It's over - It's all over, the University of West England has pulled out of the negotiations to build a campus in Swindon. Those with ambitioious plans to create a city in the likeness of Swindon are in tears, hopes dashed, dreams smashed, plans trashed. The real reason it all fell around their ears was that government funding has been slashed. Whatever happened to Labours election battlecry "Education, education, education..."?

The Old College site is to be flattened by the end of the year. It'll be sad to see it go in a way. That horrible edifice has been on the Swindon skyline since as far back as I can remember, and yes, I did my engineering courses there as a young man. How could I foget those production engineering classes on the south side of the main block, sun shining and everyone nodding in a desperate attempt to remain concious while the most uninteresting lecturer ever born droned on for an hour trying to see whether he could get us all to nod off.

But no, it's to come down. Where are all the homeless people going to sleep now? What about Mr Fox and his family? Worse still, next year I'll be living next door to a major construction site as shops and cinemas are built on the site. Could it get even noisier on a Saturday night?

He Had A Bomb

Talking of loud noises, some guy wandered in to the local jobcentre and told everyone he had a bomb (He didn't of course. A real bomber wouldn't have walked up to reception with a silly grin on his face). Cue the evacuation and sudden arrival of a police car. Sadly I missed that having been locked away in a department store. No matter, at least Swindon isn't entirely dull. I suspect however, that particular blokes days aren't going to be quite as interesting for some time.

Work Experience Session of the Week

TB, our ever patient work experience advisor, finally read out the riot act today and told us to behave like adults or else. So much to her chagrin, we did, and she herself received one offer of a date from one freckled face youngster. Miss M, one of our companions, was pretty much in the mood for that sort of thing and never in my in life have I seen a woman try so hard to persuade someone (anyone) to sleep with her. Her intended victim was of course embarrassed and denied he was interested, so why was he walking away with her this afternoon?

Am I envious? No... Not really. She's a little edgy for my liking. Still, at least the programme centre paid for a chinese meal for us all. Hey, it is the chinese new year you know. Do Jae!