What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
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
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
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
As a longstanding Notts County season ticket holder, going AWOL for a home fixture is supreme sacrilege. The crunch match against Tranmere Rovers (Saturday, 22nd February 2025) ultimately fell to the magnetism of Marrakech, the fourth biggest city of Morocco, and the now customary short break (4-nights) to somewhere new and scintillating to celebrate my … Read more
The UK weather in early January is usually equivalent to wintertime in Siberia, especially the coastal regions where the wind-chill factor can scare off the most robust of brass monkeys. So why on earth had I decided to embark upon the epic trek up to the Northeast Lincolnshire seaside resort of Cleethorpes? Membership of the … 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 stag do – or as our friends across the pond would call it, the bachelor party – can be traced back to ancient Sparta (circa 404 B.C.) where soldiers would hold a celebration for a groom the night before his wedding. This masculine meet sought to bid a final salute to singledom whilst preparing … Read more
The pulsating drone of the twin propellors drowned out every other sound, leaving my emotions to completely fill the void. I was feeling low. But the haunting question was why? As I looked back towards the ever diminishing island of Dhuni Kolhu, positioned to perfection within the Baa Atoll, bathed in the crystal clear Indian … 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
Seismic shifts in my thinking have a habit of originating from the most mundane circumstances. I guess that is the beauty of life – as opposed to the alternative – that makes being human so wonderfully confusing; from chaos a sense of clarity is often the victor. Adam’s milestone 30th birthday – my youngest child … Read more