Posted by: Lois Lindemann on: June 12th, 2008 
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I lived there for less than a year. It was only a student hall of residence in which I had a room. The building was pretty shabby – and that was in 1986, so I imagine it was pretty awful by the time it closed recently.
Now its gone, demolished and making way for new developments. I knew that this had happened, but today was the first time that I had actually seen the site (the first time in daylight anyway, it was a bit difficult to see much when we went past after dark a few weeks back!)
Despite all rational objections, I still felt sad looking at the empty space where I once lived. Oddly, although the sight of the building never produced any feelings of nostalgia when it was still there, observing its absence seemed to bring the memories flooding back. Faces of old friends came swimming to the surface of my memory, bringing with them recollections of forgotten incidents and conversations. How strange that the absence of the place proved to be so much more evocative than its presence ever was.
My old Hall of Residence in London is now all set for redevelopment. I went past on a bus on the way home from Chelsea Flower Show a couple of weeks ago. The shops below were already boarded up. Nostalgia, as you say.
“How strange that the absence of the place proved to be so much more evocative than its presence ever was.”
– Wisely said. This belongs in a book of quotations.