• OPINION

  Delicate art of being nasty and nice

  Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/03/2024

  » One word we have been subjected to almost on a daily basis recently is "diplomacy" as politicians grapple with the world's woes without much success. A dictionary definition of diplomacy is "tact or skill in dealing with people". Unfortunately it is more complex than that as the world is in such a mess. Perhaps Ambrose Bierce was nearer the mark in his Devil's Dictionary when he described diplomacy as "the patriotic art of lying for one's country".

• OPINION

  A century of sawing people in half

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/01/2021

  » The most important news of the week is that magicians are today celebrating the 100th anniversary of a woman being sawn in half on stage. We could all probably do with a bit of magic in our lives at the moment, so let's wave the wand with a quick "abracadabra" and take a magical mystery tour.

• OPINION

  Anthem angst and hits the singers hate

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/12/2019

  » Rod Stewart is currently on tour in the UK belting out all his old songs, including Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?, which is admittedly pushing it a bit for someone the age of 74. The old rocker has confessed in the past that he dislikes singing that number, but the fans always demand it. This appears to be an occupational hazard among singing stars.

• OPINION

  The Stones just keep rolling along

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/07/2022

  » This past week marked the 60th anniversary of the Rolling Stones' first-ever gig which took place at the Marquee club in London. That makes me feel even more wrinkly than usual.

• OPINION

  The sun ain't gonna shine anymore

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/03/2019

  » In last week's PostScript concerning the use of the word "ain't" in music, one song not mentioned was The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore, a big hit for the Walker Brothers in 1966. Sadly, the number is being remembered this week following the passing of Scott Walker at the age of 76.

• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  Don't think twice, Bob -- it's all right

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/10/2016

  » Everyone has an opinion on Bob Dylan being the first songwriter to win the Nobel prize for literature. The organisers explained Dylan was bestowed the honour "as a great poet". At the time of writing, he has yet to respond, a poet unusually lost for words.

• OPINION

  Stairway to a kind of heaven in Bangkok

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/07/2016

  » The recent case in which Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were cleared of stealing the opening riff of their massive hit Stairway to Heaven reminded me of the first time I heard a Thai band play the song in Bangkok.

• OPINION

  'Boaty McBoatface' just wouldn't float

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/05/2016

  » Earlier this year, Britain's National Environment Research Council (NERC) decided it would be a good idea for the public to choose the name of their new polar scientific research ship. What better example of democracy in action?

• OPINION

  Don't worry, 'Pokemon Go' is only a fad

  News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/08/2016

  » Just when you think the world cannot get any more insane, along comes Pokemon Go. The less I say about it, probably the better, as gamers might suggest, heaven forbid, that I'm a bit old-fashioned, or to use the correct technical term, "a stupid old git".

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