VE Day and easing COVID restrictions in some countries, has made me reflect on what I’ve learned about myself and how I may have responded to WW2. I had never lived under threat before COVID. The closest I’d come was when I imagined what I’d do if I was alive in WW2. In my imagination I… Continue reading…
Recently, Singapore has hit the headlines due to the sharp rise in COVID 19 cases. As a result, its slipped from being a nation to emulate, to one learning painful lessons. The increase was a consequence of the virus taking hold in the cramp and dirty dormitory accommodation provided for migrant workers. Millions live in… Continue reading…
On 7th April, Circuit Breaker came into force. 80% of the workforce are now working from home and the use of public transport and traffic volume has decreased by more than 70%. To prevent the spread of the virus free masks have been distributed and on Wednesday 15th April, it became compulsory to wear them… Continue reading…
On Tuesday, Circuit Breaker came into effect in Singapore to contain Covid-19. The government’s resolve to impose stay at home rules was enshrined in the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, but that has not stopped the steady rise in cases, a significant number of which sprang from foreign workers dormitories. As at June 2019, there were 981,000… Continue reading…
Singapore has finally entered the Lockdown Olympics 2020. The announcement came yesterday during Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s address to the nation; “We used to see fewer than 10 new cases a day but in the last two weeks, despite our best efforts, we have routinely had more than 50 new cases daily.” Efforts at… Continue reading…
It’s weird having a foot in two camps at the moment. Whilst it’s comforting to live in a country geared up to tackle COVID 19, it’s dreadful to see it run wild in those that weren’t. Even here, the government is preparing for a hike in numbers as around 200,000 Singaporean students return home from… Continue reading…
Hello and welcome to this post. I was delighted to learn that book clubs are reading Blood and Bandages, so I thought I’d suggest some questions. Book club questions What do you think happened to Mary and why? 2. With which character did you most identify and why? 3. Would you have understood William’s story without,… Continue reading…
On 11th November, the BBC broadcast a moving and important documentary called Gary Lineker: My Grandad’s War. It had been commissioned from Wall to Wall Media and told the story of Gary Lineker‘s grandad, Stanley Abbs, who had served as a nursing orderly in the Royal Army Medical Corps in Italy in World War Two… Continue reading…
Excuse the breity of this blog. I’m in the middle of tweaking tomorrow’s talk on Blood and Bandages – fighting for life in the RAMC Field Ambulance 1940-1946, and time’s running out. Blood and Bandages was launched in England in April 2017 in front of family, friends, and representatives from the Museum of Military Medicine,… Continue reading…
This week, I’ve been updating the course notes for Time to Write. Time to Write is a creative writing course designed for new, aspiring or rusty writers. It’s intense and fun and starts on Tuesday 30th April at the American Association of Singapore. Over the course of three weeks, students will reacquaint themselves with their… Continue reading…