Showing 11 - 20 of 25
The everlasting appeal of Mrs Peel
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/09/2020
» I was saddened to learn of the death of actress Dame Diana Rigg at 82, best known by people of my vintage for her role as Emma Peel, the dynamic comrade of dapper secret agent John Steed in the idiosyncratic BBC series The Avengers. Rigg only appeared in two seasons, 1965-67, but she certainly made her mark, displaying a winning combination of charm, fashion, sophistication and martial arts. She was particularly proficient at karate chops.
Bookshelves behind the talking heads
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/07/2020
» One result of the coronavirus is that the majority of news interviews on television are coming from people's homes, whether they be professional broadcasters, celebrities or the general public. They tend to get a bit tedious after a while and it is easy to find yourself examining the backdrop. This is invariably a bookshelf or a couple of weird paintings that are often far more interesting than what the person is actually saying.
The Early Bird has made his last flight
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/03/2020
» Over the years there have been many talented foreigners who made Thailand their home. One such person was Australian Jim Davison who pioneered English language radio broadcasting after arriving in 1966 and continued for five decades. I am sad to report Davison passed away in Australia recently at the grand age of 104.
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.
Nothing wrong in being distracted
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 21/01/2018
» Earlier this month in PostScript there was a reference to "distracted walkers", a term for those people who bump into you on the street or the BTS because they have their noses buried in their smartphones.
On handling the gentlemen of the press
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/01/2018
» It is hardly a secret that the Thai prime minister is not exactly enamoured with the media. The press can admittedly at times be a pain in the posterior for those in power. It cannot be much fun having microphones shoved in your face after breakfast every morning by a scrum of journalists asking awkward questions about watches, submarines and elections.
The politician, the spy and the showgirl
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/12/2017
» The death of Christine Keeler this past week at the age of 75 inevitably brought back memories of what was known as the Profumo Affair, a classic 1960s British scandal of sex, lies and politics. Add a Soviet spy, kinky parties and decadent goings-on in high society featuring an ultimately tragic osteopath named Dr Stephen Ward, and it became a huge story.
Facing the music on a desert island
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/02/2017
» The daily news is so depressing it is time for a bit of unabashed escapism. Last weekend marked the 75th anniversary of Desert Island Discs, one of BBC Radio's most iconic programmes. The format involves celebrities being interviewed about their life and selecting eight records if castaway on a desert island. Each guest is allowed a book of their choice and an inanimate luxury.
Which street is the Gettysburg Address?
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/10/2016
» Most Americans are aware of the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches ever given in American history, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 at the height of the civil war.
The day Ali made my dad spill his tea
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/06/2016
» Some early memories from an Englishman who supported Muhammad Ali in every fight … well, except two.