title Uni: A Return to Plymouth Polytechnic, Devon - 17th Februry 2025 intro 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. imgp0407 Plymouth's covered market imgp0408 Ivor Dewdney's pasties as amazingly still going imgp0410 Armada Way is being dug up yet again imgp0411 Looking up Cornwall Street imgp0412 A look back down Cornwall Street imgp0415 Looking up towards Cobourg Street imgp0416 The new-ish Drake Circus imgp0418 The old Moneycentre is still there imgp0421 Looking down what was Glanville Street imgp0423 The PPSU students' union building has gone imgp0425 The former LRC remains, but the pyramid is gone imgp0426 The old Maritime Halls of Residence imgp0427 Looking back to the science block imgp0428 The James Street Vaults is now hemmed in imgp0430 Kirky Stores is now a wellbeing place imgp0432 The old JSV is sort-of still in there somewhere imgp0434 The Brunel building has been demolished imgp0435 Harry on James Street imgp0436 The GTB building (Babbage) is unrecognisable imgp0437 The new Babbage Building (former GTB) imgp0438 The Cobourg Street villas have been done up imgp0439 Smeaton - formerly known as the Engineering Block imgp0440 Smeaton's foundation stone from 1952 imgp0441 The old YMCA has been replaced with a tower block imgp0442 KenRoy Thompson looks like it's been there a while imgp0444 A view of the Civic Centre from Mayflower Street imgp0446 The former underpass near the Money Centre imgp0447 The old way into town, under the Money Centre imgp0449 The former Charlie's nightclub imgp0452 Harry in Yo! Sushi, Drake Circus imgp0454 The Civic Centre from across Royal Parade imgp0456 The 1960s Civic Centre is looking properly derelict imgp0459 Street art on the hoardings around the Civic Centre imgp0460 More street art and graffiti imgp0464 The Link Building and the Civic Centre imgp0465 A fountain by Princess Street imgp0466 Smeaton's Tower on Plymouth Hoe imgp0468 Harry wanders off to the bin imgp0469 The flag poles on Plymouth Hoe imgp0470 Bomber Harris has a seagull on his head imgp0471 The clock and promenade café are still there imgp0472 The Crowne Plaza hotel imgp0473 Francis Drake on the corner of Notte Street imgp0474 The funky 1963 stylings on Plymouth Crown Court imgp0475 The Dingle's building is in a bit of a state imgp0476 The London Camera Exchange on Cornwall Street imgp0477 Grim flats on the back of Cornwall Street imgp0478 The Dartmoor Brewery in Princetown on Dartmoor imgp0480 The road to Two Bridges imgp0482 A view of Dartmoor imgp0483 Harry waits in the car imgp0484 A Dartmoor stone wall imgp0489 More winter cleakness on the moor imgp0490 A Dartmoor stone row imgp0492 The Globe Inn in Chagford imgp0493 Harry reads a book in the Globe imgp0497 Isobel has a quick game of Patience imgp0498 A jackdaw in St. Michael's churchyard imgp0502 A carpet of crocuses in the churchyard imgp0503 The compact kitchen in the rented flat imgp0504 Harry looks at shoes in Bowden's imgp0505 Harry's found an interesting walking stick imgp0506 There's queueing traffic on the A303 imgp0507 We stop to charge the car at Fleet Services North imgp0509 The Scott Mills link bridge has a leak problem imgp0510 Harry returns from a food-foraging mission imgp0511 Isobel gets some KFC rice imgp0512 Harry eats "loaded fries" imgp0513 Harry outside Fleet Services, northbound imgp0514 Isobel returns to the car imgp0516 Harry eats yet more food in Gridserve imgp0517 Isobel looks at electric cars for something to do