Author Archives: Dreamaticus

How to tell if a cameo brooch is fake (Rousse)

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Dreamaticus

Granny H pressed the brown cameo brooch into my hand. ‘Here, have this’ she said. I was pleased to take it, but I knew that I would never wear it. Where there should have been two white engravings there was … Continue reading →

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A [deleted] academic idiot (Rousse)

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Dreamaticus

There was precisely one hour before my first lecture of the new academic year – and I had done no teaching prep WHATSOEVER. RR urged me to at least make a couple of PowerPoint slides, while I wondered how many … Continue reading →

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Stevie Wonder misses his flight (Rousse)

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Dreamaticus

Stevie Wonder, his female friend, TPR, two other computer industry experts and I were chatting in the bar while Stevie and his companion were waiting for a flight. I checked my watch. It was 19:15. ‘What time is your flight?’ … Continue reading →

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An unworthy dissertation on Elizabeth I (Rousse)

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Dreamaticus

SC and I were trying to work in one of the smaller University library reading rooms. While I was still worrying about my degree, she was marking a dissertation on Elizabeth I. She and JK wanted to fail the work … Continue reading →

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How to go sledging – without a sledge (Rousse)

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Dreamaticus

I should have been revising for my finals, but instead accepted SC and TM’s invitation to go sledging. I knew that I was risking my degree and that it was likely that I would come bottom of the class. However, … Continue reading →

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A case of mistaken identity and the National Trust (Rousse)

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Dreamaticus

My mother-in-law, three sisters-in-law, and one of my sisters met me and TPR in the grounds of a National Trust property for a picnic. TPR thought that he spotted SC in the queue for the house. He called her name, … Continue reading →

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Teenage Geordie steals a snog and credit cards (Rousse)

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Dreamaticus

I arranged to meet my niece at the top of her University of Newcastle hall of residence. To reach her, however, I had to climb up a huge tower of open IKEA kitchen drawers crammed full of utensils. The only … Continue reading →

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VIP wedding guests on the Thames (Rousse)

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Dreamaticus

KJD invited me and TPR to her son J and K’s wedding. Since we had never before met KJD, nor any of the rest of the family for that matter, we were especially honoured to be seated next to the … Continue reading →

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Stephen Fry intervenes in University of Edinburgh gaffe (Rousse)

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Dreamaticus

Even Stephen Fry could not put right the terrible insult that I had directed at the University of Edinburgh.

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Lego litter tidy-up (Rousse)

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Dreamaticus

I suggested to my little sister (aged 47) that she might like to clear up the mess of Lego that she had dropped all over the house.

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