Scubophilus Thistler

Today marks 2 months since I arrived in Leeds. We’ve well and truly settled in now and time has flown by. We’ve certainly packed plenty in during those two months. Since my last post we’ve been on a couple of trips with a travel group called Don’t Be A Tourist. They offer cheap trips around the country for International Students studying around West Yorkshire.

The first of these was Whitby, a wonderfully picturesque fishing village on the coast. On the way we stopped in at the Hole of Horcrum, in the North York Moors. Legend has it that a giant scooped out the 400ft hollow out of the ground, and tossed it aside to create a nearby mountain. The myth almost comes alive when you look out over the huge hole, and I’d definitely like to head back when it was covered in snow or the plants were in flower. Once in Whitby we headed straight to the Abbey. Despite seeing a few in the past months, they’re each still an amazing, unique building.

Upon heading down to the town we were reminded that it was gothic weekend in Whitby, with the various types of Goths almost outnumbering their interested onlookers. We tasted some great Fish & Chips at Mister Chips – where critics of British cuisine obviously have not visited. After wondering around the quaint town we ended up on The Bark Endeavor, a 40% scale model of Captain Cook’s Endeavor. While the trip around the bay was great, it also made me glad I wasn’t part of the original crew. In the afternoon we were to visit Hogsmeade (really Goathland) Railway Station, but the tall bus prevented us from getting past a bridge. The guys at Don’t Be A Tourist couldn’t have anyone being disappointed, and shouted us to see Ratatouille in Leeds later that week.

The next week we were off to Liverpool. We got to step through the lives and careers of The Beatles at Beatles Story. We checked out some unusual sculptures across the city, highlighting Liverpool’s status as European Capital of Culture next year. The 1900’s waterfront architecture seen in the Three Graces dominated the skyline. We made a trip up to the Anglican Cathedral, and while it only finished in the late 70s it seems like a structure from another age. It features the highest gothic arches in the world, and is the UK’s largest cathedral. Inside it felt extremely open, and there was an unusual contrast between the massive stained glass windows and cafe.

Afterwards bussed it to Crosby beach, where Anthony Gromley’s Another Place sculpture dotted the beach with 100 cast-iron figures of Gromley’s own body. While it was a strange concept for us utilising the beach as a canvas for art, it was incredibly moving watching the figures gaze out to see, some almost completely submerged by the incoming tide.

The two gigs I mentioned in the last post were amazing. The Shins didn’t disappoint at all, and I was welcomed into the crazy world of the Super Furry Animals. It was a huge contrast, between the soft tones of The Shins coming out of Manchester Academy and the psychedelic riffs of SFA at Leeds Town Hall, but both were quite enjoyable – something which sums up my entire experience here so far. If everything keeps going as it has been I’m sure the last 8 months will  be just as good!

  The Shins (w/ Ash & Scuba) @ Manchester Academy, originally uploaded by Rick & Mindy.