Monthly Archives: January 2025

House clearing woes – again (Rousse)

‘Oh no, here we go’ I groaned as I faced the mess and decrepitude of my parents’ ‘new’ house. I foresaw months of clearing (again). The only pleasure that I could possibly take from this would be to sort through … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spitting nails (Belle)

I was visiting a hospital ward. All the beds had old-style iron frameworks, and the matron was fierce. What I couldn’t understand was, why was I visiting people in hospital when my mouth was so painful. I should be lying … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lion cubs join Oxford University for freshers week (Rousse)

Dressed only in a navy blue towel, I wandered around chilly Oxford cursing the snow – and TPR, now onto the xth affair of our marriage. The new undergraduates looked both puzzled and proud at their achievement of winning places … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shoplifters in Sainsburys (Rousse)

On each morning for four days, I visited the meat counter at Sainsburys. A family of four did the same. Unlike me, however, they never placed a single joint in their trolley. I wondered if they might be shoplifters, but … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lockerbie one-upwomanship (Rousse)

I was working as an au pair for a vile vain woman who treated me as her inferior in status and intelligence. She also employed three young foreign woman in her kitchen at night. When I learnt that the others … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Identification of an eighteenth century island greenhouse (Rousse)

‘It looks eighteenth century to me. Do you know the architect?’ asked the super-snobby woman seated with her grandmother on my mother-in-law’s sofa. Whatever gave her the impression that I would know anything about an ancient greenhouse on an island … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vintage car escapes bombing (Rousse)

With the others, I observed the arrival of the Rolls Royce from my vintage Riley. It glided around the corner and parked outside the long cottage. A fleet of shiny black SUVs followed, carrying men in matching suits carrying binoculars. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Shoreditch Dachshund Challenge (Belle)

I had been busy flirting with the owner of the new antique shop, hoping he would give me the address of a secret auction house. However, the longer he refused to share this information, the more obsessed with him I … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The pensioners’ orgy (Belle)

As my friend parked our bright blue car on the high street, I spotted my friend T walking through the front door of a house. This came as a surprise to me as I hadn’t seen him since he died … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mother in a care home (Rousse)

We had some explaining to do when my father returned from Canada. Why, he demanded, had the three of us – my two sisters and I – placed our mother in a care home?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment