Carlisle

It's not often I have an excuse to go to Carlisle but it's just far enough away that I need one before I'll make the effort. The meeting today was sort of work related and I thought it might be a bit of a waste of time but in the end it was so interesting and enjoyable that I realised as I left that I'd not put enough parking on the car.

I wasn't worried enough about it to run to the car park, although I did speed up a bit when I passed a traffic warden coming the other way. He looked kind of sated, which made hurry even more. Happily, though, there was no ticket. Hooray!

I was sorely tempted to take the A6 all the way back down to Kendal but I had quite a lot to do, so in the end I headed straight back to the M6. On the way I passed this massive derelict building. I love deserted, decrepit buildings. I always wish I could go and walk around inside. I find it diverting to think about the last day it might actually have been in use, to wonder who was the last person to leave. And then I love thinking about how it has decayed, about how the first plant to root on the roof, just when the latches gave way and windows broke. I chimes for me with the - not despondent - philosophy that everything must come to an end and should be enjoyed while it lasts. And nice to enjoy it a bit after that, too!