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| Uffington White Horse |
I first visited these sites in the late 80's whilst a student at the University of Hull. During the summer recess, I took lodgings in Witney with P, a family friend of a fellow student. Throwing my vegetarian credentials to the wind I got a job at the local pork pie factory.
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| Iron Age hillfort |
The position paid surprisingly well, and working the 2pm - 10pm shift, it also meant that the hours suited my student body-clock far better than any 9-5 employment. For the sake of 2hrs overtime, I could work until midnight and earn an extra half day's pay. Being both conscientious and efficient at my job overtime was regularly on offer.
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| The Ridgeway |
Paid in cash, and with endless free production-line rejects at break times, I had access to more money and more calories in my diet, than I had ever enjoyed before in my life. That the abundance of calories came from saturated animal fats, and refined sugars was not an irony that I missed even then.
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| Wayland's Smithy |
That summer also gave my inner musical magpie, the time and opportunity to collect shiny aural baubles. Exploring P’s vinyl collection – I harvested amongst others, Chet Baker, MC5, Sly and the Family Stone, Peter Tosh, Culture and Lee Scratch Perry – committing each album to the ferrous magnetic tracks of a hand-labelled cassette tape.
And now up to date. I visit these sites for only the second time, with A; and with A & Z, whose friendship was forged when I returned to formal study at Sparsholt College – as a mature student seeking and eventually fulfilling a successful change of career.
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| ".. Nothing to see here .." |
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| towards "The Manger" |
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