Archive for the ‘My life & thoughts’ Category
Do you have any nicknames? Would you like to know three of mine?
December 10th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
When I was a lad, there was a popular comic called “The Beano” and one of the regular characters in that was a young boy called “Roger the Dodger”. Inevitably, I was often called that. When I started my working life, it was at the then Polytechnic of North London where I was the Accommodation […]
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If a substantial sum of money unexpectedly appeared in your bank account, what would you do?
December 4th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
This is what happened in August 2020 to Helen Peters [not her real name] when she found that Her Majesty’s Revenues & Customs (HMRC) deposited in her bank account the sum of £774,839.39. She decided to wait and see what would happen but found herself spending almost £20,000 before contacting a newspaper to ask what […]
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The latest tragedy to hit the wonderful country of Ethiopia
November 24th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
“… for the tourist who wants something different and is prepared for some challenges, Ethiopia is a great destination. The exotic names of places we visited were themselves magical: Addis Ababa, Axum, Lalibela … But the history was so rich and fascinating, whether it was the skeleton of Lucy, the stelae of Axum, the rock […]
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It’s exactly 50 years since I moved from Manchester to London
October 31st, 2021 by Roger Darlington
On Sunday 31 October 1971, I moved from Manchester – where I was brought up and went to school and university – to London – where I had a job as Accommodation Officer at what was then the Polytechnic of North London. I only held that post for around six months and then followed a […]
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Some more reviews for my book of short stories
October 25th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
“A little gem.” “These stories from the many rooms in the author’s mind are so interesting, topical, yet vividly animated by ‘look backs’ on the characters’ lives.” “An incredible read with meaningful lessons.” “Loved the interesting read, lots of variety and an extraordinary grasp on the art of writing short stories, with each one containing […]
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A break in Slovenia to visit Lake Bled and Ljubljana
October 10th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
For many years now, top of my bucket list has been, for as long as I have the health and wealth, to have visited as many countries as my age. I am currently 73 and I’ve visited a total of 77 countries. Of course, as for everyone on the planet, the global pandemic has severely […]
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My latest short story: the Covid-themed “The Great Mall Of China”
September 21st, 2021 by Roger Darlington
A decade or so ago, I decided to try my hand at writing short stories and, over a period of a few years, I completed 31. I recently (self) published these stories in a book titled “The Rooms In My Mind”. As I prepared the stories for publication, I wondered if I could revive my […]
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The first reviews for my book of short stories
August 19th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
“Very good read witty & easy to read.” “Would buy his books again.” “Excellent and easily readable. Highly recommended!”. “An excellent read, thoughtful and very well written.” This is what they are writing on Amazon about my book of short stories titled “The Rooms In My Mind”. If you haven’t purchased it yet or think […]
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Be careful where I visit – the latest example is Mekele in Ethiopia
June 29th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
OK, I haven’t travelled abroad for a year and a half because of the global pandemic. Before that I visited a lot of countries. I’ve noticed that so many of the locations that I visit have either had a civil war or major conflict or do so shortly after my time there. The latest example […]
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Now I have written two books: a biography and a collection of short stories
June 26th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
In 1985, I wrote the biography of the Czech Flight Lieutenant Karel Kuttelwascher who was the RAF’s greatest night intruder ace of the Second World War. It was republished in 2017. It is titled “Night Hawk”. I never thought that I would write another book. But now I have collated 31 short stories that I […]
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