Nostalgia

I had a bit of a nostalgia trip in Leeds one day, finding myself up in the university area. I didn't actually attend Leeds University (I studied at Bradford) but I had friends at Leeds and often came to gigs at the Students' Union. I haven't been up to the university quarter for ages and I was surprised to see how much has changed and how much new building there has been, although the wonderful art deco Parkinson Building (below) with its prominent tower has been there since the 1950s.

Friends, it was here on these steps that I queued overnight in the snow to get tickets to see The Rolling Stones in 1971. Yes, I have lived! Happy days.

The curious chimney on the pavement outside the Laidlaw Library, above, is actually a sculpture: 'A Spire' by Simon Fujiwara. There's a touch of nostalgia in that too, since it references Leeds' industrial heritage. The base contains pulverised coal, upon which Leeds' prosperity was built. The Spire also relates to the two adjacent church spires, as the very modern, glass-fronted Laidlaw Library is shoehorned into a space between two churches.