Friday afternoon, me and Rob left college early and went back to his together, since I had to stay over so that I could be there when they were due to leave the next morning at 7am. Once at his, I met his mum, Judith and the three of us talked in the kitchen a little while Rob cooked pizza for the both us. I wasn't keen on it, but I didn't want to say anything.
He's in a brass band and plays trumpet so I had to go with him to it which I didn't mind because I was quite interested to see if he was any good. At around 5pm, his friend Neil turned up who is also in the band. We all piled into his mum's car and she drove us to the concert, picking another passenger on the way. The back of the car was a very tight fit, just about managing to hold me, the other Neil and some guy called Matt, also in the band.
The concert was a fair way away. Around an hour's drive. About 25 minutes into the drive, I knew that I needed the toilet. Perhaps the worst thing that could happen on a long journey. I'm good at waiting though so I didn't say anything because I thought maybe the journey would be over soon and I'd be able to go. We just kept driving and driving though. At 40 minutes into the journey, I was now quite uncomfortable, but didn't still didn't say anything. 50 minutes into the journey and I couldn't stand much more. I asked how far we were from the place we were going to and the response was "A fair way yet". I explained that I really needed the toilet. I felt kind of embarassed really, but I was now desperate.
60 minutes into the journey and we were still bloody driving and I was very very uncomfortable, like never before. I was praying that the journey would be over soon because I really couldn't wait any longer.
We ended up getting a little lost and thank god, we pulled over while they checked the directions, which gave me time to dash out of the car and relieve myself. My god I've never needed to do so so much. Not a good way to begin the weekend!
When we finally did get to the concert, it was a city hall. There was no one there when we arrived, but Rob and his friends set their things up while me and his mum talked a little. People began to arrive around 7pm and it wasn't hard to see that aside from the band members and me, everyone else was around 70+.
The concert began around 8pm and I actually really enjoyed it. There was also a choir (also made up of 70+ women lol) but they were quite good. I've never heard a choir sing in person before or a brass band for that matter.
At half time, everyone got a drink of wine and a mince pie. "I take it you're bored", he asked me, when he came off the stage. "No, I'm actually really enjoying it", I replied.
After the break, the concert lasted until 10pm and then we went to a pub for a quick drink with a few other people. There, I met a woman named Karen, who began talking to me/Rob and asked what we were doing on our course at college and stuff. She also explained that she had to design a website and that she didn't really have a clue how she was going to do it.
I told her that I could help her out. She laughed and asked for my number, jokingly, but I explained to her that I'd happily do it for her. I gave her the address of my portfolio and told her to get in touch if she still wants it doing.
We left about 11:20pm and as we did so, Rob said how Karen thinks I'll probably do what she wants for free. But if she does think that, she's got another thing coming!
We got back to Rob's around 1am and went to bed.
The next morning, we planned to leave the house at 7am. Since we didn't get back to Rob's until 1am though, that got revised to 8am and when we finally did leave the house, it was 9am.
The journey wasn't bad at all. I thought I might feel a little ill as I hate long car journies, but I was fine. It went over really quick too. By 12pm, we were there.
As we pulled into C.I.A. (Cumbria Institute of the Arts), I was very impressed already. It was set in a really nice place. The halls were literally right next door too. We went in and there were 'Buddies' sitting at reception. Just some students who had been there for a while and were welcoming everyone. They gave me some information about the place and were just really nice in general.
We sat in the canteen for a bit before the tutors were due to talk to us. Rob was wanting to due multimedia there and I want to graphic design so that meant that we both had different tours to go on.
On mine, it was basically just me and some other guy who also had his parents with him. The tutor, Simon Davis walked us through the institute and to a room where he had set up a Powerpoint presentation. It felt a bit crap that you know, the other guy had the support of his parents right there, as did Rob, yet I have to do all of this on my own. Still, I watched and listened to the presentation.
Some of the work that Simon went through was very impressive. I would love my work to look like it. After the presentation, which lasted about 15 minutes, he asked if we had any questions and it was mostly the guy and his parents that did. I asked a few too, such as what are the resources like in terms of computers and what do they want to see in terms of portfolio.
After that, I went back to the canteen and waited for the second part of the open day, which was a tour around the institute. When Rob came back from his session with his tutor, he said that he wasn't that impressed and I agreed with him. The room that I had been in wasn't half as nice as the room we use in college, plus, the computers in college are better than the ones they were using there.
