A Day in Oxford for the North Hampshire National Trust Centre
The North Hampshire Centre National Trust members boarded the coach carrying bags of warm and waterproof clothing in readiness for their outing to the gleaming spires of Oxford. Early morning mist swirled outside the coach windows but, by the time we crossed the M4,the sun was shining and surplus clothing and umbrellas were being consigned to overhead lockers.
Our starting point in Oxford was theAshmoleancafé and here we met our three Walking Tour Blue Badge guides.Theyled us to George Street andthe one time City of Oxford High School for Boys.This was the school attended by our Chairman, Paddy Mendham, and is now part of the University History Faculty. Our first view was of theSchool cupola and broad stone steps leading up to the front door. We walked along the corridors and the one-time form rooms. The former chemistry laboratory, bringing memories of long gone chemical smells and equipment, is now a pink decorated common room. The Hall that once held 350 boys is now a library with one small bay holding cups, caps and pictures of school days. There were not many mementos of past pupils TE Lawrence, Ronnie Barker or our Chairman here, but we could imagine them nonetheless.
Walking towards Cornmarket we paused for a moment at the Martyrs’memorial, near the site where Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were burnt alive. Continuing on to Brasenose Lane we saw where a yet to be viewed episode of Endeavour had been shot a week earlier. The spot where the ‘body’ had lain was pointed out to us. The Radcliffe Camera, with its iconic round-headed roof and imagined (by us) thousands of books, bemused us but did not quite hide the beautiful Bridge of Sighs ofHertford College, spanning the road before us. Walking back to the Turl the Guides ran through some of the history of surrounding colleges, starting with Lincoln and Exeter. Then we headed into Jesus College, our main destination for the day, the sun blazing down as we crossed the immaculate lawns of the First Quad. We felt immensely privileged as we sat in the centuries’ old dining hall eating our excellent lunch,sitting on benches at tables where many of the great had shared a meal too. The Chapel and the Senior Fellows library were opened for us, although the priceless tomes were not for touching. Then we walked into the newly restored TE Lawrence(of Arabia fame) room – yes, he studied here too. His detailed drawings and writing hanging on the wall will live long in the memory.
We then enjoyed free time browsing in the scores of small shops in the world famous Covered Market followed by a stroll to Carfax at the city centre – where the bell obligingly rang the quarter hour. We returned to the Ashmolean Café for tea and biscuits and then boarded our coach, parked outside the nearby 5* Randolph Hotel.
This was another special visit to store alongside many others in our memories.