Why I love working at universities (a continuing series)…
Returning to my office after a meeting, I rounded the corner of the medical sciences building — and was nearly run over by a young man pushing a xylophone.
It tells the story of Frederick McCoy, a 19th century professor at the University where I now work. The Caught and Coloured site contains a couple of charming anecdotes about the wildlife on campus. McCoy was one of many academics who lived on campus, in cottages provided by the University.
The Caught and Coloured site also observes that:
Frederick McCoy was par excellence the dandy of the University, and one of the immaculates of the city. A contemporary describes him as “a spruce and dapper professor, a useful and withal an ornamental functionary.”
Maru is the star of many a YouTube video demonstrating the irresistible attraction between cats and cardboard boxes.
This latest one, Maru and the Big Box (found via Cute Overload), is the first of Maru’s movies to make me laugh aloud. Good work, Maru — I love a cat with a well-developed exit strategy!
I tried three sample paints, all Dulux, and made test patches in four places — two on cupboard doors, two on plaster walls. Each test patch has slightly different lighting conditions, ranging from overlapping shadows to full sunlight at certain times of day.
The photo shows the test patch near the front door. Note the green undertone of the existing paint — in darker parts of the hall, it can look quite depressing.
From left to right the Dulux samples are:
Lexicon Quarter-Strength
Antique White USA
Barrister White
The Lexicon Quarter-Strength is a bright white with a faint blue undertone, making it a cooler shade than the other two samples. While I like its brightness, this shade would not work in the hall — that half of the house is not heated in winter, so a cool white would make the hall feel even colder than it really is!
The Barrister White is a much warmer white, with a distinct golden tone reminiscent of unpasteurised cream. It would warm the southern end of the hall, but in summer could add to the feeling that the foyer area is over-heated by the afternoon sun.
Antique White USA represents a middle ground between these two extremes; it’s slightly warmer than Lexicon, without tipping into the buttery yellow territory of Barrister. It will make the hall seem larger and lighter, without exaggerating the psychological effects of temperature.
