What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
I was a late entrant into the cyber world of social media. Like a reluctant guest at a party who ends up hogging the karaoke machine, once I was in, I was hooked. I became a cheerleader, pom poms aloft, shouting into the digital void. But let’s be clear: my online persona – save one … Read more
When I joined the police in 1982, we were issued a truncheon – a lump of wood so archaic it felt like a relic from the Crimean War. As a tool of personal protection, it was about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle. The version handed to my female colleagues was even more … 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
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
Having been a cop in a former life, I was schooled in the pursuit of the truth. There was a clean, uncompromising attraction to this quest, and I became skilled in building a prosecution case based on the ethical collection of facts. The truth is spectacular since it efficiently removes the need to lie – … Read more
I do admit to being a professional potty mouth. My filler expletive regularly engages with my favourite and most versatile of profane words: fuck. Its versatility is pretty much limitless: both a verb and a noun, an expression of elation and disappointment, a call to action and a decision to sit it out. As an … Read more
All you need to know about Vietnam, from the unique perspective of the British equivalent of Inspector Clouseau, who usually turns up at the airport and says, “Where are we going?” Collecting my travel money in advance of my Southeast Asian late October adventure to a place personally epitomised by the hauntingly vibrant Paul Hardcastle … Read more
The 4th of July general election heralded a true Monty Python tenet: and now for something completely different. But as a former Tory voter, member of the Conservative party, and borough councillor, I still had some unfinished business. I was exhausted – relieved, yet perplexed. Pinching an alleged descriptor from the former Home Secretary, James … Read more
My opening question is purposely direct and intended to rile you, since this topic can only be addressed with passion: how do you plead to the charge of endorsing intolerance? As you ponder your response, I will examine a facet of present day national shame. Convictions continue to be handed down by judges across the … Read more
Photographs and videos provide the most accurate journal of our lives: the place, the period, and the people. Verbatim vivid visuals that transport us back in time. They have the ability to recreate a momentary spasm in time, and collectively, a legacy lost forever in the erosion of our limited and precious stint within human … Read more