St Mary's Church, Guildford

I needed some new walking sandals, so headed to my favourite (i.e. cheap) car park in Guildford and took the gentle 20min or so walk into the city centre via the castle.  I grabbed some lunch and sat in the castle grounds to eat it while sketching the castle - very restful and reasonably productive sketching-wise.

It was then time to hit the shops (not my favourite occupation). I could have purchased the same sandals I was wearing, which were also in a sale, but I wasn't happy about the way they had worn. So instead went for ones from a more reputable maker, which were more expensive even after my National Trust discount.  We'll see how they do over time.

It was then time for a slow meander back to the car along the River Wey. A major change since my last visit was that the old Debenhams building was finally being demolished in preparation for the construction of a new riverside complex.  The original department store building was completed in 1968. Only parts of ground floor and basement seem to remain giving a view of St Mary's Church with its Anglo-Saxon tower,  the oldest surviving structure in the town. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author Lewis Carroll of "Alice in Wonderland" fame, preached here and his funeral was held in the church in 1898.  Looking at the proposed plans for the new building, the church will again soon disappear from this viewpoint behind new blocks of residences and retail outlets - though the promise is for more access to the riverside and the associated amenities that people seem to expect today in such settings.

It this good or bad? Make your own mind up.