• OPINION

  A medley of moonlight, stars and pines

  Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/09/2023

  » The answer to a crossword clue I recently tackled was "Vermont" which immediately triggered memories of the beautiful 1950's song Moonlight in Vermont. When I first heard the tune as a kid it created such an alluring image of moon rays amid sycamore trees I dug out the atlas to find out where Vermont was actually located. It even looked nice on the map, tucked up in the right-hand corner of the US.

• OPINION

  In defence of the Yank chimney-sweep

  Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/03/2022

  » A Londoner who lives in Bangkok has made a spirited defence of Dick Van Dyke's much-maligned cockney accent as a chimney-sweep in Mary Poppins, which was mentioned in last week's column.

• OPINION

  Cornish pasty has its moment in the sun

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/06/2021

  » The most important outcome of last week's G7 summit in Cornwall was undoubtedly the appearance of tempting new versions of the traditional Cornish pasty. One bakery came up with a large pasty called "Biden's big-un", while also on offer were "Merkel's minted lamb'', "Macron's mixed veg", and the cheese-filled "Boris' Stilton".

• OPINION

  A gripping reminder of the Dunkirk spirit

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/07/2017

  » I've just got back from watching the film 'Dunkirk' and recommend it to anyone interested in this remarkable event, codenamed Operation Dynamo, that was to turn the tide of history and ultimately see the British and their allies overcome Adolf Hitler.

• OPINION

  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."

• OPINION

  The barrow, the guy and the carrot

  Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/11/2023

  » Today is the fifth of November which to many English people of my wrinkly age means Guy Fawkes Day or more likely Bonfire Night. It has very much declined in popularity since I was a kid, fighting a losing battle with the horrors of Halloween.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  Bow Bells rang out but not the accents

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 03/04/2022

  » Firstly, a belated follow-up featuring the cockney accent from an American reader who wanted to meet a real cockney when he was in London a few years ago. Aware of the traditional definition of a cockney being "someone born within the sound of Bow Bells", he made a special effort to visit St Mary-le-Bow church, the source of the bells.

• OPINION

  The magical world of far away places

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/04/2021

  » Earlier this week I was chatting with friends about which places around the globe captured their imagination most when they were kids. One was fascinated by Mandalay, while another said Pondicherry caught his eye. Zanzibar was another name that cropped up.

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