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Rediscovering campus

My day job is at the University of Essex, on a beautiful and quite big campus made up of parkland, woodland and buildings. The buildings are quite 60s, concrete and brutal… but the grounds are spectacular, and we even have two lakes, a country house hotel and a campus “farm” (large allotment, really).

When I first came here, following working close by the Barbican in London (equally brutal but less scenery, more people, and my actual office was the least inspiring building ever), I was captivated. That I could go for walks every day, spend time in woodland and by water, and all without bunking off work or going more than ten minutes from my house, seemed like a dream.

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Somehow, in the last three and a half years, I’d forgotten to be entranced by the gorgeous surroundings I work in. Reading back through my five year diary for a podcast I’m doing soon, I realised how much I longed for green space and water when I couldn’t have it.

I have now firmly told myself off for taking it for granted, and am trying to spend more time outdoors – especially now the weather is behaving itself!

[ducks on tour] ducklings. real ones!

Just a quick one today, as the Fling was yesterday, and today holds horse riding, Ink Drops and a knicker making workshop with the very talented Contrariety Rose. More on all of that later!

You may have seen this on various social media feeds – but I couldn’t resist posting again!

Arrived at work the other day to this – Mummy duck was extremely unimpressed that we were stopping her from taking her babies down to the lake. But help was at hand, a man from Estates came along with a little wagon and drove them safely over.

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Gorgeous start to the day!