A medieval labyrinth

Joshua Smith, Arts and Lit Editor, reviews Exeter’s underground passages

THE underground tunnels of Exeter are a remarkable feature of the city’s past. Traversing through the medieval beginnings of the city’s water source, the English civil war, and the world wars of the 20th century, they have been a constant presence in the social and civic development of the city as we know it today. Guided tours are open to the public and are one of the most popular attractions for tourists visiting the city. They are led by a group of charismatic, professional people dedicated to making the experience fun for all ages. Regarding the tunnels themselves, they were constructed in two different time periods, the medieval, and the modern day. The former ones were done by the craftsmen employed by the cathedral, and the pipes run from around the top of Sidwell Street to the cathedral itself. During this period, the clean water transported was for the use of the rich clergymen who could afford it. A growing population meant the masons and workmen employed to build the cathedral were employed to rebuild the city’s water supply. The wells at St. Sidwell’s were an important catalyst

Between the sheets

Livvy

OVER the course of the summer break, I decided it was finally time for me to tackle the piles of books that I had bought but never had the time to read. One of those books that I chose to read was Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold. The novel centres around a cafe in Tokyo that has been selling expertly prepared coffee for more than a century, hidden away in a little back lane. But this coffee shop gives its patrons a one-of-akind opportunity: the chance to go back in time. We meet four visitors in Before the Coffee Gets Cold, each of whom want to take advantage of the cafe’s time-traveling offer in order to: confront the man who left them; receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer’s; see their sister for the last time; and meet the daughter they never got the chance to know. Customers must sit in a specific seat, and they are not allowed to leave the cafe. They must finally return to the present before the coffee becomes cold. My favourite out of the four storylines was the second story titled ‘Husband and Wife’. It demonstrated how despite the husband’s Alzheimer’s, his wife would still love him and treat him the same, despite him forgetting who she was. It was difficult to read how the wife felt in this situation, as she decided to travel back to see her husband before he had forgotten her. The husband she visits in the past asks her whether he had forgotten her in the future to which she lies and tells him that he gets better, her husband secretly not believing her. However, when she returns to the present, she realises that even though he may have forgotten her name and face, a part of him still remembers her, and that is what she is clinging to, because the travel journal he always carries with him is filled with the locations they have visited together. Even though their relationship is painful, as she watches her husband’s memory decay, to her he will always be the same person she fell in love with. Therefore, this storyline proves that people’s love for one another is lasting and that those who are supposed to be together will always find their way back to each other.

With the novel’s intriguing plotline, one lesson for the development of Exeter to its status as an important economic hub in the southwest. In the civil war the pipes were melted down for bullets as part of the city’s defensive strategy, and during the two world wars, the tunnels were important bomb shelters. If you want to find out more about the fascinating history of Exeter, head to the underground tunnels! it taught me is to appreciate how precious time is, especially the time you spend with your loved ones. The book made me emotional, particularly the second, third and fourth stories which focused on love and loss. The time-travelling element of the story made me reflective and wish that time travel was truly possible but, in reality, the past is the past. The fleeting nature of the time travel visits, having to drink the coffee before it goes cold added to the idea that there isn’t any time left to change the past as it has already happened. Most importantly, the novel taught me that no matter how hard you try, you cannot change the past and you can only reflect on how you can shape your present and future.