Between worlds

· life ·

Bench in Botanic
Gardens{width=“263” height=“197”}

I went for a walk with my camera in the University Botanic Gardens this morning (more pictures in Wings Open Wide tomorrow). I haven't been there since I finished The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, and I wanted to look at the bench featured in the book. Here Lyra and Will each agree to sit once a year — in their own worlds — and think about one another. I took this picture of what I thought was the most likely candidate, and then something strange happened. A fox appeared from a bush near the benches, shot underneath it and paused, looking out at me before it dashed off through the fence and into Christchurch meadows. The garden was full of people, but no-one else seemed to notice the fox. I was struck by the absurdly romantic idea that it might be someone's daemon â€" perhaps mine.