Blue doors

I was at the Innovation Centre again, taking pictures through the window of sparks pouring down a staircase as it was being destroyed with an oxyacetylene cutter, when I was spotted by two workmen.

‘Come in,’ they said through the glass.

As I walked, very surprised, round the building to the doors, I crossed with them walking out. ‘Seriously?’ I asked, ‘No hard hat?’

‘No problem, just stay in this bit of the building.’

So in I walked.

A moment or two later: ‘Can I help you?’

I told the big man in the hi-viz vest what I’d been told and he told me I wasn’t allowed to be there. I said I wasn’t surprised, gave him my hand and my name and told him about blip. He visibly relaxed and invited me back next week, when he’ll lend me a hard hat and show me round. He told me the Innovation Centre is being converted into student accommodation.

I've discovered that the Innovation people have moved to what was the county education department. What's left of the education department, now that it is no longer in charge of schools, has moved into a Unipart factory building at the edge of Oxford. Now I'm sort of expecting Unipart to take over an old block of student flats...

Innovation Centre 1
Innovation Centre 2

The pictures through glass of the staircase with sparks didn't come out well :(