Archive for the ‘My life & thoughts’ Category
Our Ethiopian Odyssey (1): why on earth go there?
February 5th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Our latest trip – an organised tour with Cox & Kings – is to the African nation of Ethiopia and some of our family and friends have wondered why we would chose such an obscure country for a holiday. We must say that, after we had booked the trip and consulted our local surgery on […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
How many ties you you own and in what state do you keep them?
January 29th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
My wife Vee and her niece Sharon (who is staying with us) decided to tackle me on my ties. They wanted to know how many I had. I had no idea. So we counted and the answer was 33. Is that a lot or a little or average? Then they wanted to see how I […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (4)
Listening – at Christmas and always
December 22nd, 2014 by Roger Darlington
“A few years after I left my secondary school in Manchester, I was invited to help out with the school’s Christmas Fair and I decided to have a go at being Father Christmas. I had recently grown my first full beard and thought that I would enter into the role by rubbing flour into my […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
Trouble at the manger
December 13th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
At my granddaughter’s nursery, casting is now complete for the nativity play. She has been cast as an innkeeper but she wants to be an angel (figures). Her best friend has been cast as a donkey but she wants to be Mary (diva). I feel another religious war coming on …
Posted in My life & thoughts, Uncategorized | Comments (0)
The tradition continues: the Darlington Christmas letter
December 7th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
Vee and I are spending evenings writing Christmas cards to friends at home and abroad. We like to pass on some news but can’t write too much in each card, so as usual we are using the format of a Christmas letter which many say they enjoy. You can read the letter for 2014 here.
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
Are you right- or left-handed?
December 6th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
There are some fascinating facts and figures about right-handedness and left-handedness in this news paper article. I am right-handed – except with a knife and fork. I rationalise this by the following arguments: The fork does twice as much work as the knife – it holds the food and transfers it to the mouth, whereas […]
Posted in Miscellaneous, My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
The newest and nicest hotel on my recent travels
December 5th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
I have just returned from a trip to Sheffield where I attended a Board Meeting and Annual General Meeting of the Tinder Foundation where I am a non-exective Board member. I stayed overnight at a newly-opened boutique hotel called Brocco on the Park. It has eight rooms, all with delightful decor and excellent facilities, and […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (1)
My new role at the communications regulator Ofcom
December 5th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
I am pleased to announce that, following an open selection process, the communications regulator Ofcom has appointed me as Chair of the Consumer Forum for Communications (CFC). I am not new to Ofcom – I was the Member for England on the Communications Consumer Panel for eight and half years – and I am not […]
Posted in Consumer matters, My life & thoughts | Comments (12)
The oldest working astronomical clock in the world – and one of the most splendid clocks you will ever see
December 1st, 2014 by Roger Darlington
On our last day of a long weekend in Prague, Vee and I were strolling through the Old Town Square when we heard the astronomical clock at the Old Town Hall strike the hour. We have enjoyed this experience many, many times but each occasion is quite magical, This is the oldest working astronomical clock […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
Near freezing but warm welcome in Prague
November 28th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
Since Vee and I have each been to the Czech Republic more than 20 times, we have seen Prague in all seasons and all weathers and somehow it is a city which looks and feels magical in any circumstance. On this visit, the temperature is just above freezing and I’m glad that I brought a […]
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)