From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 5 April

For the most part, I live a blissfully solitary life. Like my late mother, Beria, I have a great capacity for my own company – bien dans sa peau – and exactly like her, I am never bored. Never!

 

WHILE the prospect of isolation fills some people with dread, it does not bother me one iota. Some days I do not speak with anyone – except myself. I have imagined conversations, and quite often I rehearse what I plan to say for the radio, or for a meeting. When I am in the process of writing a play, I stand at the sink while all the characters talk out loud. The problem is, often times I cannot remember the exact dialogue when I sit at the computer to commit it to paper – or the screen. Sometimes I feel a bit like Sir Arthur Sullivan searching for The Lost Chord.

There are countless was to pass your time in isolation. It is an excellent opportunity to revisit some of your childhood books. Currently, I am seeking-out a copy of May Gibbs’, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and it’s proving as elusive as rocking-horse manure. Recently, I bought and reread Enid Blyton’s, Five On Kirrin Island. It was enchanting, and not as scary as I remember. It took me to back to my childhood, a time and place we can visit only in our imagination. If you are a Harry Potter fan, the isolation will be a perfect opportunity to read the entire series.

It will be a good time to go through your collection of family photographs, making sure the names of the subjects are on the back. I have pictures of people whose names I don’t know. There is no alternative but to dispose of them, and I am loathed to throw out other people’s lives.

BBC Sounds (Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra) – which you can access through your computer – broadcasts some of the best radio shows from the past: Round The Horn, I’ll Sorry, I’ll Read That Again, The Goons, Han-cock’s Half Hour, Whack-O, Book At Bedtime, Dad’s Army, The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket; and star actors in radio plays, documentaries, and music programs. It’s the style of programming the ABC has eliminated. If they were to establish a station devoted entirely to their fabulous archival collection, I am confident it would be a roaring success!

Consider SBS on Demand – they have an outstanding choice of movies. There’s also ABC iView, and ABC podcasts. YouTube is a veritable cornucopia; a treasure trove of endless entertainment. I have discovered gems which I thought lost and they make for great listening while you lie on the floor to stretch and exercise. Musically there is everything. I wander down memory lane with music from the 40s, 50s, and early 60s; a whole selection of some of the best British films from the 1940s – especially from WW2 when they were making quota quickies – a film a week, and some of which have become classics. You should try and find: One Of Our Aircraft is Missing; The Silver Fleet, Pink String and Sealing Wax; It Always Rains On Sunday; and a whole lot more. Some of the Ealing Studio dramas and comedies, especially those starring Sir Alec Guinness are available, and if you have not seen them you will be both surprised, and delighted.

Jigsaw puzzles are marvellous way to while away the time. I had a childhood collection. I lost only one piece, ever, and it drove me spare. Jigsaws of 2000 pieces take hours to complete. Computer games are addictive and can be fun – I’m told. I have never bothered.

If you are of an age, think about writing stories from your childhood for the younger generations. You might be surprised, and who knows, you could unlock a hidden talent.

Food is a passion, and this is a chance to get-out the cookbooks and spend time in the kitchen, experimenting.

With all that activity you may even come to enjoy being alone!

Roland can be heard on RADIO 3BA, every Monday morning, 10.45 and contacted via [email protected].