Tag Archives: Hartburn

A Tartan Pole (Rousse)

The first person that I came across upstairs at the White House was a sulky half-naked teenage Polish friend of my nephew. I was appalled that she barely greeted me when we passed one another in the upstairs hall. When … Continue reading

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Funny faces in the Stockton Arms (Rousse)

The Stockton Arms had undergone a dramatic change since I was last a regular sixth former visitor in the early 1980s. The biggest difference was that children were now welcome. All those sitting near to me were very well behaved, … Continue reading

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Christmas at the White House (Rousse)

Two enormous wrought iron gates guarded the two entrances to the White House. I pushed open the one to the right of the gravel drive and made my way to the front door. Once inside I made my way to … Continue reading

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A secret tryst at the White House (Rousse)

It was mid-January and high time that our Christmas visitors headed off home. While non-stop partying had its appeal, these so-called friends were eating us out of house and home, and TPR had strong suspicions that they were sponging off … Continue reading

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Back to black and white (Rousse)

Curiously Darlington Road was in monochrome. Even the yob outside the wine shop who tried to accost me was a figure in black and white. “This neighbourhood has definitely gone downhill since we all left”, I concluded.

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From Turkey to Teesside by taxi (Rousse)

Although my paper had been refereed and accepted, by the time that I registered at the Turkish conference it had disappeared from the programme. I hung around the venue all morning looking for someone to tell me if I was … Continue reading

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A new study at the White House (Rousse)

By clearing the landing at the White House a lot of extra space was made available. My mother told me that a new room would be built there. I begged for this to be a bedroom for me. I was … Continue reading

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Advantages of wasting away (Rousse)

TPR and I struggled to find privacy anyway. There were even passengers queuing for ferries in my bedroom at the White House. I walked into the upstairs kitchen where I found my shrunken sister. At under 5 foot in height … Continue reading

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Phil Collins’ Ghostbusters dance (Rousse)

Phil Collins danced with joy as I watched Ghostbusters on a decrepit VHS tape. Afterwards I took the dog into town to find TPR’s abandoned bike. When I returned home to the White House I annoyed my sister J. She … Continue reading

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Objections to the open house (Rousse)

Every time that I visited the White House there was something else there to annoy me. This time I kept tripping up on the rickety metal stairs. I also disapproved of my parents’ open house policy, which meant that the … Continue reading

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