Tag Archives: Victorian

Chinese to blame for Victorian train carriage catastrophe (Rousse)

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Dreamaticus

We travelled in a tiny single red open Victorian train carriage. It was obvious that the modern station was not designed to welcome such an old-fashioned form of transport: there was a huge gap between the open carriage door and … Continue reading →

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Time-saving Victorian costume changes (Rousse)

Posted on September 27, 2025 by Dreamaticus

To save time in costume changes, TPR wore both his outfits simultaneously. To the left he was an navvy in a brown overall; to the right he was a Victorian gentleman. He dressed like this all day, even when looking … Continue reading →

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Tea making, trains, a trip to Thorpe Park, and torrential rain (Rousse)

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Dreamaticus

The kitchen was so crammed with people that my Granny H struggled to reach the hob to make herself a cup of tea. In the chaos, our guest TF was trying to show us his collection of antique maps. Their … Continue reading →

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An eventful conference in a bookshop (Belle)

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Dreamaticus

The conference was being held across multiple floors of the bookshop. On registration I received my delegate badge and was asked to open my handbag. As soon as I did, a woman quickly placed a ribeye steak inside and gave … Continue reading →

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Life as a Victorian student (Belle)

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Dreamaticus

I had made it to Oxford University! I couldn’t remember how this had happened – or what I was ‘reading’ – or why I had travelled back in time to the 1890s, or when I had become a 20-year old … Continue reading →

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Escapees from the Gaelic choir discover a ‘horny’ Victorian (Rousse)

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Dreamaticus

VJ and I made our escape from the Gaelic concert at Edinburgh airport and ran along the cycle path in the direction of Duddingston Loch. To make the race fairer, I agreed not to use my arms. This soon gave … Continue reading →

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Shameful colonial furniture (Rousse)

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Dreamaticus

While JM popped out to buy éclairs (or similar) and TPR tackled the washing up, I took a close look at the crumbling antique furniture that was rammed into the space at the bottom of our stairs. Why did we … Continue reading →

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Music hall mice (Belle)

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Dreamaticus

As I locked the gate to the allotment, I noticed that it was the 1880s outside. The cars had vanished, and there was an opium den across the street. A bicycle rickshaw was struggling up the hill and I saw … Continue reading →

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Book group blunder (Rousse)

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Dreamaticus

Our book group meeting was packed out with non-members including N & SY, and a red haired former student of mine whose name I could not remember. The venue for the night was a turreted Victorian lodge house next to … Continue reading →

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Victorian dental bills, exotic animals and a marriage (Belle)

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Dreamaticus

It was ‘Victorian times’ and a mysterious stranger gave me £50 to undertake a voyage to Australia to get my teeth fixed. My plan was to gather exotic animals while I was there, transport them back to London and sell … Continue reading →

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