jotogo

the pic is of the glass pyramid through the big brick viaduct. The road is the m60.

I may live here, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not still learning after 4 years! I went on a heritage walk at the weekend and was blown away by the civil engineering miracle that is Stockport. Yeah there’s a big brick structure (the Viaduct) and a great big glass pyramid – but the modern town centre is built on a single vastly wide bridge over the river mersey and one of the roads (lower hillgate?) that lead to it is actually over another brook too. The ground floor of the buildings are actually the original first floor! And the hill that old castle used to be on was cut away at the bottom to ensure that a 30-40 foot wall was the first thing you came across when you arrived. The wall’s just about visible where they’re building flats, opposite the back of the coop…

The lakes blew me away when I first saw them… to those used to the Alps or such like they may be pimples, but to those of us used to flatter lands the peaks are unlike the rest of England. Beautiful, wild but still only a few hours walk from a tea shop. The first time I walked here I looked at the fell walkers and thought of them as another breed, these days I’ve worked my way up and am up there in the cloud (on a dingey day) feeling like a whole new better person.

lived there about 10 years ago. it was the most intimidating place I’ve ever been. I had abuse shouted at me on an almost daily basis. The number of racist political stickers stuck all over town was terrifying. The shopping centre looked like a public toilet. If you can get out of town to the country parks things improve immensely – but I’d be very happy to hear that Blackburn has improved, because I’ve been about a bit, and Blackburn has to rate as about the most foul narrow-minded place I’ve come across, where being overweight, carrying a large bag, wearing a skirt someone doesn’t like, being too skinny etc. etc. will all make you a target.

was for a graduation ceremony, was so chuffed with myself for finally struggling through the course I had my head high after getting my cert and nearly marched right out the back of the cathedral. Non Uni of Kent people will still find this one of the tip top cathedrals in the UK. I particularly like the skinny sad jesus on the gate as you go in, and the gothic colonades.

Saying Cancun’s not worth visiting might be a little harsh – but when there are much more beautiful and interesting places within a stones throw why would you want to head to somewhere that would be so much more beautiful if there weren’t a lot of concrete and drunken frat brats there? Lets hope this isn’t the future for the whole maya riviera.