Central Hall - York University

Even today just as when it was built in the late 1960s this building looks like a futuristic flying saucer that has just landed on the lake at the university. Over the years the hall has been a popular music venue in the city and each year hosts the Church of England Synod meeting. Although many of the college buildings that were built at the same time now look dated and have a typical 60s poured concrete look about them I can remember many people enthusing about the brave new look of the campus. The lake that forms the centrepiece of the campus was formed by damming the local beck (for those that don't know, beck is Yorkshire speak for stream).

Talking of the word beck brings to mind a Yorkshire version of Humpty Dumpty that runs something like

Humpty Dumpty ligs int beck
Humpty Dumpty brok is neck

Not many people seem to have heard that version nowadays as they only learn the London publishers book sanitised version that has become the standardised and pasturised acceptable version. What has this to do with York University, not a lot except for all the safety signs around the campus, Danger Thin Ice, Blue Green algae in lake avoid coming into contact with water and wildfowl. Whatever happened to students living dangerously!