Memories of ........ seeing the light

When I was younger, not that much younger, I used to see the light a lot more than I do now. I'm not suggesting early onset Alzheimer's is kicking in or anything like that but just that I used to appreciate the environment, the light and the landscape a lot more.

When I lived in Scotland one of my passions used to be landscape photography. It was easy when I lived 40 minutes drive away from Loch Lomond, two hours from Glencoe and less than four hours from the Isle of Skye. I aslo had a passion for hill-walking, which I miss. I loved being in an amazing (probably well researched) location before dawn (often after a 2 hour drive!) when it was quiet and it was really possible to feel like the only person in the world and at one with the landscape. I often went alone but for a while shared this passion with a neighbour, Mike, with whom I also shared a sense of humour which made for great trips.

Above is a taster of the picture I used to take.

Alma matra

On Saturday I went back to Hull University, where I spent six years of my life doing firstly a degree in chemistry and then my PhD. It was 18 years ago that I left. Now my eldest son Tom is in his final year of “A” levels and looking to read Physics. Whilst Hull is not his first choice they are asking for lower grades than other places and so he is using them as his contingency.

We crossed the Humber Bridge and headed into Middleton Hall for the University intro talk. That was all interesting enough. The Chief Exec of Coca Cola is a Hull grad, did you know that? Afterwards we hit the Physics dept for 90 minutes which included a talk, a tour and a demo. One of the guys there is working on materials that are hybrids between the liquid and solid states and one of the others is working on how ants manage to walk up walls and across ceilings. They have developed this non-stick coating which is so good that water won’t run on it (it just forms a ball) and the ants can’t get a grip either.
It was great to be back in Hull. I have very very fond memories of the pace and my time there. I showed Tom the window of the lab I did my PhD in and we went in the library up to the top (7th) floor to show him the physics books (right next to the chemistry books). We also went to look around a university owned student house on Auckland Avenue, one of the streets I used to live on. We went to the students union, which now has a night club inside and the shop has moved downstairs. I bought some funny gifts for Binnie.

Afterwards, we took a drive into town. Wow, it was congested. Much of it was the same but it was clear there had been some redevelopment. A good place, I think and as I said many a happy memory. I’m envious of the fun Tom has ahead of him at University, whether it be Hull or elsewhere, although we both know there is a lot of hard work ahead of him!