Reunion

For the last couple of days I've been staying at Durham Castle. It also goes by the name of University College, Durham. Forty years ago a group of Geologists graduated with various honours and classes of degree and spread themselves around the world. Twenty five years ago, as many of us as could make it got together and had a brilliant couple of days to celebrate. We decided to do it again after another 15 years, so Geologists and spouses spent a couple of days in the Castle and elsewhere, reliving old memories and retelling (and embroidering!) old stories.

The view of the cathedral from Grey College

It was a lovely place to spend 3 formative years and the group gelled to the extent that we still enjoyed one another's company so many years later. We invited those old members of staff who were still around to join us as our guests for dinner on the first night. Apparently, we are the only year group from the department to have held these reunions which tells its own story. We decided that we were all still basically the same (only more so!) apart from hair and waistline changes.


We hit town about 3 hours early for the proposed meeting time at the department so we spent the time at the Botanic Gardens. This sculpture was impressive - entitled 'Vessels of Life - Water'. What a shame it wasn't in action. Water should have been pouring down and dripping from the petals at the bottom and into the gravel.

Another effective sculpture. One of the staff was power-washing the canal which fed into this pool so I had to position myself so as not to get him - or his discarded jacket - in the picture.

We had an afternoon free and decided to take in Binchester Roman Fort. We arrived just as a coach party left and the warden carefully explained that in five minutes he would be putting the barrier rope back so if we were quick we could get into the hypocaust. I got the impression we shouldn't be there really but he was giving us a bit of a treat. It certainly was. We were able to get under this arch and right into the workings. It's the best preserved Roman Bath-house in Britain. One of our group claimed that honour for the Welwyn Garden City remains but I've seen both and I think Binchester's got it - by two cold plunge-pools and an extra furnace!

Home today to see the chickens who rushed out onto their 'field' and dustbathed all afternoon. They make a noise somewhere between a cat's purr and a frog's croak when they are happy!