Oxford 8 January 2017

I was supposed to meet Dayne in London this weekend but, as has been the norm for the last couple of months, Southern Rail were on strike.  I can't imagine what life has been like for people from that part of the country who work in London. Both sides of the employer / employee divide seem equally determined not to concede.

So, I decided to head in the other direction - to Oxford. Starting early meant an almost empty (GWR) train.  It wasn't the case later in the day, but I'll tell you about that later.

At the risk of being repetitive, it was a grey and cold day, but surprisingly it is a good time of year to see the colleges and museums without the summer crowds. I didn't get to the Botanic Gardens or to any of the parks, but there was more than enough to see on a day trip. The outdoors can wait for a summertime visit.

In case you don't know where you are when getting off the train, the statue offers a clue.

First up was the Ashmolean Museum - the art and archaeology museum of the University of Oxford and after an early start, tea and cake were necessary.

Fortified, let's go.

The Ashmolean was started in 1678 making it the earliest public museum in Britain.  After major renovations in 2009 and 2011, behind the massive  front doors of the neoclassical building now lies a wonderful light-filled atrium and six floors of exhibition space.  The new extension is surrounded by buildings on three sides, so the architect Rick Mather designed the building with few external windows but with a glass roof over the central space of the 80 foot atrium opening up and bathing the whole concourse in natural light.

There are double height galleries leading off the central space alternating with subsidiary galleries with lower ceilings. Connecting the different parts of the building are elegant glass and steel bridges. I don't know much about architecture but  if a complete ignoramus like me notices and feels the flow and beauty of the building, it is certainly something special.

I know my limitations and trying to see everything on six floors in a couple of hours is one of them, so today I decided on Art and headed off to the 2nd level.

Something of interest for everyone ...

These comfortable, strokable, polished wooden benches are in most of the galleries.

This was a nice surprise for me - the special exhibition was Liu Dan, an artist whose exhibition I had seen and loved at the British Museum back in 2012.

No photographs allowed today but I thought I'd show you a couple from 2012. He is one of China's most famous living artists, but there's not a lot of information out there about him. I think his work is phenomenal.

But the day was moving along and there was still the whole of Oxford to see. 

Ann had been there in July and suggested, amongst other things, a walking tour. So I joined up with a group from the Oxford Official Walking Tours. The guide was Kate and the group was small - just 6 of us, an American, 2 Brazilians, two Polish ladies and the representative South African, moi.  Kate was very friendly and knowledgeable, full of anecdotes and interesting facts. It's a good way of getting the most out of a limited time visit.  Next time I'll do my own thing but will have a much better idea of what I want to see and do because of this overview.

This X marks the spot where the Oxford martyrs were burnt at the stake in 1555 for heresy - on the instruction of the Catholic Queen Mary. They were Anglican bishops - Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. Gruesome!

The Saxon tower of St Michael at the North Gate of the old city - said to be the oldest building in the city built around 1020.

Looking down towards Christ Church College.

As always, look up, there are delights up there ...

Now heading away from 'Town' and into the 'Gown' part of the city.

The amazing New Bodleian Library or it's new name, The Weston Library is the repository of more than 12 million items. It is one of the 6 legal deposit libraries for all works published in the United Kingdom.  The Old Bodleian Library, we'll get there in a little while, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and the main research library for Oxford University.

Since moving to the UK and for the first time in many, many years I have rejoined the local library and rediscovered the pleasure of these places.  All around the country libraries are closing down - to our absolute shame. How can we let this happen? Local authorities carry the cost but are not allowed to charge.  I would be only too pleased to pay to borrow as many books as I do.

 

We peeked inside a few of the colleges and went into Wadham College - founded in 1610. 

Into the lovely chapel

and the wintery but still green garden.

Now, into the Old Bodleian Library.

This is the 15th Century Divinity Teaching Room specifically built for lectures, oral exams and theological discussions. Isn't it beautiful?  It can be hired for special events. 

The Earl of Pembroke

 The Radcliffe Camera - a library originally dedicated to Science.

The Bridge of Sighs, which is actually more like the Rialto in Venice.

Then, to more current history, the passageway which leads to the pub that Morse frequented.

And with that, the Walking Tour was over.  It had been a long day but I had to get to see Christ Church.  It was a bit ambitous at the end of a long day so all that I managed was a quick walk around - next time.

A confused fruit tree.

Expecting to be able to hop on the train and be home within 40 minutes, I was not so lucky. There had been a fatality on the line close to London which delayed every train coming in to London from the West, so 2 hours later and jam packed, we finally got moving.  It's actually quite surprising how often this kind of incident happens here. 

This has been a long posting, thanks for sticking with me.