Went to Oxford, after talking to a man who was a sailor, and had lots of anecdotes about the sea - I said we’d been in the F.A.A. to which he replied “Oh, the airy-fairies!”. There’s no answer to that! Bill directed us in a tour of the colleges, from a book of Oxford, bought at the campsite. We used the park and ride system which was very good. We went to the:

  • Info Centre
  • Saw Town Hall
  • Christ Church, with the Wren Gateway
  • the Great Hall, built by the Cardinal Wolday, the ceiling is a hammer beam roof, and it is very beautiful. All laid out for dining in hall. Lots of portraits of Henry VIIIth, not one I’ve seen before, and it’s when he was younger, next to that was a portrait of Eliz.I. Lewis Carroll was Maths Don there.

Went to the cathedral, which is part of the college, took pictures of college gateway and flowers. Shop in cathedral and display of gold and silverware, part of old treasury. Next stop was Corpus Christi College and Postmaster’s Hall, past Examinators Schools. Stopped at lunchtime, found a vegetarian place - quite nice. Outside Balliol College, in the middle of the road is a cross set into the road, where Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer 1555-6 were burned at the stake - I waited to stand there, so I did! It’s a pity traffic is allowed on it. There is a memorial to the martyrs a little further on, to the right, up another road.
We visited an exhibition of children’s books in the Bodleian Library and climbed the cupola of the Sheldonian theatre, where I took pictures. I’ve use 26 of them up to now!
Saw Blackwell’s bookshop - very famous, with a vast underground emporium, which is underneath one of the quads of Trinity College. We also climbed St.Mary’s tower, saw other things including Ashmolean Museum (shut by then!) and the Bridge of Sighs - more pictures! Got back footsore & weary, but a good day.

Sheldonian theatre - ticket 47696 Sheldonian theatre - ticket 47697
Sheldonian theatre - tickets 47696 & 47697