Plymouth's covered market
Uni: A Return to Plymouth Polytechnic, Devon - 17th Februry 2025
It's been a surprisingly long time since the last trip to actual Plymouth - despite having been to Chagford and Spreyton, which are only about 25 miles away across Dartmoor, many times in between. In the nine years since the last trip the city centre remains broadly unchanged, although the Civic Centre is looking decidedly more derelict and House of Fraser could do with a clean. The University of Plymouth (formerly Plymouth Polytechnic) campus however is a different matter as it's been around 20 years since the last proper look around, and for the first time it's become more-or-less impossible to do a proper "then and now" session as many buildings have gone or have been redeveloped beyond recognition. It's a bit unsettling in some ways, but is at least a measure that the university is still "happening". Anyway, after dragging Harry around the campus for a bit, we (minus Isobel who's working remotely from the rented flat) retire to Drake Circus for a bit of sushi, then drive back across Dartmoor to Chagford. After a last couple of pints in the Globe, we drive back the next day in a ten-hour epic, thanks to roadworks and recharging sagas.
next album: A Walk around Redgrave and Lopham Fen, Redgrave, Suffolk - 23rd February 2025
previous album: A Return to Chagford, Devon - 16th February 2025
Ivor Dewdney's pasties is amazingly still going
Armada Way is being dug up yet again
Looking up Cornwall Street
A look back down Cornwall Street
Looking up towards Cobourg Street
The new-ish Drake Circus
The old Moneycentre is still there
Looking down what was Glanville Street
The PPSU students' union building has gone
The former LRC remains, but the pyramid is gone
The old Maritime Halls of Residence
Looking back to the science block
The James Street Vaults is now hemmed in
Kirkby Stores is now a wellbeing place
The old JSV is sort-of still in there somewhere
The Brunel building has been demolished
Harry on James Street
The GTB building (Babbage) is unrecognisable
The new Babbage Building (former GTB)
The Cobourg Street villas have been done up
Smeaton - formerly known as the Engineering Block
Smeaton's foundation stone from 1952
The old YMCA has been replaced with a tower block
KenRoy Thompson looks like it's been there a while
A view of the Civic Centre from Mayflower Street
The former underpass near the Money Centre
The old way into town, under the Money Centre
The former Charlie's nightclub
Harry in Yo! Sushi, Drake Circus
The Civic Centre from across Royal Parade
The 1960s Civic Centre is looking properly derelict
Street art on the hoardings around the Civic Centre
More street art and graffiti
The Link Building and the Civic Centre
A fountain by Princess Street
Smeaton's Tower on Plymouth Hoe
Harry wanders off to the bin
The flag poles on Plymouth Hoe
Bomber Harris has a seagull on his head
The clock and promenade café are still there
The Crowne Plaza hotel
Francis Drake on the corner of Notte Street
The funky 1963 stylings on Plymouth Crown Court
The Dingle's building is in a bit of a state
The London Camera Exchange on Cornwall Street
Grim flats on the back of Cornwall Street
The Dartmoor Brewery in Princetown on Dartmoor
The road to Two Bridges
A view of Dartmoor
Harry waits in the car
A Dartmoor stone wall
More winter bleakness on the moor
A Dartmoor stone row
The Globe Inn in Chagford
Harry reads a book in the Globe
Isobel has a quick game of Patience
A jackdaw in St. Michael's churchyard
A carpet of crocuses in the churchyard
The compact kitchen in the rented flat
Harry looks at shoes in Bowden's
Harry's found an interesting walking stick
There's queueing traffic on the A303
We stop to charge the car at Fleet Services North
The Scott Mills link bridge has a leak problem
Harry returns from a food-foraging mission
Isobel gets some KFC rice
Harry eats 'loaded fries'
Harry outside Fleet Services, northbound
Isobel returns to the car
Harry eats yet more food in Gridserve
Isobel looks at electric cars for something to do
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Plymouth's covered market
Plymouth's covered market
Ivor Dewdney's pasties is amazingly still going
Armada Way is being dug up yet again
Looking up Cornwall Street
A look back down Cornwall Street
Looking up towards Cobourg Street
The new-ish Drake Circus
The old Moneycentre is still there
Looking down what was Glanville Street
The PPSU students' union building has gone
The former LRC remains, but the pyramid is gone
The old Maritime Halls of Residence
Looking back to the science block
The James Street Vaults is now hemmed in
Kirkby Stores is now a wellbeing place
The old JSV is sort-of still in there somewhere
The Brunel building has been demolished
Harry on James Street
The GTB building (Babbage) is unrecognisable
The new Babbage Building (former GTB)
The Cobourg Street villas have been done up
Smeaton - formerly known as the Engineering Block
Smeaton's foundation stone from 1952
The old YMCA has been replaced with a tower block
KenRoy Thompson looks like it's been there a while
A view of the Civic Centre from Mayflower Street
The former underpass near the Money Centre
The old way into town, under the Money Centre
The former Charlie's nightclub
Harry in Yo! Sushi, Drake Circus
The Civic Centre from across Royal Parade
The 1960s Civic Centre is looking properly derelict
Street art on the hoardings around the Civic Centre
More street art and graffiti
The Link Building and the Civic Centre
A fountain by Princess Street
Smeaton's Tower on Plymouth Hoe
Harry wanders off to the bin
The flag poles on Plymouth Hoe
Bomber Harris has a seagull on his head
The clock and promenade café are still there
The Crowne Plaza hotel
Francis Drake on the corner of Notte Street
The funky 1963 stylings on Plymouth Crown Court
The Dingle's building is in a bit of a state
The London Camera Exchange on Cornwall Street
Grim flats on the back of Cornwall Street
The Dartmoor Brewery in Princetown on Dartmoor
The road to Two Bridges
A view of Dartmoor
Harry waits in the car
A Dartmoor stone wall
More winter bleakness on the moor
A Dartmoor stone row
The Globe Inn in Chagford
Harry reads a book in the Globe
Isobel has a quick game of Patience
A jackdaw in St. Michael's churchyard
A carpet of crocuses in the churchyard
The compact kitchen in the rented flat
Harry looks at shoes in Bowden's
Harry's found an interesting walking stick
There's queueing traffic on the A303
We stop to charge the car at Fleet Services North
The Scott Mills link bridge has a leak problem
Harry returns from a food-foraging mission
Isobel gets some KFC rice
Harry eats 'loaded fries'
Harry outside Fleet Services, northbound
Isobel returns to the car
Harry eats yet more food in Gridserve
Isobel looks at electric cars for something to do