Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Pointy-Nosed Pony of Heslington

I visited the University of York's Heslington campus yesterday. Emily and I had a meal in the canteen (very good too) and then I had a wander round whilst she went to a committee meeting about the forthcoming Sex and Sexuality week that she's involved in.

I was a student at the University of Leeds and it was Concrete Hell when I was there. The York campus, however, is rather more attractive:

There are lots of streams and a big lake and the trees and greenery are a delight.

Ah, yes, but then there are the buildings. They were built in the 1960s and 1970s and hence look like this:

Yes, someone must have looked at these once - at least at the design stage - and thought they were really rather attractive. Wrong! Back to Concrete Hell again. But at least the surrounding greenery softens it all a bit. And there did seem to be more ducks and geese than people. There were a few students about, mostly, apparently, from the B. A. course in Juggling and Circus Skills:

If you click to make the photo bigger you can see the balls in the air (and yes, I know it's a bit of a rubbish photo, but I just turned round and saw them so clicked quickly).

There was also this strange creature:

It's the rare Pointy-Nosed Pony of Heslington, a mythical beast whose shadow haunts York University on sunny summer evenings.

Oh, all right then, since you are so keen to know, it is me taking a photograph whilst standing next to a bollard. The only explanation I'm going to give you is that the topmost ear of this creature is in fact my head, and my jumper was blowing in the breeze, and then I looked down and thought - - hey - - !

A very enjoyable evening and it was good to see where Emily's studying, too. Then I saw the signs for Hull York Medical School and realised I'll be working there myself soon, doing medical roleplay for an exam. So I've never been there before in my life - - and I'll be back there next week.

5 Comments:

Blogger Debby said...

Very pretty indeed. My college campus didn't look like that. We didn't have a mythical beast either!

1:57 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Our friend Sephy was among those doing the juggling.

I'm sorry about that arse-mothering fuckface of a committee meeting and its length.

8:59 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm a bit worried about the pointy-nosed pony of Heslington - it seems to have a docked tail.

10:11 pm  
Blogger Daphne said...

It didn't matter about the length of the meeting, Emily, I really enjoyed looking round. I have not heard the expression "arse-mothering fuckface" before and really I don't know where you got it from. I blame the parents.
Ruth - - mythical ponies are not harmed by having their tails docked, so don't worry. And yes, Debby, it is as pretty as it looks - shame about the buildings though.

1:27 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Shame about the smell of the lake, too. And the goose droppings down by Wenty. And not being allowed to have gigs in Central Hall because back in the Dark Ages Sir Bob made everyone get up and dance. Oh, and I hear they've got rid of the stepping stones under PX001. Eheu fugaces.

Awww, wanna go back now (pout).

Julie paradox

10:58 pm  

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