In Exeter

I went to Exeter, because the chance came up. It is a pretty town. Paul and I went into the cathedral, which had a sense of the numinous for me: possibly I was merely receptive on that day, possibly God is closer there. Here are two sides of a tower: I love the angles of the roofscape, and the view down to the west end of the cathedral, from the cafe in the department store. I love the colour of the stone of the tower, that rose is evident in several places in the city.

It is important to have beauty, and human made beauty enriches: so the sculpture at the University of Exeter would be a reason for me to consider it favourably. When I saw the caption on the statue, it added a new dimension to the work: is it a statue of the protestors, or the soldiers?

Barbara Hepworth is a major artist. No photograph can compare to walking around the piece, seeing the changes of the space within.

As for the children playing above the fountain, if I studied on that building they would capture my attention each day.

The other fountain, an irregular quadrilateral, would continue to intrigue, its solidity and its nympheades delighting me semi-consciously, viscerally.

The buildings also impress. Moira told me that the roofed area between the Forum and the Great Hall was only opened in April, by the Queen. Before this year, it was two separate buildings. I love the billowing roof, irregular triangles of glass and wood like a sheet to the wind; I could not photograph it well enough.

The campus is on a hill, and Holland Hall where we stayed looks out over the city nestling in its valley, round the river. The refectory takes full advantage of this: the wall looking over the valley is entirely of glass.