Archive for May, 2017
A review of the new sci-fi movie “Alien: Covenant”
May 31st, 2017 by Roger Darlington
“Alien” (1979) and “Aliens” (1986) were absolute classics that set the bar impossibly high for any further sequels – but the sequels keep on coming. “Alien 3” (1992) was disappointing and “Alien Resurrection” (1997) rather good. Then came “Prometheus” (2012) with the return of original director Ridley Scott. This was not as scary as the […]
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Today’s publication of the reprinted edition of my biography of the RAF’s greatest night intruder
May 30th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
The Czech Karel Kuttelwascher was the Royal Air Force’s greatest night intruder ace in World War Two. In all, he shot down 18 German aircraft – 15 bombers and 3 fighters – and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross twice in 42 days. I wrote his biography under the title “Night Hawk” which was published in […]
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My recent holiday in Sri Lanka – the complete narrative
May 29th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
I’ve recently returned from an enjoyable two-week holiday in Sri Lanka. On the trip, I blogged here each day on my experiences. If you didn’t get the chance to read these blog postings or missed some or would like to read a complete account of the trip, I have now produced a full narrative here.
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Beware of my holiday destinations
May 27th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
The joke among our family and friends is that, when I choose to visit a particular part of the world for a holiday, something dramatic often happens there. I suppose it started when I made a first visit to what was then Czechoslovakia in 1988. The following year the country overthrew Communism in its ‘velvet […]
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For the first time in forever, I watched a movie on an aircraft
May 27th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just returned from a wonderful two-week holiday touring the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. Obviously the flight there and back were long ones but I never use the inflight entertainment, preferring to read and sleep. As many readers will know, I’m a massive movie fan. But I like to see my films on a […]
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Holiday in Sri Lanka (14): on the way home
May 23rd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
On my last morning (Tuesday) at the Trinco Blu Hotel, I checked the news online and was horrified to learn of the suicide bombing in Manchester, the city where I grew up and where my brother still lives. Following an exchange of texts with him, I learned that four schoolmates of my niece had been […]
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Holiday in Sri Lanka (13): swimming with sharks
May 22nd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
The Trinco Blu Hotel outside Trincomalee is the kind of place that, once guests have checked in, they tend not to leave until they check out – but I like to explore around and seek new experiences, so this morning (Monday) I booked a trip to a place called Pigeon Island. I was the only […]
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Holiday in Sri Lanka (12): around Trincomalee
May 21st, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Trincomalee is not really what I was expecting. The hotel is not in the city but at a resort and all the other guests are young couples or parents with small children, so there are no cultural options on offer. However, I read about a place nearby called Velgam Vehera and, since Shaleen had decided […]
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A review of a book on the Sri Lankan civil war
May 21st, 2017 by Roger Darlington
“This Divided Island” by Samantha Subramanian (2014) I read this book about the Sri Lankan civil war before and during a two-week trip to the island in which I ensured that I visited the Tamil part of the country as well as the more general areas populated by the majority Sinhalese. It is an unconventional […]
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Holiday in Sri Lanka (11): Trincomalee
May 20th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
In the part of north-west London where I live, there are lots of Sri Lankans, all Tamils who were refugees from the bitter civil war. Indeed the local cab company I use is staffed almost exclusively by Tamils. Therefore I was determined that, whenever I visited Sri Lanka, I would see something of the Tamil […]
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