Tag Archives: TPR

Settlers of Catan in San Francisco (Rousse)

As the coach pulled into San Francisco nobody could doubt that we were in free and easy California. From the window I saw pastel painted houses, rainbow flags, and hippies in the street. I checked into the same hotel as … Continue reading →

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A busy morning with Uncle J (Rousse)

My Uncle J sat on the sofa and enthused about his new business idea: to sell custom-made T-shirts to the British middle classes. I told him that this venture was doomed to failure. I was British and middle class, and … Continue reading →

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Suicide program (Rousse)

TPR was in bits. He told me over the phone that the program no longer worked and – because of this – his colleague had committed suicide.

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‘Intelligence calipers’ measure IQs of aspiring spooks (Rousse)

The job advert had read ‘civil servant’ but I knew that the panel members opposite me were assessing my suitability for a role that included subterfuge, espionage, honeypots, and data decryption. I played along answering the standard interview questions with … Continue reading →

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Local government loo inspection incognito (Rousse)

TPR found us a new house in a smart Glasgow terrace opposite a park. Next I had to find a new job. I accepted a lift to a run-down provincial town where I met Margaret, my new boss in local … Continue reading →

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Andy Murray and his secret TV quiz show lover (Rousse)

DM and I were each paired up with a man to compete in a geographic television quiz show that required us to name all the streets of Stockton-on-Tees. The experience was so intense that each couple fell in love. My … Continue reading →

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A pin-up litter picker (Rousse)

TPR was the pin-up of Newcastle University. My nephew PMF was his agent. He arranged for TPR to live free of charge in the a hall of residence room, provided that he would pick up the litter on campus.

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Stevie Wonder misses his flight (Rousse)

Stevie Wonder, his female friend, TPR, two other computer industry experts and I were chatting in the bar while Stevie and his companion were waiting for a flight. I checked my watch. It was 19:15. ‘What time is your flight?’ … Continue reading →

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A bugged life, and a trip in the Tardis (Rousse)

As soon as TPR was out of the picture, my tall dark friend moved in. He pointed to his earpiece and warned me to be very careful: my entire life was being bugged. Not long afterwards I match-maked my two … Continue reading →

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What it is to be a woman (Rousse)

TPR emerged from the booth with a grim look on his face. ‘I now understand what it is to be a woman’, he announced. I couldn’t wait to climb into the booth myself and discover why to be a man … Continue reading →

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