Tag Archives: Stockton

Christmas travel arrangements (Rousse)

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Dreamaticus

Homeless, we were shackled up at my parents’ house for Christmas. One bonus, however, was that we did rather well for Christmas presents. Amongst my haul were two new sets of pyjamas, one of which was red and fleecy and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged aunt, Christmas, cotton, cousin, drive, economy, fleecy, flight, foot, forget, homeless, house, leg-room, lucky, pack, parent, pink, present, pyjamas, red, seat, sister, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, TPR, travel, uncle | Leave a comment

A miracle landing, and donkeys and surfers in Stockon-on-Tees (Rousse)

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Dreamaticus

Despite all the warnings BP, EH and I all elected to take a flight during the terror alert. I should not have been surprised when about an hour from our destination the cabin lights went out and the air supply … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged air, alert, cabin, Darlington Road, death, destination, disembark, donkey, flight, forgive, hand, hold, land, landing, lights, lorry, miracle, photograph, safe, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, supply, surfer, surprise, terror, unscathed, warning | Leave a comment

Funny faces in the Stockton Arms (Rousse)

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Dreamaticus

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1980s, children, face, father, funny, Hartburn, likeness, notebook, notes, photos, pint, sister-n-law, sixth form, sixth former, Stockton, Stockton Arms, table, visitor, welcome, White House | Leave a comment

Christmas at the White House (Rousse)

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Dreamaticus

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, cousin, cramped, door, drawing, drive, entrance, gate, gravel, green, Hartburn, iron, kitchen, lunch, red, room, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, uncle, wallpaper, White House, wrought | Leave a comment

A secret tryst at the White House (Rousse)

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Dreamaticus

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged arms, art, bedroom, brush, cabinet, Chinese, Christmas, close, cuddle, cupboard, door, drawer, enjoy, family, forget, France, friend, furniture, guest, Hartburn, heat, January, kiss, letter, mess, pack, paint, paper, party, pen, secret, sister, sponge, steal, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, TPR, tryst, White House, wood, write | Leave a comment

Back to black and white (Rousse)

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Dreamaticus

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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged accost, black, Darlinton Road, downhill, Hartburn, leave, mono, monochrome, neighbourhood, shop, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, white, wine, yob | Leave a comment

Northumberland to Newbury the roundabout way (Rousse)

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Dreamaticus

Perhaps it was a mistake to allow the youngest member of our party to drive? The small, slim woman made so many navigational mistakes that we ended up travelling from Hexham to Corbridge via Norton. It took three hours to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged black and tan, coat, Corbridge, creature, dog, drive, handsome, Hexham, mistake, Newbury, Northumberland, Norton, party, problem, roundabout, snog, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, travel, woman | Leave a comment

Phil Collins’ Ghostbusters dance (Rousse)

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Dreamaticus

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bedroom, bike, dance, dawn, dog, garden, Ghostbusters, Hartburn, mist, Phil Collins, sister photograph, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, tape, town, TPR, VHS, White House, window | Leave a comment

Unexpected wedding guests: surprise dinosaur crocodiles and Africans (Rousse)

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Dreamaticus

We were at yet another wedding and I had completely lost the plot. I’d left the invitation, card and present at home and couldn’t remember who was getting married this time. The only clue was that the reception was in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged card, celebration, celebrations, clue, crocodile, crocodiles, Darlington Road, dinosaur, dinosaurs, friend, Graham Matthews, guest, guests, home, hotel, invitation, job, married, name, plot, present, reception, school, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, surprise, unexpected, wedding, welcome | Leave a comment

A flying cat, a red-haired witch, and an all-inclusive school reunion in Stockton-on-Tees (Rousse)

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Dreamaticus

A flying cat screeched as it swooped over us, the tips of its ears glowing fluorescent green in the darkening sky at dusk. It landed high above us in the canopy of the bare winter trees, only just visible as … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1970s, beat, cat, childhood, education, flying, ginger, name, pub, red-haired, reunion, school, semi-naked, silhouette, stick, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees, trees, winter, witch | Leave a comment