/06/2020
» A rare piece of cheerful news comes from the unlikely locale of Mullumbimby, a small Australian town in New South Wales where 28 middle-aged bearded Aussies have formed a choir, singing only traditional Russian folk and marching songs. They call themselves "Dustyesky", dress as Russian workers in cloth caps and cheekily refer to their town as Mullumgrad. Calling themselves a "fake genuine Russian choir", their stirring rendition of the Song of the Volga Boatmen is something to behold.
It ain't real English, but sounds great
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/03/2019
» The other night at home I was listening to CDs -- yes, I'm still in the Stone Age -- and two of my favourite songs came up, Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers and Ain't No Mountain High Enough from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Apart from both being soulful numbers -- and like me, pretty ancient -- you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to observe that a common factor in the title is the word ain't.