We have a world class triathlon star in the family
October 11th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Vee’s nephew David Rowe is an amazing athlete who has run marathons and even performed in triathlons around the world. This weekend, he competed for the second time in the Ironman World Championship which was held in Kona, Hawaii.
First, he swam 2.4 miles (3.9 kms) in 1 hour 14 minutes 20 seconds; then he rode a bike for 112 miles (180 kms) in 5 hours 42 minutes 51 seconds; and finally he ran a marathon of 26.2 miles (42 kms) in 4 hours 36 minutes 29 seconds. Officially he was on the go for a staggering 11 hours 41 minutes 21 seconds.
David is a real hero and, boy, does he deserve that medal – all the more so for now being 42 and having had months of injuries and set-backs in the run up to the event.
You can read his blog here.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (1)
A rare visit to the theatre to see “Farinelli And The King”
October 10th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Although we live in London, Vee and I go too rarely to the theatre. One of my New Year resolutions for 2015 was to try to go to the theatre around once a quarter and this weekend we managed our third visit of the calendar year.
We went to the Duke of York’s Theatre (opened in 1892) to see the new play “Faninelli And The King” written by Claire van Kampen. It is an unusual and impressive work.
The Italian Faninelli (literally ‘little baker’) was the most talented and famous castrato of his time. His real name was Carlo Broschi and he lived from 1705-1782. In the production we saw, his singing persona was performed by counter tenor Owen Willetts.
The eponymous monarch was King Philippe V of Spain who suffered terribly from bipolar disorder, but found relief from the singing of Farinelli. In the play, he is portrayed brilliantly by Mark Rylance (husband of the writer) who was Cromwell in the recent BBC adaptation of “Wolf Hall”.
When we do go to the theatre, Vee and I are usually delighted by what we see, but too many of London’s theatres (especially the older ones) are very expensive, have cramped seating, and offer minimal toilet facilities.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
How the world’s population is becoming heavier and heavier
October 10th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
“In 2010, 11.5% of adults, or 565 million people, were obese. By 2014, that had already risen to 13% (670 million) … if the trajectory does not change, 17% of adults will be obese by 2025. There will be 170 million adults with a BMI above 35, which is the threshold for urgent medical treatment, such as gastric surgery, to reduce the amount people can eat. But even in affluent countries, there is insufficient capacity for those who already need help. Adding in those who are overweight as well as obese, by 2025 there will be about 2.7 billion with excess weight, up from 2 billion in 2010.”
Full story here.
Posted in Social policy, World current affairs | Comments (0)
My 31st short story: “Dying For A Pint”
October 9th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
For the past 31 Fridays, I’ve been revisiting my collection of short stories. This week’s piece – “Dying For Pint” – is the last that I have written and you can read it here.
Perhaps inspiration will seize me and I’ll write some more stories sometime. Meanwhile I hope that you’ve enjoyed at least some of these 31.
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
A review of the new film “Miss You Already”
October 9th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Not all cinema can be escapist entertainment; sometimes a movie looks at life in all its pain and rawness. “Miss You Already” is about breast cancer viewed through the prism of female friendship. I was impressed and tearful. You can read my review here.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
What’s really happening now in North Korea?
October 8th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
“It is estimated that 30-50% of North Korean GDP is now produced by the private sector … Kim Jong-un is different: he quietly encourages the market economy … Kim Jong-un wants to apply to his country a model of authoritarian capitalism, a so-called “developmental dictatorship”. This model worked very well in Taiwan and South Korea and now is producing impressive results in China and Vietnam.”
These are extracts from an insightful piece by Andrei Lankov. You can read the article here.
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
When was the last time? (3)
October 8th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
- You went for a walk?
- You went for a swim?
- You ate something new?
- You drank something new?
- You went to the cinema?
- You went to a play?
- You gave money to someone in the street?
- You assisted someone hunched over a map?
- You talked to a stranger?
- You visited a different country?
The moral? Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Try different things.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
When was the last time? (2)
October 7th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
- You went inside a bank?
- You used a library?
- You visited a post office?
- You used a telephone kiosk?
- You wrote a personal letter?
The moral? Use it or lose it.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (1)
When was the last time? (1)
October 6th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
- You had a visit from a ‘rag and bone’ man?
- You had someone call to sharpen your knives?
- You had coal delivered to your home?
- You had your chimney swept?
- You had milk delivered to your home?
- You sent a telegram?
- You spent a penny and it cost a penny?
The moral? Things change.
Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments (0)
How many plastic bags are issued by English supermarkets?
October 5th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
The number of plastic bags handed out by supermarkets in England in 2014 rose to 7.64 billion – 200 million more than in 2013. That’s why today a charge of 5 p per bag is being introduced. So just how big us this problem and how can it be countered – see BBC feature here.
Posted in Environment | Comments (0)