Parent's Guide to Pets: Three Cities

Parking tickets: Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield

Elizabeth and I set off for a northern tour of universities. I'm not sure of Elizabeth's, but here is my verdict.

SHEFFIELD
We parked behind the children's Hospital and I noticed parent-child couples walking purposefully towards the university. This is the general pattern on open days, but here they were going to the children's hospital.

We crossed Western Park and Elizabeth said she might use the Ancient's tried and tested technique to aid her selection. So if a cat comes up to her, in any city, and licks her, this is will be the conclusive portentous omen. Otherwise it will have to be the usual birds flying off in different suggestive directions. We saw some interesting ducks in the pond, but they didn't fly.

We viewed the library and The Art's Tower. I like it. Very modern, quite Miles Van De Rohe. The English department is in the Jessop Building; again stylish and gets my vote. The Students Union building; very impressive.

Is this where the English tutors live?

Jessop West - English lectures here we think.

Students Union- very exciting

A building site at the moment- but looks good.
Perhaps student accommodation?

LEEDS
40 minutes north, we found a parking place just off a giant traffic jam. We then negotiated the inner ring road/motorway. I was very taken with the first university building we saw, but it's the wrong university.

Leeds Met University

The rust is great.

Leeds University was buzzing. Enthusiastic students in red T shirts told us what fun they were having. The lecture we attended was in the Roger Stevens Building. Now that's an interesting building. Each row of seats in the lecture theatre had it's own door. Get the wrong door, and you could be all lonesome. But the right door and .... endless possibilities.

The Roger Stevens Building, with it's stack of 3 lecture theatres

Rows of doors, each one onto a different row of seats.
Felt like the starting stalls at a race course.

We also found time to visit the building were I will spend one day a week next year. I worked out my route from the train station by bike but was a bit alarmed by the concierge reply: "Family Therapy? I've never heard of it." Oh well, it'll be a nice trip out to another interesting building.

"Excuse me, Family Therapy anyone?"

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MANCHESTER
After a refreshing night with the Kingsmen in Ilkley, we set off across the moors to the M65, M61, M60, M601, M63 (ok, I'm over doing it now) to Manchester (via Ramsbottom).

Parked easily which was great because the 10.00 lecture with Dr Rebecca Pohl was due to start. This was in a stunning new room called the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall.

We were on the back row. I put my feet up and read a magazine while Elizabeth listened attentively.

The students again were wonderful. This time in purple T shirts. One told us how it was possible to have placements in foreign universities. She had done Geology in Brisbane; missed all the cold and wet of Manchester.

And what about this extraordinary building? It's called a 'Learning Common', (I guess, as in common room). I was very impressed. You can skype academics in other universities with small groups of students.