Tag Archives: family

A wedding in the north Lake District (Rousse)

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Dreamaticus

The Cumbrian pub just off the M6 was crammed with wedding guests. They queued everywhere – for their room keys, to use the bathroom, at the dining room door at breakfast etc. The low bathroom to guest ratio meant that … Continue reading →

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Dressing secrets of the French royal family (Rousse)

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Dreamaticus

The curator passed me the tiny fitted eighteenth century jacket. The solid gold buttons, along with the hand-stitched trimmings in precious threads, stood out against the beautiful dark blue velvet. ‘Check the silver embroidery on the seam of the sleeve’, … Continue reading →

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Two dead queens and a kitchen conga (Rousse)

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Dreamaticus

T arrived at our door in a terrible state. His marriage was on the rocks. and he had no idea how to win back L. I accompanied T back to his house by foot. We passed some of the royal … Continue reading →

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Rubies for Rousse

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Dreamaticus

My sister SEH blew into our flat like a hurricane, dumping her belongings in the study and demanding food. I noticed that she was wearing a lot of gold jewellery, including several ruby rings across both of her hands. Were … Continue reading →

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No toilet Tokyo (Rousse)

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Dreamaticus

I knew that space was at a premium in Tokyo, but I had no idea of the impact of this on the population’s everyday habits until I visited the city myself. My host family of three was very welcoming. On … Continue reading →

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Highlights of the north east coast of the Isle of Skye (Rousse)

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Dreamaticus

My mother’s Volvo was not a self-driving car, yet when the whole the family was crammed into the back seat, we treated it as such. I was terrified as we sped through the countryside at top speeds, praying that the … Continue reading →

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Dinner for the dead and alive (Rousse)

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Dreamaticus

They were all there – family members dead and alive at my maternal grandmother’s house: my uncle who had emigrated to Australia in the 1970s was on the lawn in the back garden with his younger daughter, who was photographing … Continue reading →

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Timber frost danger (Rousse)

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Dreamaticus

My entire immediate family crowded into the garden shed for my brother-in-law to pass judgement on the tiny defect in the wood above the door frame. ‘Bad news, I’m afraid’, he said. ‘This is frost damage. Your shed is falling … Continue reading →

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How not to change a nappy (Rousse)

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Dreamaticus

My status in the household was rather ambiguous as the former au pair girl. Should I really be left in charge of the children three decades later? That question was answered when I attempted to change the sodden nappy on … Continue reading →

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Invitation to murder (Rousse)

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Dreamaticus

My family was running the risk of reputational ruin. Already we were known for being loud and eccentric. Now it seems that we had invited someone for dinner and – for entertainment at the end of the evening – murdered … Continue reading →

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