Temple Meads

Son 1 and I paid a visit to the new Royal Photographic Society headquarters at the Paintworks in Bristol. It was showing the 161st International Photography Exhibition - 54 photographers from 13 countries selected from 7000 submissions.

Some we loved, some we liked, some didn't really produce an emotional response but I'm glad we went. The quality of the pictures nudged me into thoughts about fancy, expensive cameras and joining the RPS.

We had a walk around the Paintworks and drifted off towards Temple Meads. This Brunel designed palace of travel doesn't really seem like a palace to me. It sits awkwardly in this bit of Bristol and is away from the very centre. On the platform it always seems grand but from the outside it is hard to take in its majesty.

Back on the 73 to keep Son 1 happy. He has started a campaign for gym membership but was not keen to walk home. Go figure! He said it is a different form of exercise.

Anyway they were going to build a grand city centre concert venue on this spot next to the train station. They are already building a city centre university campus here and an arena next door seemed a good idea. Close to the centre - easily reached by train, bus and foot - what's not to like?

Anyway it went through the Bristol Mayoral Experience and now the decision is to house it in an old aircraft hangar outside the Bristol boundaries and reached easily only if you have a car. The mind boggles. Perhaps there's some magic detail or piece of evidence I have missed.

It's a gorgeous day - I need to get my school week worked out, my research project write up considered and have a general tidy up. Let's see how that goes.