Category Archives: Uncategorized

British tourist takes to walking on his hands on return from Australia trip (Rousse)

I had taken on the teaching of modules in media and cultural studies. ‘So does that include responsibility for Neighbours?’ said RB. RB was prompted to ask this question because his father had just returned from Australia, but couldn’t get … Continue reading →

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How to address a Dame of the British Empire (Rousse)

VAE was hotly tipped to be made Dame of the British Empire in the next Queen’s Honours List. I wondered whether we would all be obliged to address her as M’Lady?

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Tesco introduces motorised bikes to speed up in-store purchasing (Rousse)

Tesco introduced four-wheeled motorised bikes to help increase in-store purchasing speed. It thus came as something of a surprise when supermarket customers started using the bikes for another purpose: to perform competitive wheelies in the car park. TPR took up … Continue reading →

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Stilt-cycling on a tandem (Rousse)

At the end of our tandem ride along the busy country lane TPR finally confessed the reason why the bike was so unsteady: he’d taken up cycling on stilts.

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Lancastrian census records help trace a family line (Rousse)

While half my PhD students were busy writing up thesis chapters, the others – who claimed that their work was ahead of schedule – were taking a break from their studies. They amused themselves by tracing the maternal line of … Continue reading →

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President Donald Trump fails to attract inauguration ceremony audience in tatty Victorian theatre (Rousse)

In the basement of the Muirhead Tower at the University of Birmingham, SPC and I learnt to program. I was surprised at the ease in which I could code. If only it were so easy to program domestic appliances at … Continue reading →

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Disgraced Labour MP leads theatre audience walk-out (Rousse)

As members of the audience left the show mid-performance GSX and I considered it legitimate to move closer to the stage and take a couple of vacated seats in the front row. The star of the show didn’t seem to … Continue reading →

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Outdoors baker is jealous wife (Rousse)

BG was not happy to hear that I was about to climb into bed with JG in front of all the party guests. ‘What if something happens?’, she complained. ‘Nothing will’, I assured her – because, in reality, I was … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh academic workload woes (Rousse)

Three of my undergraduate friends had travelled a long way to join this reunion in Edinburgh: SH from London, HJ from Cardiff, and JG from the Republic of Ireland. I felt terrible telling them that they would all have to … Continue reading →

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Birmingham University students play on swings to avoid murder scene (Rousse)

SPC, SH and I stayed in Birmingham at SH’s flat a couple of weeks before the start of our final year at University. Just across the road people were queuing to lay flowers at a murder scene. We tried to … Continue reading →

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