Trillian seems to be enjoying university, which is a relief. For the benefit of those readers of this blog who have recently started their higher education, I present ten of my favourite memories of my time in Bangor, City of Learning¹

1. Sitting in my armchair in my room in Plas Gwyn, eating my lunchtime pie from the pie shop and looking out the window at the fantastic view I had of the high Carneddau - watching cloud scud over the summit plateau of Carnedd Llewelyn, trying to remember all the peaks.

2. Abusing the trust Bruce had placed in me one weekend my giving me his room key. Teaming up with Alex and Clive, emptying his room completely.

3. Doing the Fourteen Peaks with Bruce, Matt, Clive and Dan.

4. Getting mashed in the Union every Friday night, then going out walking the next day. Jonesy trudging up the Gribin with his sunglasses on, going 'ooooh fuck' and stopping to be sick over the lip of a 100 metre drop.

5. Jonesy getting stuck doing an unnecessary climb on a short section of the north ridge of Tryfan. Me to Bruce: 'ha ha, Jones is going to die!' Bruce to me: 'shut up, I think he is.'

6. Saving Bruce's life by wedging myself in a gully as he came tumbling down it, also on Tryfan. To this day he denies the simple truth that if it wasn't for me he'd be dead, instead choosing to believe that 'friction' was 'slowing him down'.

7. My 20th. Getting off with cross-eyed Tamsin while her boyfriend was in the loo.

8. My 21st. Actually, I only remember it in principle and on the basis of reconstructions put together by the slightly less drunk participants.

9. Getting kicked in the back of the head by Ian at the climax of The Boy and the Blindman.

10. Playing the piano in pubs on Anglesey, Jen Pearson singing.

Some kind of degree thing was going on in the background during these events. What was that all about?

^{1. Bangor City Council bagged that name for the town just after I left, which doesn't leave much for, say, Cambridge. 'City of Weird People', maybe? 'City of Effete Traitors'? 'City of Not Having Much Of A Social Life'? Actually I think the Cantabridgieniensionians or whatever they call themselves would be best off getting away from the 'City of..' approach altogether. They'd be better off with 'Cambridge - Fuck Me, It's Cold In The Fens'. Other university towns could take a similar approach. So, for example: 'Durham - We Still Can't Believe Cambridge Rejected Us. No, We're Not Bitter, It's Just That It's So Unfair. We'll Show Them - We'll Show Everyone.... Twitch, Twitch'.}