Category Archives: Uncategorized

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

Time-travelling aunt fulfils her duties as a godparent (Rousse)

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Dreamaticus

The children’s names were listed in sibling groups on a whiteboard. The mothers referred to the list as they discussed godparents and presents. Although he was male and based in the Republic of Ireland (where this scheme did not operate), … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged child, children, Cumbria, dreadlocks, duties, duty, dye, godmother, godparent, hair, kid, kids, meeting, mother, nephew, niece, rail, Republic of Ireland, school, sibling, siblings, swearing, time travel, train, west coast, whiteboard | Leave a comment

Going without: underwear or shoes? (Rousse)

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Dreamaticus

It would be extremely rude to present a research seminar barefoot, especially in the company of DW who was always so well turned-out. So we spent hours hunting for a neat pair of black loafers (or similar) at the top … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A level, A levels, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, barefoot, corn, corn field, dress, Edinburgh Fringe, emergency, emergency cord, field, flight, France, loafers, Marcillat, present, presentation, professor, rail, research, seminar, shoes, St Pardoux, StartRite, station, ticket, train, underwear | Leave a comment

Red heads and the Data Protection Act (Rousse)

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Dreamaticus

JM was full of bright ideas for the conference, but the these last two did not count. Given her expertise in records management JM should have known every detail of the Data Protection Act 1998. This included the provision related … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged conference, data protection, data protection act, ginger, hair, personal data, professor, records management, red, red-head, speaker, speakers | Leave a comment

Oswald Danes plies an evil trade in Edinburgh (Rousse)

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Dreamaticus

Notorious paedophile, rapist and murderer Oswald Danes parked his specially adapted 4×4 on Infirmary Street in Edinburgh, then laid in wait for victims. The four of us were the first to encounter him. As we walked up to the junction … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 4 x 4, 4x4, Bill Pullman, boot, car, Chambers Street, Dr Who, Edinburgh, fight, fist-fight, Infirmary Street, Miracle Day, murderer, paed, paedophile, pedophile, rapist, run, running, snow, sofa, South Bridge, Torchwood, vehicle, victim, victims | Leave a comment

Bupa Great Edinburgh Run 2011 organisers surprise athletes with goody bag contents (Rousse)

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I was under the impression that I had just completed the full 10k of the 2011 Bupa Great Edinburgh Run. However, when I joined the others in the vast gymnasium where we had agreed to unpack our goody bags together … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 10k, 2011, athlete, athletes, bag, bags, bomb, bombers, bombs, buggies, buggy, Bupa Great Edinburgh run, goody, goody bag, goody bags, gym, gymnasium, Hartlepool, kit, kit bag, pushchair, pushchairs, race, reservoir, run, running, steward, Tiny Tears, wind | Leave a comment

How to survive the first week of term (Rousse)

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Dreamaticus

My work life was falling to pieces: the only computer available to me for running a complex statistical package was an ancient XT; my first tutorial of the academic year lasted only 30 minutes because I hadn’t prepared enough material; … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged academic, booklet, complaints, computer, drug, drugs, green, hooch, office, pirate, pirates, print room, software, statistical, statistics, stats, stress, student, students, teaching, term, treasure, treasure hunt, tutorial, typos, university, work, XT | Leave a comment