Reasons to have a lovely time in Bangor

I've spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself, so much so that I've neglected to mention that I am at least quite pleased with Bangor. 

Firstly, it is a nice environment, with the city centre pleasantly situated in a narrow valley surrounded by steep, attractively wooded hills. And from an elevated position you can see mountains and sea. I've heard it described as a 'shit hole', but from a student POV I wouldn't concur with that.

I haven't run into hoards of disturbing people, as it's quite easy to do in many towns. Besides that, I'm told students outnumber locals and it does feel like they have the run of the place. The city manages to be quiet, yet vibrant. In the day the traffic is noticeably quieter than I'm used to in English towns and even scarcer in the evening. However, pubs stay open into the small hours and it manages to pack alot into its small footprint. It has a Lidl, an Aldi, a Tesco, a Morrisons, an Iceland, a Kwik Save and an Asda. At least, that I've noticed so far. The Tesco, Morrisons and Asda all have cafes. It has a shopping centre with a Debenhams and an M&S. It has a cathedral.

Some of the residential roads close to the university are very nice. Quiet, with large gardens bursting with mature trees and shrubs and solid Victorian houses. There is poorer housing in certain areas, but it doesn't impose itself.

Main Arts, the main university building stands prominently on a hill and it's built in the collegiate style of an ancient Oxbridge college. It was built in 1910 but obviously harks back to medieval times and the effect works. It's a beautiful building with stained glass windows, a quadrangle, arched cloisters. It looks like a cathedral, from a distance, though to walk inside it and ensconce oneself in its haunted library is to feel that one is in the fairy tale university and therefore that at least one aspect of one's life is a fairytale.

The 60s extension attached to the gothic Main Arts- like most sixties buildings- is a pity, but actually fairly acceptable as pities go. It has some wood, slate and pebble dash in it and it's a success from a practical standpoint. There are also some nice subsidiary buildings dotted around nearby, some Edwardian built in the Arts and Crafts style.

Right next to Main Arts on the side of the hill is a very recent and substantial building call 'Pontio'. It contains a surprisingly upscale bar and restaurant, plus cinema, lecture halls, student union office and places students can hang out and meet but I only ever use Pontio to get to Main Arts. The lift is in an inconvenient place and always full, so I climb lots of stairs that are tiered, because the building is going up a hill.

Yesterday on the way back down I did stop and stuff my face with some free FairTrade chocolate that was being handed out. There's always free stuff going on at uni, most of which I miss out on. I've got a poster in my room that has an event on it everyday. Sunday roasts, chip butty and chats, bingo, bookswaps, ice cream parties, board games and biscuits, hot chocolate morning, quiz and cake. Something every day, which I miss. But hey, I got some chocolate. And it wasn't even on my poster.

Next to Pontio is a First World War memorial/gate house that one walks through to get to Pontio and  kind of matches Main Arts in style and splendour. And then just around Bangor generally you have various buildings from different periods that belong to the uni.

My student village is on the hill opposite to Main Arts, across the town and as I mentioned, steep. Absurdly so. The buildings are Victorian, Edwardian and very recent. I would prefer to be in the very recent, because then I would have fine views over the town. I also suspect that the newer rooms may be superior. However, my old is building is newly fitted- so maybe it's pretty much the same- and it is the closest to the entrance of the village, thus saving me a minute's walk.

Besides rooms and studio apartments the village is a little world in itself, with a supermarket, cafe, laundry, gym, mail room, concert room, nice social room with plush furnishings and other facilities. It is not like a shabby boarding school. It is done to a very high standard, these days. The social room could be in a nice pub in some up and coming area of London. 

Besides all this, the air is fresh and vigorous, there is a content atmosphere, and you can hear people speaking Welsh and see it written everywhere.

I think I mentioned the trees but I should again for in my village they are lichen covered and plentiful and large and one of the small pleasures I've taken from the past few days is lying in bed at night watching the wind shake the trees opposite my window.