Tuesday 12th July 2022, 3.05pm (day 3,974)
I’d say ‘it’s that time of year again’ but this is the first mid-July since 2019 where there have been such scenes around campus. Ceremony does matter: it’s good to see these return.
Graduation photography
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Tag Archives: Manchester
Double ticket whammy
Monday 4th July 2022, 2.30pm (day 3,966)
One reason, among many, that I hardly ever drive into Manchester is the enthusiasm of its traffic wardens: this seems to particularly apply around the King Street/Booth Street area, as the driver of this car will doubtless realise when s/he returns to it and its double ticket whammy. When I saw this I recalled this story from The Register, which noted that:
One council operative, identified only as badge number MC1192, issued 5,662 of the council’s 14,887 parking tickets for the month [May 2020], raking in £69,864 with a further £155,266 allegedly outstanding on MC1192’s tickets alone by the end of the month. This workrate is the equivalent of 35 tickets issued every working hour of the month, assuming a generous 40-hour working week with no bank holidays or days off.
….and that was in lockdown. I’ll stick to public transport, thanks.
Detritus
Monday 27th June 2022, 8.25am (day 3,959)
Outside Club Bloom on Abingdon Street. Clearly they feel they don’t need a “Deal or No Deal” fruit machine any more, so if you want one — or a traffic cone — help yourself. What we throw away in the modern world, though. In a SF book I once read there was a company called “Dumpmines” who made lots of cash through mining 20th- and 21st-century landfills for their valuable materials. Seems quite sensible to me, I’d invest in it.
Mural on “Revolution”
Wednesday 15th June 2022, 9.05am (day 3,947)
Someone Else’s Art — but very fine it is. It doesn’t matter that her left eye is mostly replaced by the window, and the security camera totally fails to intrude, too. Great work. Sometimes even just a minor variation in one’s route to work brings new sights in view.
Smoke break (early)
Wednesday 8th June 2022, 7.40am (day 3,940)
At the moment it’s a case of — do I sit at home all day working, or trug into Manchester and sit in my office all day? Well, at least going into Manchester gets me a bit more exercise. There always seems to be at least one person smoking outside this building on Booth Street in the city centre, no matter how early I pass by.
Everyone loves mornings?
Friday 13th May 2022, 7.35am (day 3,914)
A contentious statement… Although if given the choice, I would much rather work early in the morning than late in the evening. Come to think of it there’s many things I’d much rather do in the morning. So OK, I’ll concur. Being on Cross Street, Manchester at 7.35am shows that I had plenty to do this particular morning.
Canal Street lock
Monday 9th May 2022, 8.55am (day 3,910)
Hardly a great photo technically, and converted to black and white as much to conceal deficiencies as any other reason. But it does suggest that when there is a boat in the Canal Street lock in Manchester city centre, this is often the most interesting thing to see on the walk into work. It’s nice that this old transport system is still used: not everything useful has to be hyper-efficient.
Dim sum
Friday 6th May 2022, 1.25pm (day 3,907)
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.
Another Manchester alley (with plants)
Friday 29th April 2022, 3.10pm (day 3,900)
The second Manchester alleyway of the week — this one known as Reyner Street. Proof that if given a foothold, and a bit of sun for an hour or so a day, foliage can flourish anywhere.
On Chancery Lane
Tuesday 26th April 2022, 9.20am (day 3,897)
A Tuesday morning in Manchester. Either I was having a major case of déjà vu, or this same guy was still sat in the same spot when I came back past this point in the afternoon.
Being 42 