I was asked last year to make a promo video for the University. At the time I was told it was for the School of Biological Sciences as a way of selling courses, in particular to sell courses to mature students – in other words, people just like me! My visage now graces the university website for the reasons listed above. In the interview, I remember being asked what I thought of Plymouth as a city. My response was that when I first arrived, I thought it was a dump, to be frank. As time has gone on and I have found my way around, I’ve found myself becoming ever more enamoured with the city. Now I love its compactness, its 1950s architecture (see Jetsons city centre lighting above) and its honesty.

Never mind the fact that it was nearly bombed to oblivion in the war. Don’t worry about the grimness of the Union Street wall, the nuclear subs, the poverty and the suffering of Plymouth’s people. Forget the history of the Pilgrim Fathers, Brunel, the earliest fruit in the British Isles and the mild climate.

Plymouth IS a lovely city. It’s effectively my home. I “live” my waking life here . Today I met with a friend’s daughter as we rode together on the train to the city. She told me that my video had been woven into a bigger video that’s used to welcome newbies to the University. I am thrilled and honoured to be able to do that because I honestly think it’s a special place…however frustrating on occasions.