Monthly Archives: November 2025

Medicine as a mature student at the University of Cambridge (Rousse)

Aged 25, and after several exam attempts, I was finally admitted to the University of Cambridge as a medical student. My mother and sister S came with me to Cambridge on my first day to help me settle in. They … Continue reading

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Pink knitwear in autumn (Rousse)

I sat at the vast picture window to admire the autumn colours across the valley below. Although we missed city living, I loved our new house in the country. I was also very proud of my new wardrobe. Inside it, … Continue reading

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Dealing with unwanted garden intruders and a boat ride to a Scottish island (Rousse)

I climbed out of bed and stepped across the room to open the shutters. Outside our bedroom window I saw a small dog in a bright red Santa jacket nosing through the vegetable patch, and a man – presumably the … Continue reading

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Tattoo show-off at the staff Christmas party (Rousse)

When I left the lobby of the the modern tower block to cross the busy road, I shuddered as the cold of the paving slabs hit the soles of my feet. There was no time to take the lift back … Continue reading

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A proposed oral penalty (Rousse)

EH was away so I was left to chaperone the learned dignitary who had flown in from the US to deliver a guest lecture to the final year students. She was the only British academic to have ever won the … Continue reading

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An odyssey through London’s night-time economy (Belle)

I was using a borrowed bicycle and decided to park it, along with my suitcase, under a bench where a man and his dog were sleeping. I continued my journey on a night bus, and found a stranger’s handbag on … Continue reading

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Struggling to rejoin the Camino Português por la costa (Rousse)

Gathered together in Porto at their annual conference to discuss the nature of being, a clutch of Finnish philosophers welcomed me into their company. They gave me protection from the bullies whose insults referred to my stupidity of flying home, … Continue reading

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Apple Mac con man scam (Rousse)

I should have trusted my instincts when the man struck up a conversation with me at the bridge. Instead, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and fell for his charm. Before long I was lifting up the screen … Continue reading

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