Tag Archives: Newcastle

Cargo bike crisis in Newcastle (Rousse)

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Dreamaticus

I travelled all the way to Newcastle by cargo bike. Almost at my journey’s end, at Haymarket another cyclist rode up to tell me that I had lost my cargo, and that I had a flat tyre. I was grateful … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bike, cargo, Haymarket, jacket, Newcastle, phone, purse, reliable, TPR, tyre | Leave a comment

Identifying elite US and UK universities (Rousse)

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Dreamaticus

I told a gaggle of American students that everything that I had ever learnt about elite US universities came from watching films. They were impressed that this ‘strategy’ of mine was so successful. I then asked them if they could … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged American, Cambridge, Edinburgh, elite, higher education, library, Newcastle, Oxford, top, UK, universities, university, US | Leave a comment

Shamed at a Newcastle University seminar (Rousse)

Posted on February 23, 2025 by Dreamaticus

TPR and I travelled to Newcastle for two visits to my mother in her care home. Between the visits, TPR consulted physics text books in Newcastle University library, then we both attended a research seminar in the School of Fine … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged campus, care home, fine art, head, library, mother, Newcastle, physics, school, seminar, shame, TPR, university | Leave a comment

Rude relations (Rousse)

Posted on January 12, 2025 by Dreamaticus

My sister J and her husband M decided to move to Edinburgh. They took a quick look at my flat, pulled out a pad of paper, and drew up some plans. Their big idea was to buy my flat and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged brother-in-law, council, Edinburgh, flat, git, murmuration, nephew, New Town, Newcastle, permission, plan, planning, relations, renovate, rude, sister, starling, Traitors | Leave a comment

Amol Rajan: rubbish railway worker

Posted on December 31, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Amol Rajan had given up in journalism for a job selling train tickets at London King’s Cross. When he failed to find me a split ticket for the route London-Newcastle-Edinburgh, I recommended that he return to his old role. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Amol, Amol Rajan, Edinburgh, journalism, journalist, London, Newcastle, rail, railway, Rajan, split, ticket, train, Waverley, worker | Leave a comment

Spreadsheets, arguments, and a spiral staircase at the auctioneer’s sale room (Rousse)

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Dreamaticus

The auctioneer’s accountant praised the clarity of the layout of our financial transactions. ‘That comes from years of working with spreadsheets’, I said with pride. The accountant’s colleagues were not so happy that we sisters argued openly in front of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged antique, argument, auctioneer, Barbara, bed, double, family, handbag, junk, Newcastle, room, sale, sister, spiral, spreadsheet, staircase | Leave a comment

Parking in Newcastle and the mean streets of Jesmond (Rousse)

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Dreamaticus

There was no way that I would pay £45 to leave my car for a single day in a Newcastle multi-storey car park. Instead, we took our chances and hunted for a free space on the mean streets of Jesmond.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Jesmond, multi-storey, Newcastle, parking, space, street | Leave a comment

Canals crowded in city blaze (Rousse)

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Dreamaticus

TPR shouted back to me that I should follow him up the hill to ‘See this!’ Ahead of me on the right hand side I could just make out an orange glow. As I approached it, I saw an occupied … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged blaze, canal, city, crowd, fire, flames, garden, Glow, hill, mother, Newcastle, Orange, sister, TPR, water, window | Leave a comment

Thirty unexpected minutes in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Rousse)

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Dreamaticus

An announcement came over the tannoy when the train drew into Newcastle Central railway station: ‘Due to circumstances beyond our control, this service will wait here for thirty minutes. Please could all passengers disembark and return after supper.’ By the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged box, carriage, central, entrance, LNER, mobile, mother, Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, phone, platform, staff, station, supper, telephone, thirty, town, TPR, train, white, wine | Leave a comment

Mystery grapes found in death-trap car in Newcastle (Rousse)

Posted on December 11, 2021 by Dreamaticus

Sandyford Road was almost empty of traffic, most likely due to the pandemic restrictions. This suited me as I drove to my new seconded post at the University of Northumbria. I’d easily make it to the office on time. Then … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged brakes, car, grape, gutter, house, Newcastle, pandemic, Sandyford Road, secondment, terrace, traffic, University of Northumbria | Leave a comment