Looking down from the open space by Rayleigh there’s the Hexagon. In my day it was the restaurant that we all used and now is a space for art and exhibitions. The Hexagon featured on the Post Office stamps back in the ’70s as the symbol of the university. Underneath it is still the laundry where I spent many long hours. The walkways underneath and around the Hex into the square are just as I remembered them.
The fountains where we used to sit around and have a drink have now gone from Square 2. The Barclays Bank has gone and has been replaced by a shop. Next door the old Union Bar is now a Santander Bank.
The bookshop in the square has gone and there is now a Waterstones at the side of Square 1. Off this square is the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall.
Sarah had confirmed that the pater noster lift system was still working in the Albert Sloman Library. The library had been extended out into the park since my time.
The park towards Wivenhoe House
In my visits to campus in the 90s I had stayed at Wivenhoe House where we also did all the interviews for the so-called milk round graduate interviews. The promised snow was definitely looking imminent as I walked past the library and into the park.
The lakes may still be there but the views are very different from when Constable painted the park. I took this picture of Wivenhoe House and turned back towards the library.
The London Bus cafe was already busy as I walked past and back to the car park.
The lower lake and the bus cafe from the Valley Car Park.
The two South Towers from the Valley Car Park.
I was spared the expense of paying car park fees by the hour as because of the impending snow as all car park charging had been suspended.
A reminder to myself do not use the Dartford Tunnel on a week day. As I crossed the Elizabeth Bridge the queue on the M25 to enter the tunnels was very lengthy made worse by the queue joining from the M2.