Showing 1 - 7 of 7
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.
Britain braces for invasion of bed bugs
Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/10/2023
» One English expression my wife often comes up with is "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite". It sounds particularly comforting in her Thai accent, although occasionally she gets in a bit of a tangle with the three "b" words at the end which can be a bit tricky if spoken quickly.
Can't beat question time in the 'bear pit'
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/02/2022
» While normally steering well clear of British politics I admit to having enjoyed recent live TV sessions of the UK Parliament. The weekly Prime Minister's Question Time (PMQ) held on Wednesdays is far more entertaining than any soap opera. Witnessing the verbal jousting as the PM attempts to side-step a withering grilling is sheer theatre. It is almost like being the accused in the dock at a court hearing.
The most dignified drummer in rock 'n roll
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/08/2021
» We sadly lost two legendary musicians last week with the passing of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (80) and singer Don Everly (84).
Desperate times for the old normal
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 26/07/2020
» Every now and again a buzzword or phrase appears which you know is not going away in a hurry, although you wish it would. One such expression which we have become accustomed to in recent times is "new normal". Admittedly it sounded quite trendy and even clever when it first emerged, but it has been so overused it is already something of a cliche.
Why a teen girl in Korat cried all night
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/11/2019
» It is always uncomfortable to read about hard-working people who are taken advantage of by unscrupulous characters. This appears to be the case with "Orm", a 15-year-old girl in Korat who had been making krathong floats for tomorrow's Loy Krathong festival, only to be arrested and fined for alleged copyright infringement.
Elton, a madman and a ghetto blaster
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/07/2019
» During the early 1970s, my main source of recorded music in Bangkok was a little shop called Rex Records on Phetchaburi Road. In addition to having a decent collection of vinyl albums, it also provided a useful service by transposing albums onto cassette tapes which was then the most common form of listening to music.