Sunday, July 14

After a much needed good night’s rest, we began our relaxing Sunday in the classroom with a viewing of the local and national newspaper via the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, and The Observer. As questions about England’s relations with the European Union, the date of the upcoming royal birth, and potential victors of upcoming cricket matches lingered on in our minds we traveled few steps to the Brasenose Chapel. Upon entering the chapel with our tour guide (and head porter here at Brasenose) we first noticed the high ceilings, beautiful artwork and aged graffiti that lined the innards of pews that have seen not only war heroes, Anglican clergyman, dukes, and bishops, but also famed authors such as C.S. Lewis. Worth noting is C.S. Lewis’s custom of sneaking out of the Chapel upon boredom by means of a small side door that leads just outside the chapel to a lamp post. This lamp post may be recognizable to some C.S. Lewis fans because it is the same lamp post that may have been his inspiration for Lucy’s first sight upon entering Narnia in Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If that wasn’t exciting enough, the group took an action packed stroll in the Christchurch Meadow.  With so many people flocking to the park for the good weather, we had a tough time finding room to throw the Frisbee, so instead we walked along the river observing passersby.  Mr. Kendall, being a reasonable man, decided to treat us all to ice cream at the end of the afternoon.  Overall it was a good day to relax and get ready for the packed week ahead.

Submitted by Christian Asher and Peter Lonergan

 The "team" venturing into Christ Church Meadow.

 College boathouses along the Thames.

Enjoying the River Walk.

Managing the current heat wave in Southeast England.

Saturday, July 13

We all woke up fairly early to get packed for our trip to London. There was no time to pussyfoot around if our train to London was to depart at 9 in the morning. The train was a breeze because we had already ridden the train last week. After the hour long train ride, we found ourselves in Paddington Station right in the heart of London. Our first place to see was the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Today was supposed to be the hottest day of the year, and it sure felt like it. The square in front of Buckingham Palace was packed with people, which made it seem hotter and more humid. Once the guard changed, we made our way down the Mall to cross St. James’s Park and return to the Underground. We rode the subway to the Monument that was dedicated to the Great Fire of London in 1666. This fire burned for 3 days straight, incinerating 436 acres of the city. By that time, we were all starting to get a little hungry, so we took the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich to have lunch at the café. The café was close to the Observatory, so we decided to check that out. We got to see the 28 foot telescope in the rotunda atop of the Observatory. The Prime Meridian was also up on the hill, and if you wanted to wait 20 minutes in the long winding line, you could set one foot in the Western Hemisphere and the other in the Easter Hemisphere. Needless to say, there were many interesting things to see near at the Observatory, most significantly the clocks made by John Harrison in an effort to win the longitude prize—a story which some History classes read about in the book Longitude. After a much needed break, we headed to the Thames River to catch a boat back to the heart of London where the Haymarket Theatre was. The boat we took up the Thames was called the Mercedes, and even though it was slow, it gave us time to see all of the cool landmarks scattered about the river bank, including Canary Wharf, Tower Bridge, and the London Eye. Eventually we came to dry land and split up at grab some grub at Covent Garden before we set out for The Haymarket Theatre to see the play, “One Man, Two Guvnors.” The theatre was hot inside, but not many complained because we were too busy laughing. I can honestly say it may have been the funniest play I’ve ever seen, it was downright hilarious from start to finish. When the play ended, it was already past 10 o’clock, so when our train arrived back in Oxford we were all quite tired. It had been a long day, and we couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow had in store.

Submitted by Eddie Williams

Utilizing London's mass transit.

Viewing the "Changing of the Guard" at Buckingham Palace,

Tower of Victory in front of Buckingham Palace.

 Monument dedicated to 1666 Great Fire of London.

Class outside of the National Maritime Museum.

Looking back at London from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.

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Christian viewing through early telescope in Royal Observatory.

Sterling standing over the Prime Meridian,

 thus having a foot in both the 

Eastern and Western Hemisphere.