At 12:30pm, me and Rob went back to our lecture rooms where we were picked up by tutors again. I can't remember the name of mine, but he was a nice guy. In addition to me and the guy with his parents, a few other people had joined the tour too in the form of three girls, two of which both had their parents there and one who had come with her friend. She looked so very nice and I was dying to talk to her. I just wanted to say hi and try to make friends with her but I was too scared to open my mouth so I just kind of walked around with her and the rest.
The tour was pretty cool. The building is huge. There's so many rooms and everywhere you look there's blocks of computers. We went into all of the rooms that we'd be using as part of the course and although I was disappointed that the majority of the computers were eMacs, rather than the G5's that we're using in college, I was still impressed with the facilities at the institute.
The tutor also showed us where about the halls where although unfortunately, we didn't get to go in them. I would have really liked to have seen inside them, just to see how big they were. Still, the actual setting of them is great because you could pretty much get out of bed and go to lessons in your pyjamas, they're that close to the institute!
After the tour was over, he asked if we had any questions and a few of us did. He asked us if we got here ok and whether the map was good enough that we all got sent and we pretty much all said no and that it wasn't to scale and whatnot. The girl who I had been interested in also said something about it. I had asked the tutor something, but she had replied to me instead and after 20 minutes of walked around with her, finally got the chance to talk to her. I asked her how far the station was from the institute, just to make conversation with her and she told me. I then asked her things like did she like what she had seen and what was she studying at college. I also found out that her name was Steph and that her friend's name was Hannah and that she was from Newcastle and 19. Mission accomplished, I thought to myself, feeling pleased that I had managed to finally talk to her although pretty annoyed with myself that it was at the end of the tour and therefore, everyone was going home! I would have loved to get to know her a little more.
As me and Rob were going, I went over to her and said goodbye and that I hoped I'd see her next year. On our way out, Rob said that I should have asked her for her number and then I realised that this would probably be a good idea but I wouldn't know how to do that after just a few minutes of knowing her. I hadn't even thought of asking her for it really until he gave me the idea of doing so and as we pulled out of the institute in the car, I really regretted not asking her because I might never see her again.
After visiting the institute, we headed onto the hotel where we'd be staying. It was in a small village called Keswick and it looked beautiful. It was really icy cold over the weekend so everything looked slightly frosted and it gave the village such a beautiful look.
It was really cold, even inside the hotel. There wasn't much to do after we'd been shown to our rooms. At 6pm though, we headed down a small hill to a pub where we were going to have our dinner. My god it was like walking through the Antartic on our way there. I was shivering. Once inside, it wasn't exactly the warm either and even once we'd sat down, I was still shivering. This wasn't helped by the fact that I had chosen to bring short sleeved tshirts to wear instead of something warmer!
Our meal was quite nice. I had potato soup for starters, steak and chips for main course and a chocolate browny covered in chocolate sauce for dessert. It was rather nice. I felt ill after eating it, but it was rather nice! �25 in total it cost which is a little on the expensive side.
We walked back up the hotel after that and we were so cold. By now it was about 9pm or so. Me and Rob went into my room for a bit to watch TV and talk and by 10pm, he had gone to bed which meant that I could too. I got into bed and watched a film before going to sleep around midnight.
The next morning, I woke up around 8am and got a shower, before going downstairs for breakfast. Rob and Judith were waiting for me but they said it wasn't for long. The guy who owned the B&B said help myself to what was on the table in the corner, which consisted of things like an assortment of fruit, yoghurt, orange juice and apple juice. I got a bowl of mixed fruit and happily started. It was very nice. I then had a nice full English breakfast after that, along with an insane amount of tea. Five cups in total! I was full.
After that, I decided to go and take a few pictures outside. You can see them in the archive. It was such a beautiful morning. Cold, but bearable. Crisp, I suppose.
By 10am on Sunday, we set off in the car again, this time to a place called Lakeside I think. Perhaps not surprisingly, there was a lake by the side of it. It was a beautiful place. I took pics there too. Again, see the archive.
I think we stayed there around an hour or so. It was pretty cold still, but I was happy to be out of my house and out of Liverpool for a few days.
Once back in the car, we made the final trek back towards Liverpool where they dropped me off at my house. I said thanks to Judith to letting me stay at their house and she said it wasn't a problem.
So, all in all, it's been a really fun weekend. It's been more of a mini holiday than a visit to a university. Aside from that, I met a lovely girl named Steph, stayed in a nice B&B, had a meal out, excellent breakfast and tons of lovely pictures. I'd call that a great weekend. How was yours?
