When one thinks of Hild Bede… well, one doesn’t think of Hild Bede. However, over a year on from the relocation of Hild Bede from Leazes Road to Rushford Court, one is forced to consider what future lies ahead for this site. The Bubble decided to send their finest reporter to revisit Leazes Road (unfortunately they were unavailable, so I stepped in).
Combining the veritable thrill of Gilesgate, and the serenity brought by the murky brown of the River Wear, this site promises to show all that Hild Bede has to offer, and unfortunately, it does. Details of the plan for this site have been kept very hush hush. Other than a 24-hour library, what is the university keeping from us? One can pray that this secret is not further funding to unnecessary measures, such as accommodation to end to the housing crisis, but to areas such as the desperate need for another business school. Either way, plans seem to be getting laid, which is more than can be said for any of the cohort… The project is allegedly still in its foundations, much like the cohort’s GCSEs. Reports have documented asbestos being found in the building materials for this site. One could reasonably wonder if asbestos has neural effects, though even that wouldn’t explain the way that Hild Bede students are. In the interest of health, the buildings in this site are being quarantined. But if the goal is public health, one wonders why the Hild Bede students were not also quarantined away from the rest of the normal population? The issues faced, unlike the wallet of the college, run deep.
Walking around the site, one wonders how much funding must have gone into these buildings – estimates reach up to tens of pounds. One can practically feel the presence of the past Hild Bede students, which as you can imagine, was a deeply unsettling experience. Not coincidentally, a prevailing scent fills the air… touching to think that the students really left their mark. A notable landmark is the allegedly e-coli infested river, which the students of yore once bathed in… a tradition students seem to have kept alive. Reports of these buildings being reclaimed by animals are floating. No, not the students, but flocks of Osprey have migrated from West Africa and nested in the roofs for the upcoming spring. However, after the most recent Reform council win, these birds are currently in the process of being deported. A translator from the linguistics department has told The Bubble that, although the birds are disturbed by this hostility, after seeing the state of the location, they were happy to leave without fuss.
As I gathered supplies for the long, treacherous quest back into Durham centre, I reflected upon my experience, and hoped that whatever happens to this site, it is treated with caution, and about five bulldozers.
Image by Mihaela Claudia Puscas via Unsplash