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Friday, July 12

After an exhausting trip the previous day, this Friday began in the classroom.   We discussed our previous day's trip, and gathered our thoughts for an essay we were to write later that morning.  However, our thinking was interrupted by an impromptu tour of the Brasenose Chapel, given to us by the college's Head Porter, Andy.  The Head Porter is actually in charge of the Brasenose security team who are stationed in the “Lodge” at the main gate door, similar to the gate house at Woodberry Forest.  The chapel, a mix of Gothic and Baroque styles, featured a hanging fan vault ceiling of wood and plaster, and was constructed in 1666. The internal fittings are largely 18th and 19th century, and include chandeliers presented to the college in 1749.  Inside, we even saw the closet that led out into the to a lamp post in the quad - a strangely familiar scene for any C.S. Lewis fans.  Andy confirmed our suspicions by verifying that this is considered the inspiration for the wardrobe that led to Narnia in C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.  After a quick break and a trip for a snack at the covered market, we returned to the classroom to write our essays on Darwin.  More specifically, what people/places influenced Darwin in his forming the theory of evolution, and what impact his book, On the Origin of Species, had on science and society.  It was a fun paper to write on a topic that we all certainly knew plenty about, especially given this past week’s trips and discussions!  It did, however, serve as a conclusion to our unit on Darwin and evolution, and we now have an interesting unit about code-breaking during World War II to look forward to.  After a quick lunch, we were ready to break off into groups and continue our scavenger hunts through Oxford.  Today my group went to the Ashmolean Museum, a museum of art and archeology, as well as Balliol and Merton Colleges.  Among the highlights at the museum were the Alfred Jewel, Uccello's painting The Hunt in the Forest, and a collection of Stradivarius Violins.  Afterword, we located Balliol college, which was personal highlight of mine.  In addition to being one of the nicest colleges I have seen, it is where one of my literary idols, Aldous Huxley attended.  That consumed most of our afternoon and left tired and hungry, and we returned to another good dinner at the Brasenose dining hall. Most people have retired early for tonight in preparation for a long day of London sightseeing tomorrow.  Cheers.

                                                                                                             

Submitted by Kiefer McDowell

Another sunny morning in Oxford; view of the Radcliffe Camera from our dorm rooms on Stairwell 11.

Hot air balloon over All Souls College

Tour of Brasenose Chapel.

Viewing 18th century graffiti carved into woodwork.

 Inspiration for the wardrobe that led to Narnia in C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe?. 

Thursday, July 11

               On July 11^th we spent a considerable part of the day on the road.  We awoke at our usual time in the morning for a quick breakfast before meeting our driver, Paul, at nine in the morning to depart for Downe House.  Downe House is the family home of Charles Darwin, where he raised his children, conducted many of his scientific experiments and wrote The Origin of Species.  Located just a few miles south of London’s Charring Cross, the house took a long time to drive to, and so we were ready to explore when we finally arrived.

                Before entering the house, one of the guides lectured us on how to behave in the house – do not take photographs, watch your step, and avoid reaching over crossed off areas so as not to set off an alarm.  With these instructions in mind, we made our way throughout the rooms of the house, including Darwin’s study, the family’s living area, and rooms providing information on the Darwin’s experiments, voyage on the HMS Beagle and family tree.  After seeing everything the inside of the house had to offer, we made our way to a nearby field to enjoy a picnic, in which we ate our final “bagged” lunches from Brasenose’s kitchen.

                After lunch, we spent some time walking around Charles Darwin’s gardens.  I was shocked to hear that he walked the trail at least three times a day, because it took us a significant amount of time to walk it once.  We were fortunate enough to not only see a beautiful area, but also be surrounded by scientific history as we enjoyed our scenic walk.  Upon our revival back at the entrance, we boarded the van to set off for our next destination.

                After another drive, we made our way to Chartwell, the family home of Winston Churchill.  The estate was on a very high piece of land with a gorgeous view of the county of Kent, and the house itself was predictably impressive.  Rooms we visited included objects such as furniture and tools used by the Churchill family, as well as a gallery of uniforms and objects used by Winston Churchill throughout his career.  We also visited his painting studio, which had on display dozens of paintings the Prime Minister had created. We then took a walk on the trail around the property and several lakes, culminating in a few moments on his children’s swings.  At the end of our walk, we boarded the van and departed for our very long and traffic-filled drive on London's beltway (the M 25) back to Brasenose.

submitted by Tommy Legg

 A sunny morning at Downe House, the home of
Charles Darwin.

 Mr. Reid, ecstatic to be in Darwin's greenhouse!

Artichokes growing in Darwin's garden.

 Enjoying the backyard of Downe House.

 

On to Chartwell, home to Winston Churchill.

 

Sterling standing along side Gunnera tinctoria, in the Chartwell garden. This is a giant rhubarb-like plant native to Chile which evolved some 150 million years ago.