What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
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
The cold evening chill against my face only added to my already heightened sense of anticipation. Slayings, subterfuge, and the sinister story of London’s first recorded serial killer was only moments away. How was I so certain? This was at least my fifth walking tour of the killing grounds of Jack the Ripper. Standing on … Read more
The tragedy that unfolded last Thursday evening is beyond comprehension. Whilst I still try to process this utter heartbreak, I cannot fathom how such a specimen with a history of violence was allowed to have any form of access to firearms, let alone a licence. Already I can hear the mantra, “Lessons will be learned.” … Read more
According to Albert Einstein, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” And who am I to argue with such a luminary? Little did I know that this piece of guidance would begin to prove itself on a scrap of paper. Nor, come to think of it, did I ever imagine that as a direct consequence … Read more
As the closing arguments are being made in the Derek Chauvin murder trial in the courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, I would counter the title of this reflection with a bellowing rendition of the 1983 Elton John classic, “I’m still standing.” Yet does my simple categorisation of good and bad really stand up to scientific scrutiny? … Read more
The former Prime Minister David Cameron’s willingness to respond ‘positively’ to requests for evidence in the Greensill scandal reminds me of the famous Richard Nixon quote, “There can be no whitewash at the White House” in his first Watergate speech in 1973. Those of a certain age will know how that poorly scripted contrition ended. … Read more