I said on Tuesday that campus was busying up. I withdraw that assessment after today’s visit, on which I reckoned I might have been the only member of uni staff in the whole Ellen Wilkinson Building that turned up today. And I only really did that for the step count. I have worked (occasionally) in the EWB for coming up to 18 years now, and it does not ever get much more visually interesting than this.
Summer at uni, a time to get renovations done to buildings (like the Ellen Wilkinson) which sorely need it. A scaffold and a red tool box set off the view from up on the third floor landing. It would be nice if I was on a proper summer break by now, but not yet: ten days to go.
At this time last year we had our annual ‘staff awayday‘ entirely in Zoombieland, and frankly it was the lowest point of that bleak, lonely time for me. I could return to the point about why a largely vaccinated population is still being told they should live in fear, but let’s not — instead, let’s at least celebrate the fact that there were some work colleagues around today. Only a few, but they were there, and how much better the day was for it. Left-to-right; Steve, Miri, Stephen (pictured in his office two weeks ago), Miguel. Happy Fridays, everyone. Take back your public spaces.
There may be a few people, other than me, working in the Ellen Wilkinson Building at this time. There are occasional noises, dimly perceived, as if made by spirits. Shadowy presences in stairwells. But seeing as even in normal times I was usually the only one who ventured out into the hidden courtyard, the annual cherry blossom display is even more personal than usual, this year. We both greeted a warm, early spring day — alone.
Last day in Manchester, certainly, for 33 days. Off tomorrow, on my most significant journey of 2019. So time for this year’s ‘cherry blossom in the Ellen Wilkinson Building’s secret courtyard’, then. I doubt it’ll still be there when I get back.
Day one of Welcome Week — and so there came a time in the day when we all needed to have a break. Picture taken through my office window, making it the third in the last five days to be taken through glass. It also adds to the increasing lead of the 3.00 – 3.55pm time slot when it comes to the overall pattern of shot timing (see the stats), a statistical blip I attribute mainly to football matches kicking off at 3pm. But that is just personal trivia.
My office has been in the Ellen Wilkinson building for ten and a half years, plenty of time to become familiar with its charms which, on the whole, are pretty minimal. With the exception of this courtyard in the centre, which I love, because as I am sure I’ve said before, all three entrances to it hide in plain sight and amazingly few people ever use it. It’s one of the few spots on the Manchester campus where you’re guaranteed some peace and quiet.
Was determined that today’s photo should come from Manchester, to break the run of Hebden pics and prove I do turn up at the office now and again. This despite having a photogenic night out (in Hebden) which may have proven a more fertile source than this rather random, albeit well-lit, corridor. But I didn’t take my camera out tonight, so we are left with this one. The corridor. Two fire extinguishers. It’s a thriller, I know.
Well-lit Moments During a Day on Campus, number several dozen and twenty. This is one of the secret entrances into my personal courtyard by the way, so consider it a clue to its whereabouts.
This is ‘my’ courtyard because I never see anyone else in here. There are — and I know them all — three entrances into this courtyard, surrounded by the brown-grey concrete expanses of the Ellen Wilkinson building. One is a fire exit, one looks like it’s just a conduit for the trash and one is a gate that is always closed, but never locked. None are welcoming, so this place is always deserted. Fine by me… this is my space.
Being 42 