Showing 1 - 10 of 13
The lonely songbird in a gilded cage
Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/02/2025
» A few words on singer/actress Marianne Faithfull who died last week at the age of 78. I have followed her career with some interest because she lived in my home town of Reading in the early 1960s, attending St Joseph's Convent school.
The song that broke all the taboos
Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/07/2023
» The song "Je t'aime" surfaced on the airwaves last week following the death of its star performer Jane Birkin at the age of 76. I don't know enough about her to comment on her career, suffice to say the English actress went on to captivate France.
Bangkok still tangled up in 'sky spaghetti'
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/08/2022
» Earlier this week I was sitting in the customary traffic jam on Sukhumvit near Phra Khanong Bridge and found myself gazing at the tangled mess of overhead cables which have decorated Bangkok's streets for so long. It was not a pretty sight, especially dangling in front of ageing shophouses and filthy iron grilles that are not exactly a vision of splendour themselves.
Cold War getting too hot for comfort
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/02/2022
» Having been brought up in the 1950s and 60s during what was known as the Cold War, I find it a bit sad that after all the ensuing decades nothing seems to have changed. Russia and the West are at it again, still calling one another names. But as long as it remains name-calling we'll take that.
Back in the cinema again with 007
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/10/2021
» Just got back from watching No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's fifth and final appearance as James Bond and the 25th film in the franchise. It was quite a decent send-off for Craig and entertaining enough to sit back and enjoy my first visit to a cinema in a couple of years.
The milkman who became a secret agent
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/11/2020
» To briefly escape from the US election mayhem, an appreciation of actor Sean Connery who died last week aged 90, seems to be in order. I had somehow thought Connery would go on forever, just like the Bond films. It is an intriguing tale of an Edinburgh milkman who became the most famous fictional spy in the world.
Hairstyles a rights issue
News, Editorial, Published on 06/07/2020
» The protests of a group of school students against teachers who continue to enforce rigid haircut requirements hint at the answer to a far wider problem with the Thai education system.
The Cisco Kid was a friend of mine
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 03/11/2019
» Every now and again in Bangkok something triggers memories of childhood days in England. Not far from my current residence a condominium is going up called the Glendale, which was the name of my local cinema back home in Reading.
Temples no longer safe for children
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 30/10/2019
» News about monks' sexual misconduct has become so frequent that it no longer shocks. But the latest scandal involving a rapist, paedophile monk makes my blood boil.
Diesel must die
News, Postbag, Published on 26/01/2019
» So, Pol Gen Aswin is going to "spearhead a campaign to tackle fine dust particles", (BP, Jan 25).