The listed artwork Spiral Nebula, by Geoffrey Clarke RA, is an iconic piece of sculpture that stands in front of the Herschel Building at Newcastle University, site of many a failed physics practical and slept-through early morning lecture (no wonder I took 4 years to get my chemistry degree!). I snapped it a couple of times while daughter was registering for her biomedical science course at the weekend…
What a bitter-sweet day, to deliver offspring to one’s alma mater, pride (in her achievements so far, fingers crossed for a Noble Prize in 2028, say), relief (that’s she’s opted for biomed and not, ahem, another field of endeavour), and sadness at the passing of her childhood so quickly (tempus fugit and all that). And, of course, the much greater wingspan of old tempus since my university mater was only just starting her alma for me.