A regenerating man in Highland holiday accommodation (Rousse)

Our Highland holiday accommodation was more like a hostel than a hotel, full of young people who signed up for activities each day. I quite fancied joining them on the morning that they floated down the rapids of the nearby river inside enormous rubber rings.

A small proportion of the guests were closer to us in age, and profession. In fact, a few recognised TPR from his working life – and they did not like him. It appeared that they had never forgiven him for causing chaos when he died in the States about a decade earlier.

I was just grateful that he had regenerated after his death and became my husband once more.

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Squirrel zoo escapee helps with hopeless antique car (Rousse)

BM and RG ditched their Morris Minor for a very early black motor car.

They filled their new vehicle with random passengers including a toddler, a sheepdog, and an exotic rare squirrel ‘acquired’ from the zoo.

Whenever they reached a steep bank, everyone – including the animals – had to get out and push.

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Fear of the dentist cured by beans (Rousse)

We returned to our old dental practice, hoping that they would take us back. The elderly dentist ushered us into his premises through the tatty hall (littered with spent tissues and lumps of chewing gum).

At the waiting room counter, he took down our details. While I was happy to wait until December for my next check-up, TPR insisted on the earliest available appointment.

Meanwhile other patients created a queue behind us. They stood in a mound of dried pulses, reputed to calm the nerves.

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A motorbike and tummy sparkles (Rousse)

My last two trips across the city on my motorbike from Merchiston had been fraught with danger. On the first I rode with my eyes closed (I was tired) and could have easily taken out any other road user or pedestrian. On the second I was TPR’s passenger. He disregarded any aspects of the Highway Code that interfered with his journey, such as waiting for the traffic lights to change at busy junctions.

Now I was much safer, travelling by bus with my precious cargo of smart work clothes, including a blue Brenish Tweed jacket and my Christian Lacroix suit. My school friend GT was with me, fully expecting to be asked if she wanted my cast-off clothes. However, she wouldn’t hear such an offer. This was because I was going to wear these clothes with sparkles across my tummy. I just had to find my box of black sequins, which was rolling around somewhere on the floor of the bus.

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Police take out University terrorist cell while Rousse cleans up (Rousse)

Due to my early morning routine of walking the city streets, I witnessed the 6:00am raid on the hall of residence by the canal. The rumour was that the police took out a terrorist cell that was operating out of the University.

On my way home I called in on PhD student JM. A young woman (a girlfriend?!) answered the door. ‘I’ve come to see my brother’, I explained. ‘That’s fine’, she replied as she let me in.

JM’s flat was very busy. It was almost as if a party had been organised and I had been deliberately excluded from it. When I told EH about the raid on the student halls, she burst into tears.

It was soon obvious that the young woman was a long-standing girlfriend. She had put a lot of effort into catering for the guests and I felt (as her quasi sister-in-law) that it was my place to help with the clearing up. The main issue was that she had over-estimated numbers and there was an excess of vegetables to either repurpose or throw out. I offered to take them home to transform into delicious vegetarian dishes to share, and/or to add them to my compost heap.

A Danish boy stood over me while I was washing up. He was just as surprised as me when I said to him in good Norwegian that he ought to help. He obeyed my instruction before I had to chance to practise any further my Nordic language skills.

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A colour-blind colleague (Rousse)

I told my colleagues that I wanted a grey leaving party.

My formerly miserable colleague PT exhibited great enthusiasm for the plans. However, he broke the rules by turning up with a huge, brown, chocolate cake.

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How to clean an iPad (Rousse)

EH told me not to worry as she placed her iPad mini on the top rack of the dishwasher.

‘It’s perfectly safe’ she said. ‘This is the way that all the young people clean their tablets these days.’

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Monkey business (Belle)

My new business venture – selling vinyl records at a stall in the local church – seemed to be going so well. My fellow stall holders were delighted with the turnout.

However, I failed to check my handbag, and when I opened it several small monkeys ran out and proceeded to cause chaos. Vinyl records were removed from their sleeves and thrown at shoppers. Purses were rifled and people began to scream. I could only look on in horror as the monkeys moved towards the silver candlesticks on the altar.

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Countryside dangers (Rousse)

First I was nearly trampled by a herd of black cattle running away from a swarm of flies.

Then I got caught up in MS’s fishing line, with multiple tiny hooks embedded in the white flesh of my left arm.

It was not a good day to be ‘enjoying’ the great outdoors.

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Belle’s birthday treat (Rousse)

It was Belle’s birthday. She invited us all to go to the cinema with her.

While we were queuing to pay for our tickets, I noticed a poster for a post-film pub quiz. I was keen to take part in this with everyone else. However, the end time was too late for me: my last train home left long before 10pm.

I wondered out loud whether Belle might invite me to spend the night at her place, ostensibly to join the pub quiz. In reality, my heart’s desire was to steal some precious extra hours with my dear friend, together alone.

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