Archive for the ‘My life & thoughts’ Category
China for the New Year (1): introduction
February 9th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
Top of my bucket list is the wish – so long as I have reasonable health and adequate wealth – to have visited as many countries as my age. I am currently 69 and I have visited 71 countries. Outside of Europe and the United States, it is unusual for me to visit a country […]
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A review of the remarkable documentary “Naples ’44”
November 29th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
On Sunday evening, BBC Four broadcast an 80-minute documentary entitled “Naples ’44: A Wartime Diary” [if you’re in Britain, you can find it on iPlayer]. I recorded it and watched it last night and I’m still haunted by it. The documentary has a powerful personal resonance for me because my Italian mother was born in […]
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The great storm in south-east England in 1987
October 16th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Thirty years ago today, a great storm unexpectedly hit the south-east of England (coincidentally a similar storm is hitting Ireland today and Scotland tomorrow). I’ve kept a daily diary since I was 13 (I’m now 69) and I’ve looked up what I wrote for Friday, 16 October 1987: “I was awakened about 4.30 am by […]
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Assessing the risk factors for dementia
October 13th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Over the years, I’ve taken part in a number of health studies and trials. I like to contribute to the overall health of the nation and it does me no harm to be regularly checked across various health dimensions. I’ve now been invited to participate in a new trial to assess the risk factors associated […]
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An up-date of the 71 countries that I have visited
October 7th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
I am half English and half Italian, so it might seem inevitable that I love travelling to other countries and meeting people from other cultures. In fact, I grew up in a working class, single-parent household where overseas trips were rarely on the agenda. My Italian mother took us – by train – to her […]
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Visit to Georgia (5): Sighnaghi
September 16th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Our third day in Georgia was full of more new experiences. Most of our group took a day trip east of Tbilisi out to the Kakheti region which is the wine-growing district of the country. It was another day of 33F/91F. Our guide was Lasha who had studied at King’s College in London and sported […]
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Visit to Georgia (4): Gori
September 15th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Another day in Georgia and another set of fascinating experiences. Five of us – Silvia and I plus Jim, Leslie and David – hired a car to take us to Gori. This is about 80 km (50 miles) north-west of Tbilisi and around an hour’s drive if (as proved to be the case) your driver […]
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Visit to Georgia (3): Tbilisi
September 14th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Our first day in Georgia was very enjoyable indeed. We are all staying at the Mirabelle Hotel, a small place of just 14 rooms located very centrally on the north side of the river and very close to the imposing, new Sameba Cathedral (built 1995-2004). The group – all friends of Eric and Cindy – […]
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Visit to Georgia (1): the country
September 12th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Top of my bucket list is the wish, so long as I have sufficient health and wealth, to have visited as many countries as my age. I am now 69 and I am about to experience my 71st country thanks to the invitation to attend the launch of a book by my good friend Eric […]
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The current state of religious belief in Britain
September 5th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
The latest data on religious belief in the UK comes from the 34th British Social Attitudes BSA) survey conducted by the National Centre for Social Research. It might surprise many non-Britons who think that the UK is still basically a religious nation and it might surprise some Britons who seem to think that the UK is going […]
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