A friend of mine worked in Port Moresby for a couple of years in the Eighties. It was rather edgy, sufficient to make his next assignment in Johannesburg seem like light relief. (View Post)

Hong Kong was indefensible by 1941 with most of coastal China already occupied by the Japanese. Singapore was different, though lacking in modern aircraft. It was mostly extremely poor generalship on… (View Post)

My friend was a merchant banker. He reckoned the PNG job was assigned to him so he would refuse and resign, but he called their bluff and took it! (View Post)

Yes it was, hence some of the early mistakes. Covid is very different to flu, but the pandemic plan might be much more apposite next time. Incidentally my Trusts version modeled a 2.5% mortality rate… (View Post)

Thatcher was looking rather vulnerable in 1981 after a long economic slump, having raised taxes, and considerable disquiet in her own party as to how things were going. (View Post)