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Years ago, backpacking in Cambodia I read a battered old copy of the Killing Fields (the book version of the film).
When I finished it I passed it on to a friend, eventually it went all around all our little group.
Later we all admitted to shedding tears while reading it. It is the single most moving novel I have ever read.
From then on in - every beer sunk under Cambodian skies was accompanied with a toast to the book’s hero Dith Pran.
Years later when my parents visited me in Vietnam on their way to Cambodia I made sure that they too had a copy.
I have just read of Dith Pran’s death aged 65 in New York. Considering his life story, the fact that he reached such an age is incredible in itself.
It’s not often I feel genuinely saddened at the death of someone I never met. But Dith and his strength and loyalty to his friend Sydney Schanberg really touched me. He inspired me and I am sure many thousands of others too.
Cheers Dith.
Gone to find some sunshine - back in a week or so.
First off, Happy New Year.
I’m back from a magical few days in Poland.
Truth be told we were snow hunting. A white Christmas seemed like just the job after our times in the tropics. The colder the better. In truth though while the temperature dropped to minus six there were little more than a few flakes of snow (although long-frozen stuff was to be seen on the ground).
Now, back in Newcastle, typically we’re surrounded by the stuff. As I look out my office window I can see something approaching a blizzard. Bring it on. I always did love snow.
No pics yet of the Toon in it’s new winter wonderland white elegance. But here’s some from the Polish trip. Oh and I can well and truly recommend a trip to Krakow.
All the pics here.
Here’s something a little unusual for a Sunday Evening.
Enchanted Parks has been taking place in Gateshead’s Saltwell Park and Leazes Park in Newcastle.
In short it’s a kind of haunting. The parks, which seem more than a little spooky at night, are made all the more strange with the addition of sounds, lights, costumes and performers.
In Saltwell Park we were treated to bandstand waltzes, war time memories, ghostly beyond-the grave miners and a load of stuff that went whoosh..right over my head.
Was it any good? Yes and no. With the organisers requesting we got tickets first and being marched around the site it didn’t really live up to the preparation nor anticipation.
Before we knew it we were back in the car headed home.
But there is the nucleus of a tremendous idea in there. Next year? More, more, more. More ghostliness, more music, more lights, more people, more drama.
I don’t to be stewarded around. Let me wander. Let me get spooked. Let me discover details for myself. I want people to tap me on the shoulder and make me jump. I want some of it to be uplifting too - a perhaps dash of Christmas. I want choirs.
All in all though, a fabulous concept. I hope it’s back next year. This is definitely something to build on.
Update: 
It was cold. It was wet. Damn it was expensive. But Dublin was pretty good.
As far as my weekend trip went, I couldn’t help but think it must be so much more vibrant in the sunshine but then again, when better than now to enjoy cosy pubs?
The full picture set is here.
Pic taken following a fabulous short break on the Isle of Arran.
I remember on my travels being knocked out by Koh Tarutao in Thailand. I recall thinking how amazing it would be to live in a country where there was so much wildlife. It was a reflection of my own ignorance that I never realised that there were places here in the UK that more than matched its critter count.
Oh and I never saw one of these in Thailand.
Rest of the Arran shots (including seals, deer, monsters of the deep etc) here.
See below for cliched Scots’ shot.
