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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Donald Trump will run for President: exclusive interview from David Elstein’s offices (Rousse)

Donald Trump’s fall from power was so great that he now worked in advertising sales for David Elstein’s media empire. My good friend JM also worked for Elstein, so gave me access to the once ‘great’ man.

One day I took advantage of my connection to the former president and chatted to him about his future plans. He lapped up all the attention, especially since most of his workmates actively ignored him whenever possible. Very subtly, I brought him round to the question of the next presidential election. Would he stand? It seemed that he would, and the scoop was mine.

One of the other colleagues told me that he was about to leave the company. He asked if I could pass a parting gift on to JM, who out of the office that day. I willingly took the small square plate of steel, engraved with words of admiration and thanks for JM. JM’s soon-to-be former colleague proudly told me that he had composed the string of kind words all by himself.

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Ape World attractions (Rousse)

I took the coach to Ape World with a bunch of school friends. All were in the same form as me, but with the exception of KM, they were in a different class. Amongst my travelling companions were Dippy Dawn and Loopy Lorraine, and a couple of scary school bullies.

My first impression of Ape World was one of great disappointment. With its sticky carpets and forlorn displays, it gave the impression of a cross between a Wetherspoons pub and a once state-of-the-art, but long since abandoned, museum.

I wandered through three of the four main halls – ‘Human world’, ‘Nature world’, and ‘Animal world’ – completely unimpressed by the static models and the dull text that accompanied them. When I reached the entrance to the fourth, I hesitated at the sound of animal screeches and human screams. Were those real apes behind the dark panels? What were they doing to the unseen museum visitors? Was the main attraction to be chased by primates through dark corridors?

I was not prepared to find out. Instead I wandered upstairs to join my Canadian cousins NT and DT, and hunt down some lunch.

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Holiday home pros and cons (Rousse)

At the top of the hill, I jumped off the bike and passed it to PMF. This was because I was too scared to negotiate the steep incline on the other side. He would ride, and I would run behind him.

Our destination was P and C’s new holiday home. They had bought a flat above a shop in a village just outside Manchester. I couldn’t work out whether the permanent funfair that ran every weekend in the ground directly opposite the flat was a bonus, or a terrible post-purchase shock.

The shop below sold cut-price Highland Stoneware seconds. This counted as an advantage of the location – at least to me.

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Tubby topless teen teacher (Belle)

I was out for my afternoon walk when I saw a pasty shirtless teenage boy dancing salsa with a middle aged woman. He was twirling her around and calling out the steps – “One, two, THREE, four”, and she was spinning and laughing. As I got closer I realised the teenager was Bobby from King of the Hill.

The next afternoon, there he was again, teaching a different woman. I approached slowly and realised he was a terrible dancer, and an awful teacher. Yet here he was, wobbling around the mews with a delighted partner. What body confidence, I thought bitterly. How long would it be before I was begging Bobby to teach me how to dance really badly?

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Wellies at work (Rousse)

Four inches of water lay across the floor of every lift in the office building. This explained the new fashion for work footwear: green wellies.

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