York 24/7: The scientist
We asked writers to chronicle their day on July 24 as part of the York 24/7 project. For his day Liam Herringshaw combined science and football
7.30am
got up, had breakfast, showered. At 8 o’clock the little green men arrived and took away everything except the glass bottles. Left the house at 8.15 to catch the train to Durham, where I work four days a week. My better half remained in bed, as she had a day off. She says the little green men returned for the glass later.
My Durham day had little to do with York, other than that I emailed a geologist at York Potash to ask him about studying some of the Jurassic rocks his company have drilled through near Whitby.
6.30pm
Got back to York around 6.30pm, giving me an hour before meeting my friend Dave to watch York City’s pre-season friendly with Leicester (my home town) at Bootham Crescent. That was just long enough to get home, dig out my old Leicester shirt, and walk to the ground.
Upon arrival at the gates, our plan of standing together was scuppered as the stewards decided I would trigger a riot. “You can’t go in there wearing that,” they said, pointing at my non-local jersey. “You’ll have to go to the away end.”
So, reluctantly, I did. It seemed a bit crazy, but maybe the Yorkist tensions over Richard III are still too high. As it was, the game was almost devoid of controversy and finished goalless. I stood with a father and son from Skegness, and then Dave and I made do with an after-match pint instead.
- Liam is a palaeontologist, geologist and writer based in York
- For more of Liam’s writing see The Daily Liam
- See all our York 24/7 stories here