In The Dark

There's so much to praise relating to tourism in this part of the world, the excellent infrastructure, the first-rate service, the helpful residents, that it seems churlish to strike a critical note - but strike it I will, claiming every tourist's right to find something to moan about after a day well spent. The day in question was yesterday, which we passed happily on the move between Keswick Market and Pencil Museum (yes, really), the eminently visitable Lowther Castle on the outskirts of Penrith and the eminently viewable Ullswater, as seen from Pooley Bridge. We were on our way back to Keswick on the A66 when we decided to stop off at the services on the off-chance of getting a nice cuppa at a time when all the shops had shut in the little towns in the area.

To our surprise we found ourselves in a very lively spot indeed, known as the Rheged Centre, with tea and shops in plenty - and even a cinema showing the latest movie in the Star Wars saga guarded by imperial troopers, one in white, one in black. But here's the thing. Despite the jolly facilities on offer inside the centre the place contrived to have one of the most badly-lit car parks I've ever seen. Not a problem in daylight, of course, but we arrived in the gloom of a late-December early evening and that means gloom a-plenty. If the car park had been wide and open in scope this wouldn't have been a real problem, but it had an odd-ish sort of layout such that it was tricky to figure out exactly where the lots were in its odd corners. 

The really irritating thing was that there were lights, and rather glaring ones, but these were placed at roughly ground level or just above such that they shone directly, blindingly into the face of the driver, me, trying to park. Fortunately the car we've hired has parking sensors so I achieved what would have been impossible without. Even then it was a disturbing experience, driving forward into a glaring white light, wondering if the space that had appeared to be there remained or was about to be filled by an unforgiving small wall or the like.

Anyway, I recommend the centre to those passing with an hour to spare, but only in daylight. And to all architects out there, can I suggest it's a good idea to avoid having lights shining up into people's faces even if it looks pretty. (Oh, and if you think the notion of a museum related to pencils is a bit silly, as I did, you're wrong, as I was. I never knew graphite was such fascinating stuff.)