Tag Archives: University of Manchester

Jun 26 2021
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

The Educators

Friday 25th June 2021, 1.25pm (day 3,592)

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.

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Jun 22 2021
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Another inanimate object with a secret inner life

Monday 21st June 2021, 12.10pm (day 3,588)

“Oh my God!! We’ve been sliced!”

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Jun 10 2021
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Hybrid meeting

Thursday 10th June 2021, 1.30pm (day 3,577)

ELIP meeting, 10/6/21

A meeting — with a colleague! In person! OK, so Alex had to stay imprisoned in his magic mirror, but he was in Austrai so we’ll let him off. Stephen becomes the first colleague I have actually shared a room with for many months; and the working day was all the better for it.

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Jun 02 2021
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Bookable teaching space

Wednesday 2nd June 2021, 8.25am (day 3,569)

Uni pagoda, 2/6/21

These ‘pagdoas’ have sprung up around campus recently. At least we have more spaces in which we can start getting back to face-to-face. This is one of those shots where I worry that the symmetry is not quite what it could be. But it doesn’t matter too much.

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Apr 24 2021
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Ladybird love

Friday 23rd April 2021, 1.10pm (day 3,529)

Ladybird love, 23/4/21

Lately most of the ‘likes’ on this blog have come from bots — can I just say hello to the five or six different accounts, all with the same profile picture, who have supported my efforts lately? Clearly I need to spice up this photo-feed a little, so here’s two beetles getting it on in the springtime. So attached (in both senses) were they that they remained entwined even after I manouevred them up onto my finger, in order to avoid squashing them when sitting down on the bench (at university) on which their amorous activities were occurring. I hope they and their babies are now grateful for this consideration.

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Apr 17 2021
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Daily Post, Urban scene

By Oxford Road

Friday 16th April 2021, 9.35am (day 3,522)

Campus still empty, 16/4/21

Perhaps it is a little unfair to return to this theme again, because coming back through Manchester city centre in the afternoon, it was busier than I have seen it in a very long time — probably since Christmas 2019. The British populace is supporting the hospitality industry in its time of need, put it that way. But the teaching spaces at uni remain unused. However, I have some one-to-one meetings to organise and this gazebo looks a good place to check out. Like everyone else, I hope the sunshine continues for several weeks.

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Apr 15 2021
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Still working on the MECD

Wednesday 14th April 2021, 9.25am (day 3,520)

Working on MECD, 14/4/21

Into Manchester for the first time in 16 days. The city centre has busied itself, at least in the afternoon. Campus is still a wasteland, however. The government and administrators in their wisdom have decreed that they will only consider letting students actually meet their professors and each other after it’s far too late to make a difference this year. Optimistically the finishing touches get made to the new Engineering building but whether this white mammoth will ever be used to its full potential remains to be seen.

Should I have retouched the ‘exclamation mark’ at the top? I did consider it. Maybe it’s symbolic.

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Mar 25 2021
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Blossoming, unseen

Wednesday 24th March 2021, 1.30pm (day 3,499)

Courtyard blossom, 24/3/21

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.

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Mar 13 2021
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Uni: the rot continues

Friday 12th March 2021, 8.45am (day 3,487)

Uni rot, 12/3/21

Going into Manchester gives my step count a boost and makes me feel like I’m doing something for the students, many of whom have travelled a very long way to be there and still been imprisoned for months on end in halls like the George Kenyon Building (a row of its windows forming the top of this image). But it’s depressing, all the same. In places, the rot has firmly set in. “How will you change the world?” this billboard asks. The question is an ever more pertinent one.

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Mar 10 2021
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Green and blonde

Tuesday 9th March 2021, 2.10pm (day 3,484)

Green and blonde, 9/3/21

Went into Manchester, which has busied slightly, though this ‘rejoining the world’ thing is such a long and painful process. Anyway, no political point intended with this shot today, I just like the image, though once again I have focused on the background rather than the subject, with a very long zoom, hence the graininess.

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