What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
Manchester – at least in my personal experience – has a reliability and permanency of one facet: rain. And I wasn’t to be disappointed during the qualifying rounds and the Under-21 final of this year’s Speedway of Nations tournament held at the National Speedway Stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester. Thankfully, the proceedings brightened up for … Read more
Eagerly anticipating my second adventure to India, I never once considered the commission of any form of crime, especially not my demise at the hands of a murderer. I’d never been to Goa, the final leg of the two-week exploration of this incredible country that never ceases to amaze, enthral, and excite me. It represented … Read more
Lucy Letby is a callous monster ─ the most despicable specimen of humanity; however, can I really frame her existence within the context of what I believe it is to be a human being? Surely, she defies every conceivable convention of compassion: the cornerstone of our creation. She is the embodiment of pure evil; and … Read more
Standing solemnly on a cold, dark evening I heard the words of the politicians, and maybe if I’d been asked to make a formal speech I too would have reiterated the importance of reflection, reconciliation and reverence. But I had a nagging and growing doubt about the sincerity of the pledges. Attended by a handful … Read more
I’m often impatient, infuriating, and – apparently – annoyingly inquisitive. In my academic life I have had to become engrossed within huge tomes of social, legal, and scientific data, regularly scanning the tedious text for the golden nugget; the bottom line; the epicentre of the empirical data. This is always a systemic slog with my … Read more
As a cop there were some delicious moments when I left the claustrophobic confines of an interview room and punched the air in triumph! Unfortunately these were rare, since the vast majority of these exchanges – made by fictional television adaptations to feel unnaturally compelling and characteristic of good prevailing over bad ─ followed a … Read more
I vividly recall, as a young cop, being locked in a police cell in Bracknell police station. The prank was orchestrated by a couple of the shift elders and was part and parcel of the rituals of being accepted into the fold. Scaring new recruits shitless was a 1980s tradition that typified the slow transition … Read more
A few decades ago, in a time that is now a relic of my former life, walls were both symbolic and vital. I was a cop, but there were times when it was perhaps more advisable to deny that fact – an enforced yet necessary barrier – especially when I was undercover or off duty … Read more
A lifetime ago, aged 19, I joined the police with, if I’m totally honest, a principal yearning to be looked after. As an employer this respected profession gave me everything – job security, a decent wage, prospects, status, companionship, a roof over my head, and identity. My self-worth, for an insecure guy lacking in worldly … Read more
I currently have just shy of twenty thousand photographs on my iPhone, dating back to January 2011. This averages out at nearly five pictures a day or around one every two waking hours. I keep promising myself that one day I will start to declutter and ease the burden on my mobile and iCloud account. … Read more