Author Archives: Dreamaticus

Loving Timothy Olyphant? That’s Justified (Belle)

Posted on July 25, 2026 by Dreamaticus

This was a hybrid library conference, held on an island in the United States (Alcatraz, but off the coast of New York). It was difficult to really enjoy the event, because the President kept trying to make himself the subject … Continue reading →

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Retirement home regrets (Rousse)

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Dreamaticus

We swapped our lovely, convenient city centre flat for a narrow terraced house in a former fishing village. The tiny settlement was squeezed onto a rocky outcrop facing directly west into waves of the Atlantic. Surrounded by holiday rentals crammed … Continue reading →

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Boris Johnson’s card reader (Belle)

Posted on July 22, 2026 by Dreamaticus

The gang and I were stuck in a traffic jam at an underpass. We all tumbled out of the van and I was astonished to see Boris Johnson had been hiding in the back. As we all stood on the … Continue reading →

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Good times in a Toyota Yaris with Judi Dench (Belle)

Posted on July 21, 2026 by Dreamaticus

It was a lovely evening and the park was illuminated by a bright moon. Dame Judi Dench entered the scene, acting as a Greek chorus. Embarrassingly she was announcing to anyone who would listen that I had just had sexy … Continue reading →

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A £5 reward for a £50 hand-in (Rousse)

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Dreamaticus

I saw the end of a red £50 note peeping out from beneath the cubicle door in the gym at Edinburgh’s Omni Centre. When I called to the person inside that she must have dropped it, she replied that it … Continue reading →

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Boredom relieved by bore (Rousse)

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Dreamaticus

My summer project was to swim all the rivers of Scotland from the sea to source. On a very hot day, I started with the River Forth. Other than a minor tidal bore which surged up the stream mid-afternoon, this … Continue reading →

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A pantyless proposal review (Rousse)

Posted on July 5, 2026 by Dreamaticus

XX’s research abysmal research proposal needed a lot of work. He hadn’t even articulated a research question. Instead, all he conveyed in the text was a broad interest in information behaviour and online shopping. I had dozens of questions. Whose … Continue reading →

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Dinner, Duns, and editing dissertations (Rousse)

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Dreamaticus

Four years later than anticipated, finally I was the guest of honour at a dinner to mark my retirement. Former colleagues and long-term friends joined the celebrations. The locals included MS and IH from work. From further afield came university … Continue reading →

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Looking for LP Hartley’s house (Rousse)

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Dreamaticus

TPR and my sister’s boyfriend CM managed to lift the shopping trolley over the back yard wall. I couldn’t scale it myself, so I went round to the front of the red-bricked terraced house in the hope that the owners … Continue reading →

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In the deep end with Tony Soprano (Belle)

Posted on June 30, 2026 by Dreamaticus

I was ‘swimming’ (hanging on to the side of a swimming pool) when I spotted a bathrobe-clad Tony Soprano walking towards me. He jumped in the pool and threatened me angrily, although I couldn’t understand what he was shouting. Later, … Continue reading →

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