What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
Since the dawn of consciousness, humanity has wrestled with one question more than any other: What is the meaning of life? Philosophers have pondered it, poets have wept over it, and pub philosophers have debated it between sips of lukewarm lager. From Plato’s cave to Camus’ absurdity, from Nietzsche’s will to power to Sartre’s existential … Read more
There’s something irresistibly paradoxical about Poole Pirates. In a sport built on speed, chaos, and heroism, they’ve mastered the art of stillness – of sustained success that feels almost certain. Year after year, while other clubs flail in the dust of reinvention, Poole simply win. Not necessarily always with swagger, but with the quiet efficiency … Read more
I’ve reached the season of life where 60th birthdays are no longer rare, and work reunions carry the silent weight of those who will never attend again. The next twenty years—if I’m fortunate—are my golden age. If I can sidestep the big C and keep my mind sharp, I know time will still gently erode … Read more
Looking good at my age—especially since I took the radical step of shaving off all my hair—is no easy feat. The old clichés of having a face fit for radio and one only a mother could love remain painfully accurate descriptors of my public-facing façade. Being bald somewhat limits my ability to reinvent my appearance, … Read more
I didn’t go to Canada to find myself. I went to escape people, dodge group tours, and maybe glimpse a bear. What I found instead—between the skeletal trees of Jasper and the turquoise hush of Lake Louise—was a quiet confrontation with nature’s scale and my own smallness. Canada didn’t just offer wilderness. It offered a … Read more
Just For One Day reminded me how lucky I was to live through the 80s. Bob Geldof may have his critics, but he did two things brilliantly: He mobilised the music industry to supercharge aid for Ethiopia’s most vulnerable. And he glorified my favourite word—though he never actually said, “Give us your fucking money!” It … Read more
I never imagined that a complimentary cup of tea at John Lewis and a free cinema ticket from Sky would spark such a profound shift in perspective. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale wasn’t my choice. On the surface, it embodied everything I recoil from—entrenched privilege, inherited power, and the polished veneer of inequality. And yet, … Read more
An agnostic walks into a church sounds like the commencement of a joke, yet the funny thing is this describes my not so guilty pleasure. I guess initially I was drawn to the architectural splendour of these symbols of faith as my rejection of the central tenet of religion remains steadfast. Yet, one day in … Read more
The curse of the underdog is an idea that suggests that while smaller fry often have an advantage in motivation, they can frequently struggle when they transition into a position of success. There exists an argument that, once an underdog achieves victory, they lose the hunger and drive that made them successful in the first … Read more
Storytelling has been a feature of my life. I wrote this piece in 1991 (typed by my late wife Theresa in the typing pool at Bracknell Police Station) but only recently rediscovered it whilst clearing out the attic. A true account – embellished for comedic value – that recounts a period of my life lost … Read more