Today we snatched our lovely granddaughter from the all embracing arms of academia for a couple of hours. She has just turned 19 years, and we have enjoyed a birthday lunch together with her young man, also an Oxford student. She is very diligent, and nearing the end of her first year, but it gave her a small break from her studies, and us a very special treat to be with her. Over lunch we discussed all of the exciting things she has been doing, and how quickly this first year has gone by. She is off during the summer vacation to an archaeological dig on the island of Menorca, which should be very interesting, and also lots of fun. Saturday is her college May ball, and she showed us the dress she will be wearing. Of course, being doting grandparents, we think that she will be the belle of the ball.
Lots of Marquees going up in the college grounds for the May Ball. There will be several bands in the different marquees, and the food will be international.
dress and shoes ready
She has been having ballroom lessons at her college from one of the top professional teachers in the UK. She seems, unsurprisingly, to have taken to it like a duck to water. She was a very talented little ballerina, but had to give it up to put all of her energies into studying for university. 
A few of the college gates and lodges
The Saxon Tower - the oldest building in Oxford
Street scenes
a pretty pathway leading to granddaughter's college room
looking into the grounds of St. John's college
Historic Bridge of Sighs
This, and the next five photos are all part of the Bodleian Library complex
I love this Palladian building, I am really taken with the concave window in the centre.
The Radcliffe Camera
Christ Church college beyond the Radcliffe
Nice to reed you had a wonderfull day with your granddougther. A great post Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend
marijke
Dear Marijke - for us it was a very special day. It was lovely to see her so happy and full of life. She has to work very hard, but she is getting lots of wonderful opportunities.
DeleteCongratulations Rosemary , on your grandaughters first year at the university of Oxford.
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos of the grounds and the buildings. Many famous scholars have passed through some of those doors and walked those lanes.
Your grandaughters passage to her house is so quaint and lovely.
What better place to study.!
She will indeed i am sure, be the belle of the ball. Her dress is lovely and she will dance the night away with her beau in those deliciously gorgeous shoes..
The gypsy caravan is amazing.. love it all.
thank you Rosemary.
Have a good envening
val
Dear Val - we were very pleased to see her so happy and enjoying life. I love the little walk to her room. She lives within a new block on the college campus, and the furniture is very contemporary, bright and clean. Next year she will probably be living in the old part of the college, which I understand is equally very pleasant. I wouldn't like to think of her living in a pokey, gloomy little place.
DeleteYes, I think she will look lovely in her dress and gold shoes. How she will walk in them makes my mind boggle.
The gyspy caravan was particularly pretty, very bright. My photo was not very good as we were driving along, and I just pointed the camera and hoped for the best.
Oxford is a town in fable and no doubt her granddaughter will be the Queen with this beautiful dress and shoes!
ReplyDeletein Menorca the water of the sea is a wonderful turquoise, in 200 years nothing has changed and also the life there seems a fable!
I loved this tour, thank you and happy weekend,
Elena
Dear Elena - thank you very much for visiting. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the little tour of Oxford. There is so much to see there that this is just a brief snapshot.
DeleteI am sure our granddaughter will really enjoy her trip in Menorca with its wonderful turquoise blue sea.
Gorgeous photos, Rosemary, despite the grey skies. Oxford looks so beautiful now that all its stone has been cleaned. When I was a student there in the mid 1960s, many of the colleges were still black instead of golden. I'm glad your grand-daughter is enjoying her course. The university has changed is lot since my days (not least with mixed colleges) but when you mention balls and pretty dresses it seems exactly the same. :-)
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that you enjoyed a little journey into your past. Even St. Hilda's, now admits men. I suppose it is not surprising because percentage wise there are now more women going to university than men - quite astonishing!
DeleteA great post, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, love to see those old buildings, they're so fascinating.
Sounds like you had a wonderful day with your granddaughter.
Thanks for the tour.
Wish you a wonderful weekend.
Mette
Dear Mette - at last the blue skies and sun have arrived back again today. We enjoyed being with our granddaughter, and also wandering around Oxford.
DeleteEnjoy your weekend too.
Hello, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteThe work including spring.
The vitality of the heart is made to arise.
I am glad of your visit, though each other is far distantly.
The prayer for all peace and healthy.
Have a good weekend. From Japan, ruma ❃
Hello - thank you for your visit. I love to see the blossom on your blog. Greetings from England to Japan.
DeleteLovely photos. I've just found your blog for the first time today. I hope your granddaughter has a lovely time at the ball. Love Katie x
ReplyDeleteDear Katie - how lovely to have your visit. I shall pop over and see you too. What a pity we did not have blue skies yesterday for our visit and the photos.
DeleteWe look forward to hearing news of the Ball.
