The dreaming spires of Oxford

Jared John and I set off at 8.30am for a day's outing. We met London Walks guide Richard at Paddington and along with 20 others set off for Oxford via Reading on the train. The coach which met us took us down the Woodstock Road to the Cotswolds. Did you know that Oxford is so named because the fords on the rivers (Isis and Cherwell) needed oxen to help the wagons across, hence the name. You can take the English teacher out of the classroom.... Anyway our first stop was in the beautiful village (pub, no shops) of Minster Lovell. This was a real time-freeze because,if you took away the cars, it was easy to imagine the row of the manor workers' stone cottages (oolytic limestone) as they might have been. This one pictured - humble little 3bed cottage went for £700 000 recently! The village of Burford was the next stop where we managed to find a bite to eat n the local pub The Cotswold Arms - and lambie was so excited he tried to pull a pint - I got him to sit down again and behave himself! We also went to the local church - where there was an effigy (plural - man and wife) complete with skeleton visible underneath. Both villages were really beautiful - and it is amazing that people do manage to live there with all the adjustments needed around living in such ancient piles - wobbly floors and wrinkly ceilings and rising damp.

From there we went back to Oxford and on a walking tour of the university buildings from the 14th century to the present day - Sheldonian Theatre; School of Divinity; Ashmolean theatre - all just from the outside - very firm they are about keeping out those who don't need to be there. However when we reached New College we scored a real visit - through the little door in the big doors and into the yard; visiting the cloisters where they filmed the scene where Harry has to decide who to take to the ball; and the Hall where the tables were all set up for a grand dinner with silver. After a brief time in Oxford - another pub for John and Jared which just happened to be next to Blackwells Bookshop(heaven) we came back on the train to London - or town as they call it here. Lambie just loved the train - as you can see.

Back in town we went to meet Marlene and Monique at The Prince Regent (yes another pub) in Marylebone High Street. Upstairs in the Ladies Opium Lounge (think purple plush with dark red curtains, black walls and a touch of stripes and zebra skin) we spent several very happy hours with Aussie pinot noir, a vegetable platter, gossip and catching up of various kinds. Home on the tube about 9.00pm.