I may or may not have previously mentioned that the London Center is 40 this year. As a result, you may imagine that we have been through our fair share of chairs in this building, but what you may not know about are the real classics to which we have clung. Yes, your worst fears are true. Today I will be reviewing the chairs of the London Center.
My first chair is not just a chair, but the set found in Bill's office. I would like to be able to put a date on them, but their classic design and unending series of tears in the leather just say to me that they have been around the block a few times. These chairs welcome coffee talkers, visiting alums, faculty and the surveyors who will be giving Elsie a once over. The set of four (2 taller armchairs, a lower armchair and a loveseat) are centered around a table that has hobnobs on it on a good day, and a semester's worth of Bill's Sport in the UK marking on a bad day. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, Emily and Michael gave them a 9.85 overall for comfort, ease of use and closeness to biscuits.
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| Emily stealthily checks the arms of the chair |
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| Michael is loving the loveseat |
The next chair is also part of a set and also green. Under the stairs in the front hall there is another loveseat and an ottoman that is most frequently used as a seat. It seems that the comfort of these items of furniture balances out the danger involved in getting into and out of them. They are truly seats for experienced sitters. They sink and suck you in when you sit on them and have a table, a wall socket and a radiator nearby, as well as a small window. What would only make the situation better would be if so many people didn't bump their heads on the stairs standing up to leave the sofa. Also, if you listen closely, you can hear Harry Potter quietly doing magic in the cupboard under the stairs and plotting his escape. Points out of 10? 9.2, say Brittany, Carolyn and Cristin.
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| Neither Brittany or Carolyn bumped their heads standing up! |
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| Cristin didn't mind that there's no back to the ottoman |
Next we moved up to the Common Room. Here is a similar style to the set in Bill's office. These chairs are old, broken in and wear their age well. If I were to compare them to zoo animals I would say they are most comparable to wise elephants. The leather sags in places, but these chairs don't seem to be forgetting the last 40 years. Literature lecturer Lee White gave them a 6 out of 10. He wasn't impressed by the chair's lack of support and was disappointed by how far away it was from any biscuits.
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| Lee wears his disappointment about the lack of biscuits |
Fourth is our freshest set of chairs. Within the last year the faculty room received leather armchairs which are still so new, they smell a bit like the shop. These chairs don't leave the sitter too high or too low, but rather just at the right height. Ian Green, film lecturer, felt they were some of the best in the London Center, giving them a 10 out of 10.
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| Ian's comfy in the new faculty room chair |
The final set of chairs is easily my favorite. If I was told they came with the building, I would believe it. These old, green friends have been repaired innumerable times, but being too good to let go of, they are currently haunting room 8. They're lumpy but loveable, socially awkward but trend setting. They're representatives of life- they dictate where you're allowed to sit on them (bumps vs. holes), but welcome you with aged velour upholstery. They take and they give- they're not just a place to sit, they're a way of life. 11 out of 10!
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| For Rosie, the party starts in these chairs |
If you're really well behaved I'll let you know next week which classroom chairs we're still using since the 1980's!
-Claire
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