Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Paris Apple iwatch thief (Rousse)

Posted on January 19, 2026 by Dreamaticus

When we rented a one-bedroomed studio holiday apartment in Paris, we didn’t expect that it would be open to other visitors day and night, and completely insecure. The thief who stole my iwatch cleverly replaced it with another watch of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged apartment, apple, crowd, France, goods, holiday, iwatch, locker, Paris, stolen, stranger, switch, thief, tourist, watch | Leave a comment

Undergraduate accommodation options (Rousse)

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Dreamaticus

Student finances were so tight that the university accommodation choice for the typical undergraduate student boiled down to: A very expensive traditional room in hall A ‘blow-up bedroom’ – effectively a blow-up mattress inside a tiny tent ‘Suitcase sleeping’ – … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged accommodation, blow-up, hall, mattress, money-saving, ray, room. bedroom, student, suitcase, TPR, undergraduate | Leave a comment

Uninvited garden vandals (Rousse)

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Dreamaticus

What a sight greeted me when I opened the back door! Someone had bored a massive circular 20 foot deep hole in the centre of the lawn, most likely using the heavy duty digger that stood against the wall next … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged digger, foreman, garden, hole, lawn, neighbour, rubble, vandal | Leave a comment

Nicking a notebook, a nightclub, and finding photos from the 1980s (Rousse)

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Dreamaticus

The brand new thick red-covered notebook on my mother-in-law’s kitchen table was ideal for my assessment task. I grabbed a black Sharpie pen, then very neatly wrote the title of my work on the cover. Almost as soon as I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1980s, archive, Brighton, grumpy, kitchen, mother-in-law, Nick, niece, nightclub, notebook, pen, photo, photograph, Sharpie, steal, supper, table, TPR | Leave a comment

Secret old lady’s clothes stash discovered in toddler’s bedroom (Rousse)

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Dreamaticus

Just when we thought that I had dealt with all my mother’s personal effects following her death, I discovered a small chest of drawers stuffed with some of her clothes – in the bedroom of a small blonde child that … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged babysit, bag, bedroom, butterscotch, charity, chest, child, clothes, death, garment, lady, mother, NWT, old, pins, Refreshers, screws, shop, sister, slim, toddler, TPR, wine gums | Leave a comment

Ignored by Canadians (Rousse)

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Dreamaticus

At my cousin’s farm in Somerset, I shared JB’s bath water and TPR sorted out our Mac accessories while the Canadian branch of the family ignored us.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged accessories, bath, Canadian, Mac, Somerset, TPR, water | Leave a comment

Anonymous author anger (Rousse)

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Dreamaticus

My research group made its home on a single floor of a 1970s high rise. Although the building’s exterior was ugly, we did well to make the inside cosy with antique furniture and carefully positioned ornaments. Everyone seemed happy enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1970s, anger, anonymous, antique, author, high rise, letter, ornament, PhD, research, Scottish Government, thesis | Leave a comment

Rainbow clown wigged lawyer granny keeps avocado green toilet in her sitting room (Rousse)

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Dreamaticus

My lawyer paternal grandmother was a stunner, even when wearing her rainbow clown wig. It was a pity that she barely practised law these days, largely due to the frailties of old age. Changes to her lifestyle were evident in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged avocado, bungalow, clown, coal, furniture, grandmother, granny, green toilet, lawyer, ornaments, rainbow, room, scuttle, sitting, wig | Leave a comment

A ruined antique, a banana loaf, and paperwork for Holy Island (Rousse)

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Dreamaticus

Almost as soon as I did it, I knew that I should have never plonked a red hot Le Creuset casserole dish on the top of a highly polished antique mahogany sideboard. Sure enough, I’d instantly made a nasty circular … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged antique, banana, casserole, dead, father, French polisher, Holy Island, Le Creuset, loaf, mahogany, mark, phone, scorch, sideboard, sister, sitting room, wood, yellow pages | Leave a comment

Jonathan Ross seeks flat and recognition in Edinburgh (Rousse)

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Dreamaticus

Jonathan Ross stood in my study and spoke with excitement of the prospect of buying a flat in Edinburgh. I suggested that he step away from the window to avoid the risk of drawing the attention of passers-by. ‘You must … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged attention, celebrity, Edinburgh, flat, Jonathan Ross, passers-by, recognition, study, window | Leave a comment