Tag Archives: mobile

Cats, chatting, and church (Rousse)

What a busy day! In the morning I made friends with a (real) cat, then had a very long chat with JB who had elected to spend the whole day in a marmalade fur outfit dressed as one. Afterwards I … Continue reading

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Rousse’s precious bra stash

The men rounded us all up and confiscated our valuables, including mobile phones. We women were trapped with no means of calling for help. JW soon emerged as our leader. She reminded us all that our most precious (and also … Continue reading

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Rowan Atkinson secrets overheard in hotel lift (Rousse)

After months of planning, the day of my conference finally arrived. A little behind schedule, I popped into the hotel dining room to see who else had made it to breakfast. A surprising number of delegates were there, the majority … Continue reading

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

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

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An unplanned journey to the Hebrides (Rousse)

My father paid £19 each for all five of us to visit the castle and within minutes I had ruined everyone’s day. How was I to know that the bus was not a shuttle around the estate, but instead a … Continue reading

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Toothbrushes and telephone tutorials (Rousse)

KA won the argument and she, SM and the children would stay the night in Edinburgh rather than face the long drive back to Hexham. As KA got E and R ready for bed, I rummaged around in the green … Continue reading

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The world’s most expensive lump of yeast (Rousse)

Belle and I had a desperate need for live yeast. Convinced that we’d find some in one of the breweries off Dalry Road, we set off from my flat in two separate taxis. I climbed into the one that had … 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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Sunshine in the Highlands, a glug jug and a job offer in New York (Rousse)

I hoped for good weather to show off the highlands to my sister-in-law SB. She had never travelled so far up the country before and I wanted her first impressions of the north of Scotland to be memorable for the … Continue reading

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JK Rowling extends her estate (Rousse)

The best of friends, JK Rowling and I shared a Victorian villa by the seaside. She lived on the top floor, and my flat was below. One morning I looked out of the window and noticed a series of white-painted … Continue reading

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