Distractions, reflections

Coming into London from the south suburbs for the day, I found my way to the Tate Britain.  I haven’t been to this art museum before.

I had read about “Art with Legs” in the Toronto Globe and Mail, so I was looking forward to Work No. 850, by Martin Creed.

The sign reads:

Work No. 850 centres on a simple idea: that a person will run as fast as they can through the gallery. Each run is followed by an equivalent pause, like a musical rest, during which the grand Neoclassical gallery is empty.

This work celebrates physicality and the human spirit. Creed has instructed the runners to sprint as if their lives depended on it.

So, I wasn’t surprised to see  a runner dashing down the long hall.

I moved over to the side, and a few minutes later, a different runner came through the hall.  Read more... (290 words, 11 images, estimated 1:10 mins reading time)

The conference dinner for OR50 was scheduled at the National Railway Museum in York.  As we approached the venue, the size of the Yorkshire Wheel became apparent.

The material and techniques to construct the wheel should have been low in complexity, given today’s technology.  The form, however, is still impressive.

I had arrived on one of the later buses, because our driver got lost on the way.  Most of the other attendees had already had their ride on the wheel.

Each pod seats up to 6 people.  Read more... (351 words, 17 images, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

Included in the OR50 program was a selection of social activities.  I chose the walking tour of the City of York.  The core of the city is ringed by walls dating back to Roman times.  I doubt that original wall were constructed sufficiently wide to permit today’s normal automobile traffic.

The bus dropped us off near the Yorkshire Gardens, and we walked towards the town centre, along the inside of the wall.

We started our walking tour by the lawn by the wall.

Just before crossing the Lendal Bridge, we could look down onto the road beside the riverside.

The passing centuries inside the city walls have allowed the maturity of urban forestry.  Read more... (1072 words, 69 images, estimated 4:17 mins reading time)

I was at the University of York — at Yorkshire, not York University in Toronto! — for OR50: The 50th annual meeting of the Operational Research Society, centered in England.  As one of the top universities in England, I was impressed by the Heslington campus.  The plenary session were held in Central Hall.

When in the conference was in session in the lecture theatre of Central Hall, the scenery of the lake right next to it isn’t apparent.

On the lawns by the lake, the ducks have settled in at home.

Near the northern perimeter of the campus, Alcuin College was the choice for conference accommodations.  Read more... (415 words, 21 images, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)

Beverley — a market town, with a long history in Yorkshire — is where some of the professors at the University of Hull live.  After a day in seminars, we chose the town as a destination for drinks and dinner.  There’s been a market cross in Beverley since the 1700s, although the current structure must have been constructed more recently.

The market only happens on Saturday morning, so the space is a parking lot for the rest of the week.

The street named Toll Gavel may have been where road charges were paid in the 13th century.

As is common in most small British towns, stores don’t open late.  Window shopping is the only option.  Read more... (200 words, 8 images, estimated 48 secs reading time)

Despite the rain on that Friday afternoon, Jennifer followed through with plans to take the visiting scholars north in Yorkshire to some historic towns. Driving from Hull on the inland highway past Driffield, our first stop was Scarborough Beach, on the south bay.  The town centre is a little farther north.

Zooming in, the arcade attractions to this resort town are visible on the peninsula.

Just west of the beach, on the Esplanade, is one of the many resorts:  The Ambassador Hotel.  If the weather had been better, we might have ridden from the beach up to the top riding the cliff lifts (i.e. funiculars).

The wind was blowing strongly, so the merits and demerits of holding umbrellas was unclear for Jim, Thomas and myself.  Read more... (694 words, 22 images, estimated 2:47 mins reading time)