Author Archives: Dreamaticus

Not so pretty in pink (Rousse)

As a reward for taking on extra responsibilities at work, XY was provided a suite of rooms to decorate to his own specifications. He left the dull pink bathroom as it was, but had the walls redecorated using remnants of … Continue reading

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Visual aid throw-back (Rousse)

Green pen in hand, it wasn’t until I was on my tenth acetate that it dawned on me that it would make more sense to create the visual aids for my conference presentation in PowerPoint. It was the twenty-first century … Continue reading

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Funding front-runner is boy from Limerick (Rousse)

The students were a little bewildered when I gave each of them a sheet of flipchart paper and the instruction to list the priorities of their proposed research. Somehow we would use this output to determine who would get the … Continue reading

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A Norwegian odyssey (Rousse)

TPR took out the map and showed me the route. He was going to catch a boat from Newcastle to Norway, then cycle the length of the famous fjords. I was not invited because – as his wife – it … Continue reading

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How to divide a kitchen (Rousse)

TPR and I moved into KS’s house in Bristol. Our sleeping accommodation was on one floor, KS and HT had theirs below us, and the huge shared kitchen was in the basement. We were on our own for the first … Continue reading

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Unusual attractions in rural Northumberland (Rousse)

My father easily parked the silver Ford Granada outside the shopping parade. It was only when everyone got out that I discovered why this particular space was free: you could only stay here for one hour. We would surely need … Continue reading

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When to recycle means risking your life (Rousse)

The new system for recycling household waste was very dangerous. You had to carry the unwanted items to an old-fashioned steel dustbin, then climb onto an underwater conveyor belt. This took you to the seabed where you could make your … Continue reading

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An embarrassing job interview (Rousse)

WB suffered an unfortunate upper body wardrobe malfunction when at an interview for a job with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. However, everyone was so keen for her to join the organisation that they all chose to ignore … Continue reading

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Unwelcome gate-crashers (Rousse)

TPR and I were fooled into thinking that we were being shown to our room. The problem was that none was available for us. Instead SM and PM were asked to host us in their massive modern apartment. They were … Continue reading

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Unsatisfactory hotel accommodation and Bobby the dog ‘saved’ (Rousse)

TPR and I travelled to the Isle of Lewis for SG’s sister’s birthday party. When we arrived RG was busy installing pebble-proof windows. This was because unhappy tourists had recently taken to showing their displeasure by shattering the most accessible … Continue reading

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