The world according to Kirkey
How often have you woken disappointed that you only recall fragments of that dream? The one that doesn’t make sense and is often framed within a bizarre fantasy. Dreams exist for several psychological reasons, including the notion that they may help us consolidate and better understand our memories, which in turn equips us to respond … Read more
If my own experiences are anything to go by funerals are usually pretty sombre occasions. I suspect the only exceptions to this general rule are when genocidal maniacs such as Hitler, Genghis Khan, and Pol Pot kick the bucket. Culture shapes what rituals are followed and how mourners should behave, with religion very often presiding … Read more
Let me, a member of the electorate, make it abundantly clear from the get-go that I dislike Boris Johnson. If you are a paid-up member of his fan club then please exit here. On the other hand, if you are minded to hear me out (for about five minutes), I will regale you with my … Read more
I recall reading, or maybe I was told, that people don’t mind change unless it happens to them. I have searched the internet looking for the author of this gem, alas without success. However, I remain convinced that it is buried somewhere within the information highway and one day I will be able to credit … Read more
When I was about eight years old my mum donned a large headscarf, equally enormous earrings, and looked into a crystal ball. I vividly remember this spectacle since she was performing a charade as a clairvoyant at the local school fete. It was a crude and rather comical caper, although people still paid to have … Read more
One Christmas Eve, aged around ten, I heard some odd shuffling noises coming from the landing. Tucked up in bed I decided to investigate, but I had to be cunning since my parents had given me a clear directive, “If you don’t go to sleep Father Christmas won’t come!” Lifting myself gingerly onto the chest … Read more
When SCB referee Si Humphrey-Kennett kindly agreed to talk to me I thought it only fair that I meet him on his own turf in Kent. Waiting patiently outside Specsavers I was a little disappointed when he left and walked straight past me. I hollered out, “You cannot be serious!” Perhaps not exactly a true … Read more
What’s in a brand? Surely if you like something you simply buy it. Maybe so, but what makes you want to select it in the first place, and often remain loyal? According to research by Nielssen and Meijers in 2011, overt displays of high-end consumer consumption promote positive behaviour in social interactions. Field research showed … Read more
The really important moments in my life are usually accompanied by tears or, at the very least, a glazing of my eyeballs. These trigger events don’t necessarily have to be dramatic, seismic, or signal loss and tragedy. My bouts of significant self-reflection are often partnered with the most ordinary events, like a trip to the … Read more
As a kid I remember being traumatised if I had to sit with my parents in the living room whilst any political programme was being aired on the telly. I vividly recall Sunday afternoons being hijacked by an epically long monologue presented by the late (and great) Brian Waldron. Remember that in those days of … Read more