David Jenkins' weblog

Life’s too short to drink instant coffee

Category: reminiscence

  • Top Gun revisited

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    Top Gun: Maverick is, after 36 years, the sequel to Top Gun. It’s just been premiered in the UK and will be released in the US later this month. No doubt there will be a surfeit of column issues comparing the two movies. That’s not for me.

  • Switzerland 40 years on

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    We lived in Switzerland in the 80s (and a couple of years either side). Clare and Charles were both born there and we bought a house. We had a good life but then the world changed and we moved on.

  • Remembering Asia’s airports in the 70s

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    My claim to be an old Asian hand springs from 1974-1979 when I lived first in Jakarta for two years and then Hong Kong. I spent a fair amount of time travelling around the region and got to know its airports which were very different from those you’d use nowadays.

  • 5 highlights of 2021

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    It’s not been a great year. The Covid constraints limited what we might do but except for the lockdown of early in the year we’ve had enough freedom to get out and enjoy life in the UK and then I was able to visit Spain on business on November. Then the Omicron virus hit and…

  • 5 overnights in hospital

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    With the NHS under so much pressure I’ve been thinking about what I owe it. And before I get into that let’s be clear that it’s under pressure on two fronts. First is the obvious one of Covid and let’s all note the incredible debt we now owe to the people of the NHS which…

  • I haven’t always voted

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    Many’s the time recently  when I’ve spoken to residents when I’ve been out canvassing that I’ve expressed disappoint ment when they’ve said they won’t be voting for anybody because they don’t vote.

  • Year 1 at Uni: 1966 and all that

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    1966: England won the World Cup and I went ‘up’ to Cambridge. I’d had the best part of a year out, nowadays it’s called a gap year, and I was going to be back in full time education again. It was a major discontinuity in my life. I wouldn’t say that I was well prepared…

  • Exam results remembered

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    It happens every year these days. Exam results are published, students go into their schools to pick up their envelopes and the TV cameras are on hand to capture the delight of these who’ve got what they need and/or exceeded their expectations. Some are interviewed, generally the better looking ones with a nod towards ethic…

  • Letter to Kyoji

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    I’ve had an on/off relationship with Japan since the very first days of my working life but today it’s only continued through a Xmas card exchange with and a letter to Kyoji Ohtake.

  • Remembering Greece

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    There was a program on BBC2 last night about Crete, the Minoan civilisation and the archaeological site at Knossos and I thought ‘I’ve been there’.