Tag Archives: Isle of Man

David Jason – arms dealer (Rousse)

David Jason handed me a replica hand gun to ‘use as required’. He then disappeared down the street, and I awaited my fate. This was supposedly a game, but it all felt very real. Organised by SPL on the Isle … Continue reading

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A dream audit for house contents insurance renewal (Rousse)

Since I couldn’t visit the property to check in person, I reckoned that the best way to audit my mother’s belongings for the house contents insurance renewal was to dream myself there. TPR agreed to ‘come’ with me, and we … Continue reading

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Suffrajet ban on the Isle of Man (Rousse)

TPR explained that he could not possibly live on the Isle of Man because the song Worthy by the Suffrajets was on the island’s banned music list.

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Salmon in Manchester skies (Rousse)

TPR recommended taking a taxi from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Metropolitan University to ensure that I reached campus in time for my 4pm class. We took the one available taxi, even though we were unconvinced that the kindly driver was … Continue reading

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A trip to Middle-earth, the Shire and Hobbiton (Rousse)

She was only just back from her summer holiday, yet already AM was off on another exciting trip – to Hobbiton in Middle-earth. I clicked the link that she had posted to her Facebook wall and marvelled at the photographs … Continue reading

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Wedding preparations and wolves (Rousse)

S and A’s wedding rivalled the Olympics for scale. Everyone was invited. I loved it, especially since so many of my own friends, relations and work colleagues would be there. These included: my sister J and her family all the … Continue reading

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How to improve your REF 2014 ranking (Rousse)

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

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Malcolm Bradbury and Diane Abbott predict the next bestseller (Rousse)

The big clue as to the location of the conference was the island visible across the stretch of water to the west. If that was the Isle of Man, then this was rural Cumbria. However, it was impossible to work … Continue reading

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Stephen Fry and other uninvited guests (Rousse)

At JG’s insistence, RA reluctantly drove him, and my other undergraduate friends from Birmingham University AR and PS (the boy with the beautiful eyes), to meet us. The journey from the Isle of Man took them 6 hours, and they … Continue reading

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