Tag Archives: reception

Big changes at the University of Birmingham (Rousse)

Posted on October 4, 2025 by Dreamaticus

Childhood friends SB and KH met me in Birmingham to scope out venues for next year’s university reunion. We were in for a shock when we reached the University of Birmingham campus. The French department was completely unrecognisable. The corridors … Continue reading →

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Troubles at the UK’s top events venue (Rousse)

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Dreamaticus

Robert Gordon University was now the leading UK events venue, and buzzing with delegates when I arrived for a conference. I soon found fellow academic BD and we agreed to meet the next morning at 8:00am for breakfast. I would … Continue reading →

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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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Dot.com heyday reunion party gatecrashed by secret lover (Rousse)

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Dreamaticus

The huge Sun Microsystems Sunrise reunion was hosted in a massive chain hotel in a major US city. It was almost as if the heady days of the dot.com boom had never ended. My boat was so late docking in … Continue reading →

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Hotel free late check-out hack (Rousse)

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Dreamaticus

Dressed in a long white towel, I told the reception staff at the gym attached to the Jury’s Inn that if the hotel staff would not permit a late check-out, I would threaten to run naked through the hotel corridors. … Continue reading →

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Sleeping in reception and a London lay-over (Rousse)

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Dreamaticus

I climbed into my bed in the lobby of the London hotel under the watchful eye of the staff on the reception desk. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, one of them informed me that a PhD student … Continue reading →

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The dance of the hotel spa radishes (Rousse)

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Dreamaticus

There was nobody at the reception desk when I tried to check into the hotel. Having made a couple of enquiries as to their whereabouts, I found the staff lined up along the edge of the hotel playing field. They … Continue reading →

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Red fleece pyjama shame (Rousse)

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Dreamaticus

When I saw BB come round the corner into reception with a bunch of computer industry experts I knew that I had to sharpen up my act. Lounging around campus reception in my red fleece pyjamas until mid-morning was an … Continue reading →

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Black market fruit and vegetables and a broken iPhone (Rousse)

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Dreamaticus

We stockpiled the fruit and vegetables just inside the main entrance to the university, not far from the reception desk where LM was on duty. Most of the students missed our little stall as they passed by on the way … Continue reading →

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An Australian body search for Earl Grey tea (Rousse)

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Dreamaticus

‘I don’t even smoke! What would be the point?’ I screamed at the man who accused me of stealing a pack of cigarettes. He was actually referring to the two Earl Grey teabags on the reception desk. Had I taken … Continue reading →

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