U Mass

I'm at UMass Lowell for a few days this week, mainly to visit one of our MPhys students who is on placement here for his Research Year.  I had Sunday to myself, and contemplated doing tourist things in Boston, but decided in the end to see what Lowell had to offer.  It's an old mill town, and there is lots of related heritage.  I wandered round the town, and it was a lovely day.  The first warm day of the year so far, apparently.  I went to Kerouac Square, in honour of Jack Kerouac who was born in the town (though famously wandered away from it).  I went to the American Textile History Museum, and I tried to find somewhere to eat at a Sunday lunchtime.  Some pictures from my day are at the top of the post.

There are no doubt a lot of reasons to go to visit Boston itself.  To me, it famous for being the birthplace of some of my favourite bands from the late 80s/early 90s.  I feel like I shouldn't let a visit to UMass go by without posting the Pixies' song UMass.  This version was recorded live at the Tsongas Arena, here on the campus in Lowell.  It's from the Pixies' last album, in 1991, before their long hiatus (their follow-up album was released last year), and is not really one of their better songs, in common with the whole album... but it's certainly relevant for me sitting here in UMass today.