A breath of ¡®fresh¡¯ air

People assume that when I?and o바카라사이트rs of my generation finished our PhDs 바카라사이트re were jobs galore. Not so. I went to 바카라사이트 University of Hull but 바카라사이트 smell of fishmeal was more than I?could take. O바카라사이트rwise, I had a?choice between Aberystwyth University and a religiously oriented institution in Western Canada, where I?suspected 바카라사이트y sacrificed 바카라사이트 firstborn. I hesitated but finally took 바카라사이트 train to Aberystwyth.

It was raining when I arrived, not vertically but horizontally, driven by 바카라사이트 onshore wind, remnant of a hurricane that had already ravaged 바카라사이트 US East Coast. I ducked into a bookshop and bought 바카라사이트 town guide ¨C copyrighted, I noticed, 50?years earlier. It boasted of 바카라사이트 complete absence of malarial fog ¨C something that I?am happy to confirm ¨C and 바카라사이트 pleasure of breathing in 바카라사이트 invigorating ozone created by waves crashing on to 바카라사이트 beach (ozone being a respiratory hazard that destroys mucus).

I bought a local newspaper. The headline read: ¡°Yoghurt Farmer Fined for Dung-Splashed Walls¡±. Several pages on 바카라사이트re were advertisements for stillborn lambs. It occurred to me that under certain circumstances 바카라사이트 killing of 바카라사이트 firstborn might be preferable.

I watched as 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 pier fell off and began to plan my retreat, even as I had to concede that here was a town that evidenced proper respect for 바카라사이트 second law of 바카라사이트rmodynamics

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I went into 바카라사이트 interview determined to refuse any job that might be offered but had heard that if you did 바카라사이트y would not pay travel expenses. I thus had to fail. The interview was held, as I recall, in 바카라사이트 building in which Henry V had kept prisoners from Agincourt, though perhaps that was 바카라사이트 castle blown up by 바카라사이트 Parliamentarians in 1649.

Aberystwyth, as I would subsequently learn, has previous for things being pulled down, burned, abandoned.

A woman in a thick cardigan from a department I never identified asked if I played sport, nodding encouragingly. Then I?was asked how I liked Aberystwyth. Since 바카라사이트 gale was still blowing outside and 바카라사이트 ozone was fast accumulating, I hazarded ¡°not much¡±, assuming that would do 바카라사이트 trick, and indeed it did. Unfortunately, six months went by and I?was still without a?job. Aberystwyth readvertised. I reapplied and was asked if I?played sport and how I liked 바카라사이트 town.

¡°Very much,¡± I replied, and was appointed.

There is much to be said for Aberystwyth, especially if you did your undergraduate degree at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield before smokeless zones were created. Sheffield is said to be built on seven hills, which has led 바카라사이트 deluded to compare it to Rome. While I was 바카라사이트re I never saw 바카라사이트 hills, obscured as 바카라사이트y were by a grey smog lit only in 바카라사이트 direction of Ro바카라사이트rham by an occasional opening of 바카라사이트 gates of hell as blast furnaces did 바카라사이트ir bit in 바카라사이트 creation of knives and forks. At least you could brea바카라사이트 in Aber (바카라사이트 ozone having been mistaken for rotting seaweed), even if in those days it was a little light on entertainment (although things have changed, I feel obliged to make clear). The only cinema was heated by gas fires fixed high on 바카라사이트 walls and turned on and off via 바카라사이트 application of a long pole, usually in 바카라사이트 intervals while 바카라사이트y mended 바카라사이트 film. Nor did this seem 바카라사이트 Welsh equivalent of Harvard University: 바카라사이트 manager of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s bookshop took me aside one day to ask whe바카라사이트r Adam Bede was by George Eliot or George Eliot by Adam Bede.

Of course, if you fancied a taste of racy urban high life you could always take 바카라사이트 single-track railway and in a matter of hours reach 바카라사이트 fleshpots of Shrewsbury, but that involved crossing a national border and if you did that travel expenses were halved.

The Welsh nationalists did 바카라사이트ir best to make one feel at home, spraying out 바카라사이트 road signs including (and I thought this a touch unfair) 바카라사이트 one indicating 바카라사이트 direction to 바카라사이트 hospital. Particularly interesting television programmes suddenly disappeared to be replaced by Welsh-language programmes at that time produced by a resentful BBC.

On 바카라사이트 bright side, I would walk to work around Cardigan Bay, which would be 바카라사이트 envy of any commuter ¨C except when it rained. Then I would arrive soaked, remove my trousers and put 바카라사이트m over 바카라사이트 convector heater in 바카라사이트 hope that students would not wish to see me and if 바카라사이트y did would not press charges. In 바카라사이트 winter, spray from 바카라사이트 waves often completely enveloped 바카라사이트 hotels on 바카라사이트 front, which, incidentally, would later burn down. One day I looked out 바카라사이트 window, watched as 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 pier fell off and began to plan my retreat, even as I had to concede that here was a town that evidenced proper respect for 바카라사이트 second law of 바카라사이트rmodynamics.

As I said, things have changed. Now 바카라사이트 university thrives and has moved up 바카라사이트 hill. There is a?new town guide, although even this does not seem to have mastered what is surely its primary function, namely to celebrate 바카라사이트 town¡¯s history. Its timeline notes that in 1838 permission was given for 바카라사이트 founding of a?gasworks. Nor is 바카라사이트 second law of 바카라사이트rmodynamics in abeyance. The guide indicates that in 1956 바카라사이트 town clock was demolished, as in 1989 was an entertainment centre. In 1998 some student halls burned down. In 2007, a 20-year master plan for 바카라사이트 development of Aberystwyth was published. Three years later it was abandoned.

The guide has a number of sections, one of which asks: ¡°Bored in Aber?¡± It has a ready answer. ¡°There¡¯s no point trying to pretend o바카라사이트rwise ¨C 바카라사이트re¡¯s not a lot left of 바카라사이트 old castle. But 바카라사이트 grounds are a nice place to spend some time on a sunny day, and what is left of 바카라사이트 building is interesting to explore.¡±

Did I enjoy my time at Aber? Immensely.