Friday 30 October 2015

Two months into the new job!

Afternoon friends!

On the 1st September I joined the drama department at De Montfort University as Senior Lecturer (VC2020) and very jolly it is too. My new colleagues are very friendly and welcoming, and I have enjoyed getting to know a bunch of new students. Funnily enough, the transition between institutions has been considerably more anxiety-filled than I could have imagined. I guess you always just want to do well when you go somewhere new!

I'm enjoying dividing my time between Nottingham and Leicester, and have sourced decent independent coffee and a delicious veggie Indian restaurant. These are clearly the most important things! My train trip is shorter than when I worked at Lincoln - it's just half an hour on the London train. I've been to the Curve Theatre and De Montfort Hall, so I feel as though I am properly getting into Leicester cultural life. I really love the vibrancy of these two Midlands cities. They both have such a beautiful collection of diverse cultures, nationalities, languages and belief systems. It is all rather exciting actually.

So, what else is happening? Well I am just busy writing. I have a million projects to complete by next April, including, of course, the Book. The latter is progressing well; I just have chapter 4 to complete. Looking forward to getting it all sent off although I'm enjoying the writing process. Outside of work we've been watching some films, enjoying a Steve Hackett gig and finishing the beautiful 'Show Me a Hero' (the HBO series). A few weeks ago I decided that we needed a break away from everything and so we took ourselves up to North Yorkshire and spent the most lovely couple of days at Flamingo Land (with me screaming my head off on the rollercoasters), eating delicious sandwiches at Helmsley, staying in a cosy pub (with a lovely dog called Arthur) and visiting Castle Howard and Riveaulx Abbey. It was a very short trip but I felt enormously refreshed afterwards. It really chilled me out and I returned with renewed vigour. We should do this more often!

November is approaching - a month of birthdays, chilly weather, preparing for December and, this year, heading off to Boston for the Modernist Studies Association Conference. I really can't wait for the latter. It is going to be so cool - lots of lovely people and great, fascinating work in store.

Hope everyone is doing great
CSW

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