Author Archives: Dreamaticus

Sell-by dates and shoe walls (Belle)

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Dreamaticus

I was up a long ladder cleaning the top of my grandmother’s kitchen cupboards while she supervised. Mostly I was checking sell-by dates on food items, and lying to her about them. When I found a box of ‘Apple-Cinnamon Breakfast … Continue reading →

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Lip fillers at the Exmoor chintz and regency innuendo hotel (Rousse)

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Dreamaticus

I arrived late at the school reunion in white jeans and a long-sleeved navy blue T shirt, perfectly in keeping with the outfits of my former classmates. However, I had dressed in such a rush that I had forgotten to … Continue reading →

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Belle the bad bookbinder

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Dreamaticus

In an interesting career move, I had become a self-employed bookbinder. My USP was that I only used bright yellow leather in my work. I still hadn’t learned how to make the gold lettering stand out, so most of the … Continue reading →

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Problems at the public baths (Rousse)

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Normally I swam in the pool of my private members’ club. Fancying a change, I popped along to the public baths. This was a mistake: the water was filthy; the clientele common; and someone stole my striped tunic from my … Continue reading →

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Sir Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and the lyrics to ‘Yellow submarine’ (Rousse)

Posted on October 19, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon agreed to make a personal appearance at a tiny independent book shop. As one of its regular customers, I was invited to meet the two former Beatles. McCartney entered the room first. He was … Continue reading →

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Boris Johnson hosts house party with the PM in the Canadian Rockies (Rousse)

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Before Belle and I set off on our Canadian Rockies adventure, we first had to pick the dog up from the vet. Black was a tiny sweet Affenpincher and very excited to be reunited with us after his (expensive) operation. … Continue reading →

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An unreliable review of ‘An instance of the fingerpost’ (Rousse)

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Dreamaticus

The woman opposite us on the bus was playing a podcast out loud on her phone. Its host gave an enthusiastic review of An instance of the fingerpost by Iain Pears. ‘I hated that book’, I muttered to my sister … Continue reading →

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Barn conversion love (Rousse)

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Two boys from my primary school days – ST and SA (both now grown men) – loved my sister’s barn conversion.

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Bruce Springsteen spends Christmas in Scottish Highland lodge (Rousse)

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Bruce Springsteen was amongst the dozen or so guests at the highland lodge over Christmas. Bruce and I exchanged a couple of words as I was gathering some of my belongings from the deck as the first stage of packing … Continue reading →

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The ‘credible consort’ (Rousse)

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Graduates from all eras had achieved quite a feat in the organisation of a reunion ball at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank stadium. After all these years, I was very excited to see many of my former students. I returned to the tower … Continue reading →

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