Category Archives: Uncategorized

Herman’s hermits’ secret identity (Rousse)

When I mentioned that I was a toddler fan of Herman and the Hermits, the American drag queen with the shock of orange hair could barely contain his/her excitement. “I wanted to marry Peter Noone when I was three” I … Continue reading →

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Claustrophobic passenger trapped under tarpaulin on Calmac crossing (Rousse)

It was January and the main ferry was in for service. This meant that we would travel back to the mainland on a spare vessel. I looked out for it from the pier and was rather surprised at how small … Continue reading →

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A misremembered Loughborough childhood (Rousse)

BP took to holding staff meetings on Saturday mornings. I was first this week, so I left TPR in bed and wandered off to my appointment, curious to know what was on the agenda. BP and I shared experiences of … Continue reading →

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Herman and his (twenty-first century) hermits take a trip to Manchester Airport (Rousse)

“It’s Herman the German” hissed AW when I asked who was at the wheel of my car. Now I understood why WB was chatting away in her native language in the passenger seat. Herman was driving us all to Manchester … Continue reading →

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Discussing ‘Before I go to sleep’ is more tempting than running (Rousse)

I was assured that one of my parents would accompany me on my run around Arthur’s Seat at 06:00am. When neither would confirm which of the two would volunteer I was pretty sure that this would not happen. As things … Continue reading →

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The Chinese Italian student and the Financial Times juggling balls (Rousse)

The Chinese student presented me with two black and white Financial Times branded juggling balls in the back of the car. Then, in perfect English, he told me that he was not Chinese, but Italian. This was seriously confusing. Nevertheless, … Continue reading →

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Foil-wrapped Easter bunnies prove more interesting than professorships (Rousse)

We ejected the two students from the table and got down to business. Our newly-appointed bearded colleague contributed much to the discussion. This was just what we hoped for when we took the decision to recruit external experienced staff on … Continue reading →

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Searching for stationery in Stockton-on-Tees (Rousse)

What a joy it was to be back in Stockton-on-Tees searching for stationery! The high street had barely changed in 40 years. I loved the old-fashioned 1970s shop frontages. I hoped with all my heart that Dressers still be there … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh’s top Italian café offers a new line in raw vegetable dishes, and entertains guests in an interactive anteroom (Rousse)

JM was back from his holiday and enjoying all the attention from the charming waiting staff at Edinburgh’s best Italian café. I watched from across the table as he tucked into two enormous bowls of raw fruit and vegetables. It … Continue reading →

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Narwhal is cover for Finnish plot to invade Estonia (Rousse)

I explained to my companion that I had long experience of mixing with wealthy people, mainly in the country seats of Northumberland and the chateaux of Auvergne. However, never before had I seen a place like this. Our multimillionaire host … Continue reading →

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