The last two nights of my road trip have been spent at the home of friends Pegs and Dan Bailey, who live in a remarkable house, of which I was immediately envious. The name ‘The Round House’ is entirely literal, and this is the main interior stairway, from the bottom, looking up. Thanks to them for the hospitality — and the photo opportunity in the morning. The rest of the day was spent driving home.
How decadent, a glass of wine on a train on Sunday lunchtime. (And a bottle of water that may or may not originate from a spa town in North Yorkshire.) I like the refraction in the glass that is in turn reflected in my phone on the table.
Life becomes increasingly homogenised, and every egg you buy from the shop now seems to be brown. But Clare gets eggs from someone she works with, who has a farm in Calderdale, one of those where you risk running over truly free-range chickens if you drive past, and she doesn’t add dye to their feed to get the desired level of brownness. I love the gentle blue colour of this one, and pure white is also often seen. (And brown too, as you see with the other one.)
Treated myself, and my PhD student Steve (well, we split the bill) to a rarity for me, a working lunch, courtesy of the huge Tai Wu restaurant that sits just next door to the campus. And the dim sum were very fine. I’m still glad it’s Friday, though.
When academics grow up they still behave as their students do: sitting at the back and hoping no one picks on them for input. I wonder how many chairs there are at the University: tens of thousands I imagine. Perhaps the entire student population could sit down there at once, but many of them would definitely be visible at the front.
I was working today, Sunday — but this was no hardship, as it involved being in the press box for a Premier League game, namely Brighton v Southampton. This was the scene after the match, as we — ‘the media’ I guess (about 20 guys of varying ages, no women I’m afraid) — awaited the arrival of the managers. Each perhaps frustrated that there was no winning goal for either: 2-2 was the final score. On this one I like the basic monochrome, set off by the one flash of colour.
Located behind one end of Tonbridge Angels FC’s ground, this looks like a peaceful scene although there are at least eleven hundred football fans in reasonably close proximity. I like the muted colour scheme and the chess-board pattern reflected in the ball above.
A bit of culture. My taxes help pay for this place (and explain why entry remains free, hallelujah) so it was about time I paid it a visit. You get to see a lot of pictures of medieval saints, knights, Christ and so on but it’s certainly worth a couple of hours.
Some people may have gone back to work today, but neither Clare nor I did. So, a game of Mensa Connections it was, then. She won. 2-0 as it happens.
Spent the day doing much the same things as yesterday, hence this photo hits much the same themes. But still, why not? People! In rooms together, thinking! It’s about time.
Being 42 