Showing 1 - 10 of 21
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.
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.
Remembering a horse with no name
Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/02/2025
» Something I have always been thankful for is not succumbing to gambling. This is not because of any lofty moral stance but the reality that with my luck, I would never have a hope of winning. In fact, the only time I ever won anything by chance was at a church fete lottery at the age of 10. The prize was a large bar of soap which at that age seemed more of a punishment than a reward.
A cheap room with a precious view
Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/02/2025
» I have just spent a month in Chaiyaphum and during that time visited Loei province and the Mekong River town of Chiang Khan on the border with Laos. It prompted memories of my first trip to Loei many moons ago.
A magical weekend at Yasgur's Farm
Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/08/2024
» Every year there are anniversaries marking significant events from the past and they always serve as uncomfortable reminders that I am getting a bit old. A classic example is this weekend with the 55th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival. Now that's scary. Surely it couldn't have been that long ago?
Beatniks, beards, duffel coats and music
Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/08/2024
» There seems to be daily protests going on around the world including England. It is uncomfortable witnessing in my home country scenes of bricks being lobbed through windows, doors kicked in, businesses boarded up and terrified shopkeepers pulling down the shutters. Thankfully, things appear to have temporarily calmed down and hopefully it will stay that way.
We can always live in a dollhouse
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/07/2024
» Thai tourism authorities are always quick to make the most of any new fad, which might explain the appearance of a life-sized Labubu doll on the front page of the Bangkok Post this week. Apparently, the mascot is part of a promotion to attract Chinese tourists. I confess to not knowing anything about the Labubu craze although the Post's doll correspondent informs me the designer doll is a "kind-hearted monster with pointed ears and serrated teeth". Hmmm.
A painful ride with a certified horn honker
Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/02/2024
» Despite the frustration of sitting in endless jams, I've always felt Bangkok motorists display remarkable restraint when it comes to using horns. Unlike many cities in the world it is rare to hear a chorus of angry car klaxons. Things are admittedly a bit different on the provincial highways with buses and trucks not averse to giving a blast on their air horns with the clear message "Get out of the way."
Some 2023 tales you may have missed
Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/12/2023
» It is customary at this time of the year for PostScript to look back at some of the major happenings of the last 12 months. But we will have a change this year because the news has been far too depressing. So instead we will examine some of the not-so-major happenings of 2023 that you might have missed amongst all the gloom and doom. They may not be particularly significant but are a lot more fun than the grim stuff we read every day.
A curious place to find 'Lady Liberty'
Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/07/2023
» A headline which caught my eye in last Sunday's Post was "Highway 12 to economic heaven" with a report concerning the rich potential of this route which stretches west to east from Tak on the Myanmar border to Mukdahan, just this side of the Mekong River from Laos.