FROM TRACK TO LEAF
The track is empty and serene; apart from the occasional
light and temperate autumnal breeze, which forces crisp brown leaf carcasses
to tumble erratically, from the maroon
track onto the recently cut grass.
Birds fly overhead casting fleeting shadows contrasting to
the bright sunlight; beating down onto the track.
A cleaner ambles tiredly past whilst tediously pushing a
trolley, packed as if playing a game of Tetris, full of a melange of cleaning
products.
Giggling girls waddle past balancing full laundry baskets on
their hips at awkward angles; their faces indicative of a first time
experience.
Two skateboarders share a momentous moment realising that
they are a mirror image of one another, mounting the vehicle in the same
fashion. They cheer and share a ‘high-five’ in passing. It
is obvious that once they had parted, each in turn has forgotten the other and
does not look back.
A boy dressed darkly from head to toe trundles across the encompassing
grass, creating momentary foot prints.
Two distinct boys: a short haired blonde whom was tall; the
other shorter with tight dark curly hair, amble casually in close proxemics. The
shorter interrogative of the taller, gesticulating excitedly; probing for
gossip and being held in suspense.
Another leaf is harshly reallocated as the track returns to
its peaceful, calming state.
Jasmine Byer
OBSERVATION
A girl turns her head at the sound of the
wind blowing through the leaves on the trees behind her. She looks down towards
her feet as a young man, wearing a high-visibility jacket, walks past her
holding an opened tin of paint.
Two men, now wet from the rain, attempt to
shield their cigarettes, the smoke being blown behind them, causing the three
girls as they pass by to cough and wince.
The Athletics track is damp and glistening
from the rain. Four birds sit in the centre of the large patch of grass within
the track, periodically shaking their wings and jittering.
The flared ends of a woman's jeans are
darkened and damp from walking through puddles of rain. She adjusts here belt
to ensure no more of her trousers become wet. A boy points out the condition of
her jeans to his friends as they walk past, and they snigger; a cold wind
causes two of the boys to place their hands in the pockets of their shorts.
A girl yawns twice, rubs her eyes and takes a
small sip of her energy drink, she purses her lips due to its sweetness and laughs about this with her friends who
are both writing on separate, small pads of lined paper.
A couple begin to sit down on a stone slab
beside the water, before rising up quickly and laughing, once realising the stone
is both cold and wet. They quickly run to the shelter of the front door of the
Creative Edge building as the rain begins to fall harder. They place their bags
on the floor and jokingly hug each other for warmth. At the same time,
above, a blind is raised up from a window on the second floor of an
accommodation building, the light shines through onto the furniture and the
occupant, who seems to have become accustomed to the dark, leans back and
covers his eyes to guard them.
A girl walks through the car park, avoiding a man on a bike cycling
past. They almost collide; she turns around angrily after he passes and seems
shocked. She continues walking until stopping beside a white car, then answers
a call on her mobile.
Patrick Gleeson
SHORT HUNDREDS
The sound of
hundreds of different conversations, fill the air to create a heavily
disorientated noise. I see people eating their lunch whilst socialising with
their peers. The sun shines through the glass, illuminating a select few sat at
their tables, presenting the true natural colour of their skin tone. There are
endless amounts of unfamiliar faces, that create a sense of social isolation.
The sun begins to shine through more vibrantly, creating a subtle reflection on
the misty grey marble tiles. The disorientated noise now begins to increase, as
the room becomes overpopulated.
Thomas Lyon
WHAT DO I SEE?
What do I see? Well considering the location I am sat
in can all be viewed from my flat kitchen, I can see everything from Creative
edge to the end of the track and field. I can see to the very end of the river
going from the begging of the sports arena, all the way to the end of the
Chancellors court building. With the sun shining off the river from start to
finish it really is an amazing view to witness every morning.
Students walking back from the main hub carrying bags
full to the brim with alcohol for fresher’s week, and then students that are
not drinking carrying bags of food and films for a relaxed evening in with
their flat. There are birds flying overhead above the entire campus and area
adding to the already spectacular scenery, the rocks around the river in
formations you would only expect to see around a five star hotels pool area,
but across the entire river giving a jaw dropping piece of craftsmanship
throughout the area.
Outside my window beyond the pile of foliage and small
brushes, a student sits on the ledge above the river with his legs dangling
just above the water, with a cigarette in his left hand gazing into the other
flats it really does bring me to wonder what must be going on in his head, if
he is worrying about his first week, or if he is just simply bored out of his
skull awaiting something to happen.
Looking across the water at the other flats during the
day seeing people go about their daily live is indeed a bit strange, but what
is strange is when the sun goes down and the lights come on looking at all
three floors to the flat across the river is like looking into a doll house,
all three floors doing their own things decorated differently with different
people on each floor, it gets really creepy to stare at after a while knowing
they are looking at my flat and thinking the exact same maybe.
