Oxford

Wednesday April 22nd

• starting miles           49797
• temperature              9
• weather                     sunny
• time                           10.15

We awoke in Oxford to a fine sunny morning. Brian chatted to a fellow Hymer owner who offered tips on everything Hymer. I feel that we have joined a club.


 We took the bus into the centre of Oxford from the Redbridge Park and ride which was just across the road from the Oxford Camping and Caravanning Club Site. Pauline remarked that the standard of facilities hadn’t changed since our camping days 30 years ago.

On arrival in the centre we joined a walking tour which had just begun.There were eight of us led by a young lady of Indian extraction. It was intriguing in that unlike many of the other tours it was "free." You were encouraged to pay what you thought it was worth at the end.

It was an interesting tour of the colleges and libraries of this institution which has been educating leading world figures for over 800 years.




In Balliol college alone we found pictures of Oscar Wilde, Steven Hawking, JR Tolkien, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Ted Heath and Roy Jenkins. We were allowed into the dining room used by the current students. We couldn’t help thinking that it was left over from the set of a Harry Potter film.

Pauline filled several camera cards with pictures of the magnificent architecture and the hidden gardens many of which were only for the dons. But since it was a beautiful spring morning we saw many students sat cross legged on the grass engaged in deep and meaningful conversations (or posing for the tourists.)

We enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Head of the Water Pub where Morse downed many a pint whilst looking out at the punts on the Thames all so civilized and pleasant.

We are starting to learn about filling the water tank and emptying the waste and generally rubbing along together in a relatively small space.

After Pauline had filled another camera card it was x300 back to the campsite via a handy but pricey Tesco Express. £4.50 return for two isn’t dear but we did resent not being able to use our bus passes.