Archive for the ‘My life & thoughts’ Category


Thanksgiving in the USA (3)

November 21st, 2016 by Roger Darlington

My base for this trip to the USA is the beautiful home of my American friends Mike & Laura Grace. Mike bought three acres of woodland with tulip poplar trees and had the house built in 1979 and then in 2004 they had the place extended. It now occupies over 4,000 square feet with everything […]

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How many executive orders has Barack Obama issued?

November 20th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

On my flight from London to Washington DC to spend Thanksgiving with American friends, I met an intelligent and articulate Anerican who voted for Donald Trump, who hated Hillary Clinton, and who told me that Barack Obama had issued more executive orders than the previous seven presidents combined. I told him that he was absolutely […]

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Thanksgiving in the USA (2)

November 20th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

On Saturday, I flew to the United States in a British Airways Airbus A380. The aircraft was absolutely packed and I had to content myself with a window seat instead of my usual preferred aisle seat, but the two passengers to my side were fascinating. One was an American cyber security expert who voted for […]

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Thanksgiving in the USA (1)

November 19th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

For some time, it has been on my bucket list that I should enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner in the USA. I’ve seen this event in so many American television shows and movies and it looks such a lot of fun, so I persuaded my good American friends Mike and Laura Grace to invite me over […]

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I’ve been thinking about Naples …

November 18th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

My mother, Anna Maria Romano, was born and brought up in Naples, Italy, and did not leave the city until in late 1946 she married my father who was stationed there with the post-war Royal Air Force. Over this summer and autumn, I have been reading all 1700 pages of the four ‘Neapolitan novels’ written […]

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Whatever happened to Halloween?

October 31st, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Last year, almost 60 children came to our door for Halloween. This year, it was less than 30. I blame Brexit. Now what am I supposed to do with all those chocolates?

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Five consecutive nights, five different beds

October 24th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

It’s been a crazy few days in which I’ve taken a few moments in the morning to work out where I am, since I have spent five consecutive nights in five different locations: On Wednesday night, I was at a place called Sanctuary Farm at the foot of Lake Naivasha about two hours drive out […]

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Visit to Nairobi (3)

October 21st, 2016 by Roger Darlington

For the first time in my three visits to Kenya to see the family, I spent sometime outside Nairobi when I took my granddaughter (soon to be six) Catrin to a place called Sanctuary Farm about two hours drive north-west of the capital (there is a wonderful view over the Rift Valley about half way […]

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Visit to Nairobi (2)

October 19th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Since my last posting, I’ve had three more very busy, but thoroughly enjoyable, days with my family in Nairobi. On Sunday, Richard and Emily took baby Kara for a stroll in the Karura Forest, while I took Catrin to an amusement park next to the Muthaiga shopping plaza   She went on just about everything […]

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Visit to Nairobi (1)

October 16th, 2016 by Roger Darlington

Almost 14 months ago, my son Richard and his family relocated to Nairobi when he obtained a job as Head of Strategic Communications for the consultancy arm of a media company called Well Told Story. I am now on my third visit to them and, as well as my granddaughter Catrin (now aged 5 and […]

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