Tag Archives: Birmingham University

Accommodation for a single husband, cycling safety and wedding dresses (Rousse)

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Dreamaticus

I was running late for my meeting, but the issue of TPR’s accommodation was a higher priority. Thank goodness he had dismissed the suggestion of moving back to the Manor House at the University of Birmingham. However, he still seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged accident, accidents, accommodation, bike, Birmingham, Birmingham University, collision, collisions, contract, cycle, cycling, design, designer, dress, dresses, gown, gowns, husband, late, Manor House, meeting, prize, room, single, TPR, University of Birmingham, visit, wedding | Leave a comment

JK Rowling bakes a mean meringue (Rousse)

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Dreamaticus

This is the tale of the day that JK Rowling and I finally secured our friendship. It didn’t start well… BR scolded me. He couldn’t understand why I thought it acceptable to walk the length of the railway line completely … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art gallery, backside, bag, bare, Birmingham University, blonde, bottom, campus, casserole, chute, classical, concert, dish, friend, friendship, handbag, Harry Potter, home-made, JK Rowling, library, library assistant, line, meringue, meringues, music, naked, parents, party, performance, railway, readers, Reading, reading room, room, seating, sisters, student, students, sunshine, tea, track, University of Birmingham, woman | Leave a comment

Birmingham University confessions, a career with moleskin trousers, and underwater cycle kayaking (Rousse)

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Dreamaticus

SB kicked off the Birmingham University French department reunion by suggesting that we read the “confessions” from last time. She actually meant the comments on the 2006 evaluation sheets, which she passed around the table. Personally I would have preferred … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged band, Birmingham University, Blackberry, blush, bouncers, call, canal, career, carousel, club, comments, confessions, cycling, cyclists, data, disco, evaluation, fairground, French, girl, green, handbag, handwriting, industrial panel, kayaking, Manor House, mobile, moleskin, moleskins, party, phone, racing, rucksack, sheets, TPR, trousers, tunnel, underwater, University of Birmingham | Leave a comment

A cat-assisted attempt to avoid divorce (Rousse)

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Dreamaticus

There was only one way that I would find time to do my own research ever again: to register for a second PhD. I considered several options. I could return to the University of Birmingham where I had studied as … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged African, Annandale Street, attempt, badge, badges, Birmingham, Birmingham University, boyfriend, cat, Claremont Crescent, dance, dancing, director, divorce, door, doorbell, dress, East Claremont Street, Ediburgh, ex-husband, eyes, garden, home, husband, identity, initials, lecturer, lights, marking, metal, Newcastle University, Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford University, parent, parents, PhD, railings, reconciliation, research, TPR, university, University of Birmingham, University of Newcastle, University of Oxford, wall | Leave a comment

Hall of residence handicrafts at the University of Birmingham (Rousse)

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Dreamaticus

Nobody needed any persuasion to take to the floor at the Manor House reunion disco. With the first beat of the first record it was filled with enthusiastic dancers. I mentioned to TPR that we should list all these popular … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birmingham, Birmingham University, card, cards, Christmas, dance, dancers, disco, father, hall, hall of residence, handicraft, handicrafts, library, Manor, Manor House, paper, papers, party, playlist, record, records, reunion, scrap, scraps, surname, university, University of Birmingham | Leave a comment

How to improve your REF 2014 ranking (Rousse)

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Dreamaticus

Once again, at the airport I bumped into someone I hadn’t seen for ages. This time it was MH. Our last encounter had been over quarter of a century ago on the campus of the University of Birmingham. We spent … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged airport, Birmingham, Birmingham University, Blackberry, broken, cell, degree, degrees, documentation, friend, inoperable, iPhone, Isle of Man, Masters, meeting, mobile, phone, ranking, rating, REF, REF 2014, school, student, students, submission, submissions, teacher, teachers, undergraduate, undergraduates, university, University of Birmingham | Leave a comment

How to speak French – again (Rousse)

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Dreamaticus

I was back at the University of Birmingham under the care of Mr H. He questioned my motivation for joining the second year class. What was I doing here? Didn’t I already hold a first degree, as well as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birmingham, Birmingham University, degree, doctorate, French, learn, Masters, PhD, speak, university, University of Birmingham | Leave a comment

Rousse avoids a rubbish job

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Dreamaticus

Back in 1982 I was doing all I could to avoid what I considered an inappropriate task for female first year undergraduates: picking up litter. They said that the boys would be there too, but I didn’t believe it. I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1982, Birmingham University, boys, campus, carriage, class, classes, collection, female, floor, girls, lift, litter, lying, Muirhead Tower, rail, shop assistant, shopping, shopping centre, station, student, students, train, undergraduate, undergraduates, uniform, uniforms, University of Birmingham, waiter, waiters | Leave a comment

Bad behaviour and an F1 fireball kill conversation (Rousse)

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Dreamaticus

The conference launch event was a Victorian-Edwardian music hall concert in the style of BBC’s Good old days show. I thought this a bit OTT for a librarians’ conference, but this was the US, and it did make a change … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged alumni, alumnus, America, BBC, Berkeley, Birmingham University, California, car, colleagues, conference, conversation, dead, dinner, Edwardian, F1, fire engine, fire engines, flame, flames, flirt, flirting, formula 1, formula one, friend, gate-crash, gatecrash, Good old days, hall, kill, librarian, librarians, Manor, Manor House, Mountain View, music, music hall, news, Oxford, Oxford University, PhD, reunion, San Francisco, school, siren, sirens, Stanford, table, TPR, University of Birmingham, University of Oxford, US, Victorian | Leave a comment

School reunions: beware the ex (Rousse)

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Dreamaticus

It was difficult to establish my role at this reunion. For example, when KP and I disappeared to the ladies for an hour we felt terribly guilty, believing that we would be missed. However, when we emerged again afterwards, nobody … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged auditorium, bathroom, Birmingham, Birmingham University, car, cashmere, classmate, classmates, driving, film, friend, Hoppings, house, jersey, jumper, ladies, movie, Newcastle, Oxford, pupil, pupils, reunion, school, sweater, teacher, teachers, Town Moor, TPR, university, University of Birmingham, University of Oxford | Leave a comment