Millionaires at the school reunion (Rousse)

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Dreamaticus

What was most astonishing about the reunion was the number of people who had come into money since we last met. Everyone was an heiress!

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Time travel to the 1960s, a meeting with Phil Davis, and a stolen bracelet (Rousse)

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Dreamaticus

I travelled back in time to the 1960s where I found myself outside a concrete football stadium, in the company of actor Phil Davis. Conscious of the sexist attitudes of a half century ago, I steeled myself for inappropriate remarks.

Although I knew that it was possibly against the rules, I decided to tell Mr Davis about the technology treats of the future. First I described text-based e-mail systems. Then I moved on to the emergence of the World Wide Web and twenty-first century habits related to 24-hour Internet access. He was fascinated, if a little incredulous.

Meanwhile my niece AF mugged a man for a diamond bracelet. When I pointed out that her victim was her uncle RH she was very ashamed – especially since he was planning to leave the bracelet to her in his will.

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Kayaking on Scotland’s west coast (Rousse)

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Dreamaticus

From the coach I saw JS up to her waist in the calm blue waters of the west of Scotland teaching a bunch of school children how to kayak. How I wished that I could join her.

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The indignity of dining alone (Rousse)

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Dreamaticus

After the formal proceedings were concluded, MLH and LC headed off with my hosts for their dinner.

“You can eat over there” they said, signalling a restaurant at the other side of the road.

I crossed over and pushed open the restaurant door. The head waiter and the chef, both of whom were French, greeted me. They recommended the salmon, so I made my order. Then the waiter led me to my table – not in the main room with the other diners, but in a dark annex.

I wondered what was wrong with me. Was I no longer fit to eat in the company of others?

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A secret affair discovered on the stairs (Rousse)

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Dreamaticus

I always said to TPR that my idea of hell was to be stuck in the car deck of a CalMac ferry with both car and boat engines running. Now, as we climbed up the old back stairs of the former military psychiatric hospital, I was beginning to change my mind. It was a very creepy, enclosed space. I’d only agreed to head upstairs on the instruction of XY, partly to avoid being the next person asked to admire his “new plumbing” following his prostate operation.

We found P and Q on the landing at the top of the stairs, apparently having just left the office (even though it was well after 10pm). For years it had been rumoured that they were engaged in a love affair. It appeared that we had caught them (almost) red-handed. They confessed on the spot, then, most uncharacteristically, Q gave me an enormous hug.

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A surprise encounter in Rhyl (Rousse)

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Dreamaticus

We returned to Rhyl and waited outside the church. TPR, HJ, SL and I expected to see DE as soon as the service ended.

As soon she emerged through the church door, I sidled up to her to say hello. She was simultaneously surprised, delighted, and confused.

She handed her blond-haired baby boy over to the care of TPR so that she could sit down a bench on the cliff and recover from the shock of seeing us all again.

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“Innovations” in knowledge management teaching (Rousse)

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Dreamaticus

What great excitement was this?

My colleagues had just discovered “knowledge management” (KM) and one was under instruction to develop a series of linked modules on the topic so that all graduates would be well-versed in both KM theory and practice.

Nobody seemed to know that (a) I had been teaching the subject successfully to final year students since 1999, and (b) I (and the students) had been asking for years for it to be taught throughout the entire curriculum.

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An unhappy WAG (Rousse)

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Dreamaticus

As an international sportsman, my husband spent weeks away from home touring the world. I pined for him from my bare room at the University of Birmingham’s Manor House. If this lifestyle continued, I would need to take a lover. (A candidate had already put her name forward, but I was not attracted to short, dark-haired, flat-chested women.)

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A glug jug bargain (Rousse)

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Dreamaticus

I saw the green and mustard yellow glug jug and made a grab for it.

“How much is this?” I asked.

“£18.”

“It’s a bit chipped. Please could I give you £5?”

“OK.”

The woman next to me cast an angry glare. “You know full well that a glug jug of that calibre is worth at least £60 – and it isn’t chipped either” she complained.

I didn’t care. I’d already paid for it, and it was mine, all mine.

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Delinquent tram passengers and a detachable carriage (Rousse)

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Dreamaticus

At the tram stop I realised that I had left my burgundy suitcase at the other end of the carriage. I made a dash for it while ECM held the door open with her foot.

The conductor was furious. He detached our carriage from the others. We watched in amazement as the rest of the vehicle merrily carried on its journey through the summer countryside – and wondered what our punishment would be.

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