On Wednesday I took my daughter to Newcastle for a university visit. She is visiting everywhere where she had offers before she decides. We went on the train. I always get a thrill now as that particular railway has featured in a number of my books.
I also love walking around Newcastle as it has the largest collection of Regency/early Victorian buildings outside of London and Bath. It boasts of the first planned city and one of the oldest railway stations. Central Station is iconic as it was the first use of space in this fashion combining glass and steel. It is just that loads of other railway stations were based on it and so it now looks very samey but I always get a little thrill.
To fully appreciate Newcastle, you do need to look up rather than concentrating on ground level. On ground level, your eye is distracted by shops and shop windows. Looking upwards, you see the little bits that remain unchanged or the sweep of Grey Street or the statue of Earl Grey that towers over the main shopping district.
I hadn't been on Newcastle's campus for ages. They are doing loads of building work but the university has a good solid feel about the place. I had to laugh when one of the professors mentioned the royal seal of approval as one of Prince Andrew's daughters is currently attending the university. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. LOL.
They did serve lunch and I found it relatively easy to be good and avoid certain things. It was about being picky, rather than mindless. So an improvement there. I also made sure I did the JM dvd before we left...
Upon returning home, I realised that I did need to add more emotion to my current chapter. My editor wants the emotion NOW, not when I turn in the revised full as the emotion can pull your characters in different directions. We are doing this one slightly differently in hopes of avoiding some of the problems that have plagued me recently. So the early stages take longer. But the trip made me inspired to bleed on the page which is always good...in the long run.
3 comments:
Thanks for the info on the uni..DS1 is off there for an interview this week.
lx
Liz --
The uni has a real compact feel. Most students walk everywhere, including from their accomodation. It is apparently the most campusy of the red bricks. Low crime rate.
A vibrant city. I could extol the virtues of Newcastle and its regeneration ad nauseum. The Sage is fantastic for concerts. The new student union is going to be great (the old one was a pit -- I had been there for a couple of bands years ago). I hope your son likes it.
It is an easy walk up to the campus from the train station btw. About 10 minutes.
It sounds beautiful. I've only been on a train once and it was when I was visiting England as a child. I don't remember specifics...just the scenery out the window.
Best of luck to your daughter. The University years are so special and inspiring.
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