I can see people running along the sports track even
if they are students or just people looking to get some exercise in I admire it
due to how long the track is, and with the eyes of all the students and
visitors on you while doing so must be pretty annoying, but it still is
fascinating to watch for some odd reason. Students walking passed on the phone
to their parents and relatives, the sudden realization of that they are at
university and the sudden homesickness settling in, gives me peace of mind in
all fairness of knowing that I am not the only one missing home, but to see
dozens of people all having the same conversation with their loved ones just
reworded is comforting in some way.
Watching the gardeners cut the grass along the lines
of the running track and cutting the trees and hedges along the row of flats,
knowing they are just counting down the minutes until the can go home. Cleaners
throughout all the flat windows tidying up peoples kitchens after they have all
had a night out, beer cans and vodka bottles led on their counters it must get
pretty mind numbing to clean to the same stuff everyday of fresher’s week.
There is so much more to write about what I see and
even the stuff that I don’t see, so much stuff is going on all at the same time
it gets hard to keep watch, and when you think you have seen it all something
else will just crop up. Then there is just me, sat with my laptop writing all
this down but that is pretty much it, with the sun begging to go down and the
amazing glare across the river shining into the windows this truly is a
spectacular view to wake up to every day.
I was assigned to document what I see from the track
and field, Creative Edge and around the area leading up to the hub, but
considering my flat window can see it all I decided to document it from here.
By Jake Simpson
OUTSIDE
Outside, the sky is
clogged with grey clouds. A sharp breeze sends leaves scuttling sideways,
rattling across the paved stones. Two girls pass, and one's laugh ends in a
dog-like howl. Then a flutter, a flurry of black and white feathers; a magpie
breaks loose of a tree and vanishes in a flash.
Rain begins to
patter onto the pavement. It leaves a shiny surface on the ground like a coat
of wet varnish. The winds hums long and low in my ear. People scatter for the
buildings, or else cling to umbrellas and small shelters, but a crowd of white
birds gather and hover, ghost-like, in the middle of the running track. A girl
slumps, her head down, her entirely grey clothing like the weather personified.
A pigeon seeks
refuge under a ledge. Its beady orange eyes fix on me as I pass, its head
twisting to follow. A couple of boys hurry along, half hidden beneath their
black umbrella. The rain slows to a steady dripping. Then one by one, people
emerge from hiding spots, glance at the sky, withdraw from beneath their
umbrellas. The air, made fresh by the sudden rainfall, is polluted by the
stench of a stale cigarette.
A stab of sunlight
permeates the thick cloud. Blue sky bleeds out. The air turns warm, and some
embarrassed girls laugh and put away their now useless umbrellas. Unseen in the
distance, a bird croaks, the sound at odds with the roaring drone of a plane
overhead.
Heather Redhead
COMEDIC EFFECTS
The rain thankfully
has stopped, leaving it's mark on the block paving which is a shade darker than
when dry. The sounds of a circular saw slicing through wood in the workshop at
the back of the Arts Centre presumably creating a new set for an upcoming
performance. As I write the rain decides on an encore forcing me to run for
shelter into the stylishly appointed art centre foyer. The surprisingly
comfortable seating looks as though it is style over comfort, it's curved lines
a contrast to the straight walls with exposed brickwork.
A group of young
freshers are huddled together presumably avoiding the rain like myself. They
are discussing plans as to where to go this evening. I make out some names;
Gregg and Leanne and a mention of Preston. Perhaps that's where they're
planning to go? Notably nothing academic is on the menu for discussion.
The rain has gone
as quickly as it came so I step outside to catch some autumn sunshine. Smokers,
who seem to have claimed in lieu of indoors all entrance and exits to a
building unwittingly or carelessly move me on without a word. A mention must be
made of the motorbike parked outside, the name changed for comedic effect, it's
a Kwikasfucki!
Robert Edge
THE
WIND, THE HOODIE AND THE PHONE
The
wind is whistling lightly , blending with the whir of distant, unseen cars.
There is a light shower of rain blowing straight towards me and my notepad,
causing my writing to smudge and my glasses to smear. The air smells fresh and
clean and I can't help but wonder what this place might be like in summer, when
the area is full of people smiling and relaxing in the vast open area.
Next to
me there is a girl in a maroon hoodie and thick, black boots sitting and
scribbling away in a notepad, deep in concentration. Occasionally the odd
person or group stroll past, looking as uncomfortable with the weather as I
feel. They give me strange looks, probably because everywhere, including the
bench where I am sat, is wet with rain and yet I am choosing to stay out in it.
The seat of my trousers is damp with rainwater and is sticking uncomfortably to
the back of my legs. I must say I am thankful for my jacket.
In the
distance, past the empty (apart from the odd seagull) running track and
temporarily discarded goal posts, I see fellow students milling through the car
park, tiny due to how far away they are. I feel my phone buzzing frantically in
my jean pocket, and for a moment I forget that I am actually meant to be
somewhere. That is until I see the alarm notification on the screen and I
suddenly realise that I have 2 minutes to leg it across the campus before I am
late for another meeting...
Laura Murray
No comments:
Post a Comment