Middlesex and Bristol

What a long weekend this has been... On Friday I packed my bags ready for the weekend, the wondered off to an openday at Middlesex University, just on the northern fringes of London. I wasn't very inspired by the area, or by initial inspection of the college. While I sat there waiting for the introductory lecture, I drew the dreadlocked lady in front of me (more attempts at loosening up!). After some mind-numbing jabbering by some higher up in the college, we finally got split into groups - the illustration and graphic design people were ushered into another room where we finally got to hear about those courses ... and the more I heard, the more I liked it. We were taken round the workshops, and as we toured, I asked a few more questions. This is EXACTLY the kind of course I want to do. They are very big on drawing skills and have organised life drawing classes throughout the three years; they encourage people to make the most of the workshops to do more than just drawing and they also have a lot of collaborations with the graphic design people. Drawing, broadness in application, and elements of design - just the combination I want.

Sunshine came round in the car to pick me up from Middlesex so we could drive directly to Bristol, as on Saturday, I was to go to an open day at the University of the West of England, there. Sunshine used to live there so during the journey he told me more about the city. I've been there before too, and I remember thinking I wouldn't mind living there. On Saturday he drove me from the friends we were staying at, to the UWE art and design campus, which is set by a huge park - beautiful. Sunshine then wondered off to the city while I sat through the introductory lecture to their illustration course. The lady giving the course was actually head of the faculty, rather than head of illustration. She was incredibly off-putting and spent the time being negative, and telling us how difficult it was to get into their course. I also found out that although they value drawing and will only take people with drawing skills on their course, the only organised drawing sessions they have are for half a year on the first year. After this lady spent 40 minutes not telling us any lovely things about the course, we were all packed onto a coach and driven to where the course is taught from -30minutes walk away, in the city. I didn't mind the place, but all the workshops are over at the main campus, so you'd end up bouncing between the two all the time, and that just didn't appeal to me.

Anyways, I haven't discounted UWE completely - Bristol is a nice (cheaper than London) place to live, and Sunhine would love moving back there. I still have a bit more research to do - I just wish I could move the Middlesex course to Bristol, then I'd be happy ...