Monthly Archives: April 2014

Unshod on a London Routemaster bus (Rousse)

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Dreamaticus

After all the fuss it took to book a vintage Routemaster bus to take us to the railway station for a special trip to London by train, I was very disappointed that only TPR and I turned up. Then there … Continue reading →

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The chaos of rapid expansion in UK higher education (Rousse)

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Dreamaticus

The expansion of Queen Margaret University’s portfolio of courses was so rapid that its building could not cope with the additional student numbers. Indeed something had gone terribly wrong during the extra construction work and now many of the institution’s … Continue reading →

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Dressing up for the doctoral defence (Rousse)

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Dreamaticus

Each time that I attended a doctoral defence in a Nordic country I was impressed by the trouble that my hosts took to look their best on a student’s big day. On this occasion GW wore a spangled cream and … Continue reading →

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The sinister story behind Bye baby bunting (Rousse)

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Dreamaticus

“So, contrary to popular belief Bye baby bunting is not a sweet lullaby, but instead a sinister account of child abuse at the hands of a trusted nursery nurse” concluded the speaker. The looks on my colleagues’ faces said it … Continue reading →

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Angela Lansbury’s handbag and Lady Gaga’s wig (Belle)

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Dreamaticus

I was asked by my aunt to go to the library and post a letter to Angela Lansbury.  When I arrived at the library I found I didn’t need to buy a stamp because Angela Lansbury was in the hallway, fiddling in … Continue reading →

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Contempt for the holiday slacker (Rousse)

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Dreamaticus

SW turned to me and snarled “You need to contact Alan H in the Business School. It’s urgent”. She just couldn’t disguise her contempt for a colleague who had the temerity to take a holiday at Easter.

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A party and a parade (Belle)

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Dreamaticus

I had no idea how KOB, my former assistant, had got the money to move into this gothic castle and host this extravagant party.   However, I did know that I had been over-dressed for the afternoon session but was now under-dressed … Continue reading →

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A diamond-studded solid gold hedgehog dilemma (Rousse)

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Dreamaticus

When I gave away the silk cloak that came free in the cornflakes box to two colleagues in the school office, I never expected it to be the one that contained the diamond-studded solid gold hedgehog. Now I faced a … Continue reading →

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Teenager drowns in bog (Rousse)

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Dreamaticus

Driving from the back seat, TPR managed to spot a parking space not far from the market and other attractions. When we left the car and started to walk back towards town I noticed a sinister sign. Somewhere beneath us … Continue reading →

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Animals of unfixed species, gender and sexuality (Rousse)

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Dreamaticus

I knew that my boss wouldn’t mind if I took a small tin of lip salve from the supply that she kept in her office drawer. I needed it for the forthcoming PhD studentship interviews, along with a glass of … Continue reading →

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