Leicester and Nottingham

Some of my micromechanics chums were in Nottingham for a Continuum Mechanics workshop so I decided to join them, not so much for continuum mechanics, but more for a horizon-expanding excursion to the midlands.

Got the train (actually replacement bus unfortunately - don't get me started...) to Leicester, home of Adrian Mole.

Went to the New Walk gallery,

where I saw, amongst other things (contemporary Chinese installations and paintings, German expressionism, LS Lowry paintings...), a giant prehistoric dog

Managed to escape unharmed and strolled about Leicester for a bit, enjoying the parks and sunshine,

checked out the cathedral,

Look how close together the gravestones are. Short people?

Crossed the Trent.

Moseyed round the castle gardens, site of much historic activity, including

Made it to Nottingham and headed out for a few.




Went for a stroll about the Uni of Nottingham campus.

Headed into town to pay respects to Robin Hood:

Visited Castle Museum:

where I saw Sir Bloom-a-lot

Had a pint at the Oldest Inn in England:

Checked out the bomb shelters in the cliff below the castle. The city is on limestone which is easy to tunnel into, so lots of the buildings have cellars burrowed into the bedrock.

Wandered round the more modern Jubilee campus of the uni:

then went into town to try to find a dining establishment that isn't part of a chain. Was successful in locating the single such establishment (in the entirety of the UK) and can heartily recommend Punchinello - it's near Wagamama and Pizza Express and Cafe Rouge.

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Breakfast of champions: 1 doubleshot cappucino, 1 doubleshot latte, 1 egg-bacon-n-black-pudding-baguette. Heartstoppingly delicious!

Regentrified waterfront area on the Trent:

Bussed out to Newstead Abbey, ancestral home of the Byrons.

This was Lord Byron's bedroom as he kept it.

Here's his study

This is me re-creating some of Lord Byron's famed deviant crossdressing moments (clear evidence for why they shouldn't let children play in the historical-costume activity-room unsupervised):

Cloisters
Being Robin-Hoody in the gardens:


The gardens are beautifully laid-out

Headed back into town and visited Wollaton Hall, which was unfortunately being refurbished. This is the only aspect not dominated by scaffolding.

The parkland surrounding the home are expansive and delightful.

After such a culturally-productive day, it was a shame Iggy had to spoil it by enticing me to debauchery. The events following their workshop dinner do not bear recounting...

Another breakfast of champions, enticing cocktail of black pudding, caffeine and corporate finance, and off i went back to cambridge.