Author Archives: Dreamaticus

Cruising with the poets (Belle)

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Dreamaticus

So far, the cruise had visited New York (during shore leave a friend helped me filch a nerdy Open University sound effects LP from New York Public Library) and now we were in India. Rather disappointingly, the view was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged crocodile, cruise, India, London, LP, New York, New York Public Library, Open University, poet, python, Shoreditch, Simon Armitage, snake, sound effects | Leave a comment

New York (in)conveniences (Belle)

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I was disheartened to find that the New York Cathedral was little more than a flea market, selling tacky religious icons and badly designed and poorly executed ‘stained glass paperweights’. To make matters worse, I discovered ‘toilet sharing’ was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cathedral, flea market, New York, paperweight, stained glass, toilet | Leave a comment

Poaching students in pyjamas (Rousse)

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Dreamaticus

“Baking croissants in class does not represent advanced study at Honours level” was my justification for transferring the two students from the rival institution into my own. It also has to be said that they begged me to take them … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged baking, Chinese, conversation, conversations, cooking, croissant, croissants, fleece, jim-jams, listen, office, poach, poaching, purple, pyjamas, room-mate, student, students, transfer, transferring | Leave a comment

Graeme Garden’s elasticated stockings and a railway car chase (Rousse)

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Dreamaticus

Graeme Garden sat opposite me in the waiting area at BBC Radio 4 reception. He was my host for the day. On the basis of my impressive track record of developing panel games, I’d been summoned to help create three … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged adoption, BBC, Birmingham New Street, car, cars, cashmere, child, children, coat, coat rack, criminals, delay, driving, elasticated, game, games, getaway, Graeme Garden, hem, kid, kids, lavender, lorry, mini-skirt, miniskirt, naked, panel game, panel games, platform, police, rack, Radio 4, show, shows, skirt, station, stocking, stockings, TPR, train, underwear | 1 Comment

Arson at the abbey, two weddings, a ‘death’ and a strange theft (Belle)

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dreamaticus

In a dream within a dream I travelled to Wales to attend a wedding at an ancient abbey. On arrival I was astonished to learn that the bride and groom had planned to cover the cost of the wedding by … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged abbey, air conditioning, arson, bride, door, groom, ladder, Nunhead Cemetary, Orange, Wales, wedding | Leave a comment

Nun murder: rally driver Rousse carries clues in her car

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I drove the red hire car like a maniac rally driver, screeching round corners and off-roading where necessary. This was not deliberate, but due to a lack of familiarity with the car’s controls. Shod in wellies, I also kept missing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged accelerator, anorak, bay, body, boot, box, brake, camera, car, coast, conference, convent, corpse, dolphin, dolphins, driver, driving, folders, forestry, garden, MacBook, murder, nun, off-raoding, police, police officer, police officers, police woman, police women, policeman, policewoman, policewomen, rally, red, sea, shore, sister, track, walker, walkers, wellies, wellington boots, wellingtons | Leave a comment

Charles Dickens meets Strictly Come Dancing and the X Factor (Belle)

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Dreamaticus

The plot of this generic Dickens work had been dreadfully bowdlerised and it was no surprise to me that it had been snuck into the BBC2 schedules with no fanfare. Part Mr Fezziwig’s ball, part Strictly Come Dancing and part … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BBC2, Charles Dickens, court, cranberry juice, StrictlyCome Dancing, X Factor | Leave a comment

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall – taxi driver (Rousse)

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Dreamaticus

How do you reach Glasgow – three hours away by road – for a focus group at 8pm, when it’s already 7pm? The answer: hire the world’s fastest taxi driver, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall! We all squeezed into the Range … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 4x4, audience, Camilla, car, conference, corduroy, drive, driving, Duchess of Cornwall, focus group, Glasgow, hat, performance, pink, Range Rover, reward, safety, taxi | Leave a comment

Belle collects her inheritance

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Dreamaticus

The letter informed me that my legacy was awaiting collection on the train platform. I saw other friends of the deceased rummaging in a wicker basket as my steam train drew into the station. They informed me that I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged basket, beret, hat, legacy, pill-box hat, platform, red, train, will | Leave a comment

Macdonald clan secrets (Rousse)

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Dreamaticus

The Right Honourable Godfrey James Macdonald of Macdonald, 8th Lord Macdonald, Chief of the Name and Arms of Macdonald, High Chief of Clan Donald and 34th hereditary Chief of Clan Donald popped out to post a letter. Just ahead of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Black Monday, brown, California, city, clan, crash, disguise, dye, father, genealogy, hair, hair dye, Hebrides, holiday, holidays, hotel, incognito, Isle of Skye, kid, KInloch Lodge, Lady Claire Macdonald, Lady Macdonald, Lancashire, leather, letter, lie, Lord Macdonald, lying, Macdonald, notebook, pink, post, Post Office, queue, Skye, stockbroker | Leave a comment