Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category
The death of a talented pilot and the end of an historic aircraft
August 17th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
A few days ago, there was a tragic accident at an air display in Cheb in the Czech Republic. The pilot was Petr Paces who was a very experienced MiG 21 fighter pilot and captain of the Boeing 737 airliner. Nothing is more important that the death of this man, but I have to record […]
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Where did the ciabatta come from?
September 3rd, 2021 by Roger Darlington
I like ciabatta and was surprised to learn recently that it is a relatively recent invention. Ciabatta bread was first produced in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari, who called the bread ciabatta polesana after Polesine, the area he lived in. The recipe was subsequently licensed by Cavallari’s company, Molini Adriesi, to bakers in 11 countries by 1999. Cavallari and […]
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Would you like to buy the narrowest house in Britain?
February 18th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
What is believed to be the narrowest house in Britain is located on Goldhawk Road in Shepherd’s Bush, west London. The width varies a bit between the five floors but is typically a mere 6 feet (2 metres). Originally this location was simply a gap between two buildings but it was filled in as a […]
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I am in mourning. Chuck Yeager has died.
December 9th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
American test pilot Chuck Yeager, who was the first man to break the sound barrier, has died aged 97. He was one of my heroes. Yeager was a fighter ace in World War Two, flying Mustangs with the United States Army Air Force when he became a double ace with 11 ‘kills’. But my admiration for […]
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You can’t beat a good pun
October 21st, 2020 by Roger Darlington
I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now. England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool. Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes. This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I’d swear I’ve never met herbivore. I know a guy who’s addicted to drinking brake […]
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The meaningless of so much management and political language
May 21st, 2020 by Roger Darlington
Have you ever heard of … … a problem that was not challenging … a target that was not stretching … a solution that was a silver bullet … a solution that is one size fits all … an organisation that was not on a journey … a situation that was not going forward … progress which was not at pace […]
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The Marsh family of Faversham in Kent sharing their lockdown-themed coronavirus pandemic in the style of Les Misérables
April 2nd, 2020 by Roger Darlington
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Here’s a wonderful toolkit for all teachers who want to inspire their students
February 10th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
“Values And Visions” is a book written to engage students between 8-16 years old and to empower the teachers of such students with a conceptual framework and no less than 130 practical exercises. This work of over 300 pages looks, feels, and reads like no other book you will have ever seen in a classroom: […]
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Ever heard of the Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships?
May 17th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
I was awarded one in 1980 to make a five-week study of the American telecommunications system. Each year the categories of Fellowship change but every year they are no formal requirements for applicants. If you’re interested, check out this year’s categories here.
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How to be happy – today and always
March 20th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
Today it is the the annual celebration of International Happiness Day. So, how can we be happy (or at least happier). I offer two resources: one professional, the other personal. On my web site, I’ve reviewed several excellent books on happiness. One is “The How Of Happiness” by Sonja Lyubomirsky and at the core of this […]
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