Sometimes normal things unexpectedly turn into joyful things!

Yesterday, my son and I arranged to have a walk around our university campus to take some pics before we leave Grahamstown.

I was here as a student in the early 80s and he has just finished his first year. I also currently work at the university, just 50m from where I studied and lived!

As you can imagine there are lots of memories for both of us.

Neither of us were inspired when we started out but we decided to go ahead anyway. Most of the students have left campus for the year and its a good time to get photos without people in them. So we parked. The first thing T said to me was:

“Have you ever been into the Botany Garden?”

“Nope, even though I’ve walked past it many time. I’ve never consciously registered that I could go in!”

We wandered around, looking at the indigenous plants and trees and then continued our walking tour through to the Library Quad, through the GLT, Physics and  Ecos Departments, to the Fountain Quad, the Hamilton Building, Theatre Cafe, Maths Department and Clock Tower. All places my son has frequented this year.

St Peter’s Campus

Then we passed through Eden Grove to St Peter’s Campus where I work now and lived / studied as a student. Now, we were in my domain!

Earlier this year, when my son was a newly registered 1st year student, I took some photos of him on this part of campus and we decided to re-create those 10 months later. We swapped places and he took some of me too!

St Peter’s campus is the most beautiful spot on our campus.  It is home to the Education, Music and Law Departments, Allan Webb Hall (of Residence) and the The Chapel of St Mary and all the Angels, now known as the Rhodes University Chapel. The chapel is also a national monument.

A brief history of Allen Webb Hall

I lived in Allan Webb Hall for 3 years in my university days. The Hall buildings date back to 1883, when a group of five young women in their early twenties responded to the call of Allan Becher Webb, Bishop of Grahamstown, to leave England and undertake work in his diocese. Amongst them was Annie Cecilia Ramsbottom Isherwood, a girl of twenty. It was agreed that she would start an order of sisters to be known as the Community of the Resurrection and she was clothed as a novice in 1884. She was known as Mother Cecile.

In 1894 the Community founded the Grahamstown Training College. Rhodes University bought the property and in 1977 Canterbury Hall, comprised of Canterbury House and Winchester House, was born, with Salisbury House and Truro House added in 1979. The Hall became known as Allan Webb Hall.

The dining hall, built in 1909 in memory of Mother Cecile CR, is a magnificent baronial-styled hall designed by the company of Herbert Baker and Massey. [Source: https://www.ru.ac.za/allanwebb/history/]

Our photo walk turned out to be a lot of fun. More fun than we thought it would be! But more importantly, is felt really good for both of us to recall our different memories. And to be grateful that we both had the opportunity to study, live and work in such a beautiful spot. In feeling that gratitude, joy unexpectedly crept in – as it does!

Oh yes, hello joy. I see you there.

We went home on a high!