On 12th September 1945, General Itagaki, Commander of the Imperial Japanese Seventh Area Army, signed the official surrender of the Japanese Expeditionary Forces in the Southern Region, at Municipal Hall, Singapore. It was the last major surrender ceremony of World War Two, a conflict which had cost over 60 million lives and led to the… Continue reading…
Many thanks to Jonathan Hardy for the last guest post. I loved learning of his inspiring decision to carve out his own career. As concidence would have it, Jane Iyer, today’s guest, was involved in his transition to the gig economy. Jane Iyer is the CEO of specialist tour business, Jane’s Singapore Tours. Today, she’s going… Continue reading…
In 2019, after a long career in advertising sales, Jonathan Hardy, aged 54, left his company to build a ‘portfolio career’ intended to carry him into the last 10-20 years of his working life. Unfortunately, unpredictable world events, like the disturbances in Hong Kong and Covid 19, significantly impacted his plan almost before it started.… Continue reading…
There’s been a warm and positive response to my two guest contributors, Josephine Chia and Sophie McDermott and their posts have given me pause for thought. I cheered at Sophie’s statement, ‘Ultimately, a socially just society is one where men and women are equal in all things, with no one group holding privilege or entitlement over… Continue reading…
I first met Josephine Chia, when she gave a lecture for the Friends of the Museums about living in a Singaporean kampong (village) in the 1950s. It was a tough gig. The audience was packed with middle-aged, middle-class high brow expat women but Josephine’s charisma, charm and humility had us eating out of the palm… Continue reading…
Welcome to Sophie McDermott’s guest blog. She is the first of five guests I will be welcoming on this post between now and the end of September. Each of my guests has inspired or fascinated me and it’s a pleasure to be able to introduce them to you. Sophie McDermott is a graduate, (2018), of Newcastle… Continue reading…
On 7th April, circuit breaker commenced in Singapore to slow the spread of COVID 19. Our routines were mothballed and we were requested to go into hibernation until 4th May. That was manageable, but then COVID exploded in the migrant workers dormitories and circuit breaker was extended until 2nd June. Circuit breaker ended a week… Continue reading…
This blog is devoted to my old friend and co-author, William Earl, who celebrated his 105th birthday on 12th May. William and I have been friends since February 2009, when we started working on his WW2 memoir, Blood and Bandages – fighting for life in the RAMC Field Ambulance 1940-1946. He’s seen Tom grow up.… Continue reading…
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…