Very beautiful. The architecture, greenery, doors and gates. Mixed with a Gypsy caravan. SO much variety in your corner of the world.
ReplyDeleteDear Karen - for some reason I have now found your comment in awaiting moderation. I do not understand Blogger at times. I clicked for it to be published and it sent it elsewhere. Glad I found it.
DeletePieces of Sunshine has left a new comment on your post "Oxford":
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful. The architecture, greenery, doors and gates. Mixed with a Gypsy caravan. SO much variety in your corner of the world.
Pieces of Sunshine - I do apologise but blogger would not let your comment through to the post. I have copied and pasted it so your avatar is missing - sorry about that. This is the second time this has happened in the last few days. Blogger changing the format seems to be detrimental.
DeleteThank you for your visit, glad you enjoyed seeing Oxford's architecture and the Gypsy caravan.
Rosemary... hello... I have been to Oxford and live about an hour and half away from Cambridge. I love both cities and, really, any city which is alive with books, culture, history and young people. I love it!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are beautiful, and have very strong echoes of "Brideshead Rivisited."
How I wish I could go to the ball (don't laugh!)wear a beautiful dress and dance all night, dreaming of the future.
Your granddaughter is very lucky indeed! Everyone of has their whole life ahead of themselves, and hope, is lucky!
The Gypsy caravan is beautiful. The horse is a typical Gypsy horse, isn't it? We get them round here, as well, on occasions. There's a man who travels round in an old fashioned caravan, always followed by his beautiful dogs. I love seeing it!
CIAO!
ANNA
xx
Dear Anna - I love Cambridge too, both cities have a special atmosphere. I used to live quite near to Cambridge in Hertfordshire so would visit there for shopping.
DeleteIf you went to the ball, I know you would also look lovely, I can see that from your avatar.
Our granddaughter is on the brink of her adult life, and hopefully so many good things ahead.
I am presuming that you live in East Anglia, and I can well imagine that there are Gypsy caravans in that area too. It is a typical Gypsy horse, a bit rough and ready.
Thanks for visiting Anna- Ciao♥
Dear Rosemary, What a lovely post and such beautiful photos. Thank you for another glimpse into your life. Your grandaughter has so much to look forward to. Being young, wearing pretty dresses, and many more dances to go to and being amongst her peers studying at a legendary college in such a beautiful setting.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see a gypsy wagon I'm reminded of a wonderful sojourn Gene and I took in a Gypsy wagon. For 7 days we walked through Wales with our pal Basel, the Welsh Stallion. We ate, cooked and slept in the gypsy wagon. We were on our own with only a map for directions, but Basel knew the way. ox, Gina
Dear Gina - she is a fortunate young girl, and has so much to look forward to, but she has also worked very hard to get where she is. Ah, to be young again!
DeleteI would love to travel in a Gypsy wagon, it must have been great fun. It always looks such a carefree life when I see the wagons camped along the verges for the night with their fires blazing, but I know that they suffer from a lot of aggravations, and need money like the rest of us.
Thoroughly captivating photos! Chances are, I will never see Oxford in person, but now I have a sense of its exquisite beauty through your post. What a sense of history! The gypsy cart reminds me of Toad's escapades from Wind in the Willows. Thank you for such lovely posts!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your very kind comments. I am so pleased that you enjoyed seeing Oxford, and the gypsy cart. You are right, it does have a Wind in the Willows feel to it. You may visit Oxford at some time in future, never say never as the saying goes.
DeleteBeautiful ... the story, the pictures, the hope for so many good things in your granddaughter future ... Have a lovely weekend, Rosemary !
ReplyDeleteDear Dani - thank you very much for your kind comments. Pleased that you enjoyed the visit. Enjoy your weekend too.♥
DeleteBeautiful photo's of Oxford Rosemary. We will be visiting in August. Looking forward to it very much.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a delightful day with your granddaughter. I hope she will have a lovely time at the May ball. She will look a picture in that dress and shoes!
Oh....to be 19 once more :-)
Happy weekend!
Madelief x
Dear Madelief - I do hope that you enjoy your trip to Oxford in August. I am sure that she is enjoying the ball. As you say Oh! to be 19 again.
DeleteThanks for your visit♥
How fortunate for the Oxford students to be able to study in such old fascinating architectures. Exploring leisurely the city and seeing with your loved granddaughter, you can’t be happier. Your photos took my breath away.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Dear Yoko - you are right. Those were exactly the same thoughts that we had whilst there. I am pleased that you enjoyed seeing the photos.
DeleteTerrific photos of some great architecture! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteDear Marie - what a lovely comment - thank you. I agree the architecture is very beautiful.
Delete