Tag Archives: House

Bad Joke Warning

Like the constipated man who has taken a dozen fast-acting laxatives, I have finally moved again.

So bad, I self-facepalmed

For those doubters of my ability to get a house closer than my previous one (which, traffic pending, would have me on campus within 20 seconds) I say … well, can’t really be bothered to think of a clever and witty reply but I have done just that. My new house is right on campus, mere seconds from the Student Union Building, and my room itself is pretty damn awesome. I’ll be honest, I’m in the basement so I’m not sure how it’ll do come winter (especially if there’s heavy snowfall), so I’ll update you on that when the time comes. It’s a 10 bed house (somewhat’s larger than … anything I’ve had before, bar the dorm in Japan), but the housemates I’ve met so far seem pretty cool.

A very quick update on the bear from the last entry. It didn’t sell.

Last weekend I had the privilege of having two of my Japanese friends come down to Telford. As well as having a couple of trips to the pub (including a not so bland time at the Cross Keys thanks to a couple of awesome dancers), we had a look around just a few (time wasn’t really with us) of the things Telford has to offer.

We started off with a trip to the Blists Hill Museum, a living museum set in Victorian Ironbridge. Surprisingly I actually learned quite a bit, despite having gone there numerous times as a kid; like the origins of the terms ‘Come a Cropper’ and ‘Mind Your Ps and Qs’. Oh you crazy printer. SilverTiger has many pictures and explanations of what goes on at Blists Hill, so feel free to pop over and have a gander. By the way, their bread is unrivalled – Up yours Kingmill!

Before heading over to the Shopping Center, we also have a look at some of the other museums (having bought the passport ticket we thought we’d get our moneys worth), and of course the world famous Ironbridge itself. I’d not been to Enginuity before due to it being relatively new. Something told me it seemed to be more aimed at kids, possibly the 300 little buggers running around, but it was quite an enjoyable museum with some very frustrating quizzes.

Copyright Gordon Cragg and licenced for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence (click for bigger picture)
 At the Telford Town Center, we marvelled at the Telford Time Machine (don’t get excited sci-fi fans, it’s just a big clock with a frog on it) as well as looking around the Maxell Cherry Gardens; unfortunately the sakura (Japanese cherry blossoms) were not blossoming, ney mind.

On the Sunday we headed to Birmingham to enjoy something sweet at Cadbury World. Again somewhere I’d been numerous times as a child, but this is a place that always changes. Somethings were missing, like the spicy drink you get at the start, but some new features have been added, like a room explaining the chocolate process in a manner similar to the Room of Living Dolls, though less terrifying. But somethings stay the same and you are given chocolate at various stages and arrive at a cheap chocolate shop at the end (misshapes, yes!).

My friends enjoying the Cadabra ride

We then headed over to Selfridges and the Bull Ring shopping center. Unfortunately I had completely forgot about Sunday trading hours, and we were left with just a few minutes to nose around before shutters started coming down. We then went for a wander around the city before making our way back to the car, and eventually Leeds.

Before I head off and continue unpacking (go get a pizza and then come back and contemplate unpacking) there is one thing that has bothered me during my time back in Telford.


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I’ve been living in Telford all of my life (when not buggering off here and there) and in that time I’ve always lived in Leegomery. Apply was always a small area just past the hospital where Maxell was, however now it seems like the area I grew up in is being rubbed out like an unwanted smarmy comment on an eBay seller feedback. Signage for Leegomery has gone down and been replaced by (very dull, if really must pick fault) Apley signage. Driving around I was unable to find any ‘Entering Leegomery’ signs.

But why has this happened? Officially I don’t know, as I haven’t been in the area due to Uni I’ve not seen any notices in the news etc. After chatting with a couple of friends (who also didn’t recall being told about it), we’ve come to one pretty unpleasant theory. The houses nearer to the hospital are without a doubt nicer than those further towards Hadley, and ‘problems’ normally are less associated with the hospital area. It was our theory that the nicer area is trying to seperate from the riff-raff in an “I’m better than thou” fashion. Of course this is just a theory, but still. I wonder if it’s this easy to get a divorce.

Apley Replaces Leegomery