Tag Archives: student

Couple from America gatecrash drawing class (Rousse)

KJR and her Texan husband T gatecrashed my final year honours class. The students waited patiently while I fielded KJR’s questions. This was a tricky task now that she spoke with a strange Americanised North East English accent. Eventually one … Continue reading

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Idi Amin’s secret son (Rousse)

I couldn’t sleep so, in the middle of the night, I visited our old neighbours. It was about 1:00am and they were watching television as a wind-down before bedtime. I recognised an episode of The book group on the screen. … Continue reading

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Undergraduate accommodation options (Rousse)

Student finances were so tight that the university accommodation choice for the typical undergraduate student boiled down to: A very expensive traditional room in hall A ‘blow-up bedroom’ – effectively a blow-up mattress inside a tiny tent ‘Suitcase sleeping’ – … Continue reading

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Medicine as a mature student at the University of Cambridge (Rousse)

Aged 25, and after several exam attempts, I was finally admitted to the University of Cambridge as a medical student. My mother and sister S came with me to Cambridge on my first day to help me settle in. They … Continue reading

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A proposed oral penalty (Rousse)

EH was away so I was left to chaperone the learned dignitary who had flown in from the US to deliver a guest lecture to the final year students. She was the only British academic to have ever won the … Continue reading

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Apple Mac con man scam (Rousse)

I should have trusted my instincts when the man struck up a conversation with me at the bridge. Instead, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and fell for his charm. Before long I was lifting up the screen … Continue reading

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Big changes at the University of Birmingham (Rousse)

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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Travel to Shetland by helicopter (Rousse)

The twin who worked at the gym, and her sister who was a student at Queen Margaret University, organised the holiday in Shetland. TPR and I volunteered to fly there by helicopter. At the time we were unaware that this … Continue reading

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Axe-wielding climate change protesters damage personal property (Rousse)

I ran back to the train carriage just in time to collect my forgotten belongings. A few seconds later, and the cleaners would have scooped up everything for disposal. Out of the station and onto the Edinburgh streets, I ran … Continue reading

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Curious rucksack contents (Rousse)

I grabbed my rucksack and followed my Canadian colleague BD out the door. If this was the last time that we were together, I wanted to be with him as long as I could. We walked across the big public … Continue reading

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