I’ve been down many memory lanes today, starting with a trip to Oxford – my home for seven years and my spiritual home for many more. I've posted 'quirky Oxford' before, this time it's historical Oxford! I love the beauty and the opulence of the University buildings, built in Cotswold stone, a glorious honey coloured stone.
This is part of the Bodleian Library, built between 1737-1749 – the Radcliffe Camera. It’s not, as you might imagine, a camera obscura, simply (she says – ho hum) the reading rooms of the library. To me it encapsulated all that is this lovely city. The pushbikes leaning up against the railings are absolutely ‘Oxford’ too – it’s one of the cities in the UK where cycling is commonplace and ‘the’ way to get around if you’re a student here. Mind you, only the brightest (or, in some cases, the richest) young things get to study at one of our two most famous universities.
We’re holding an event in Oxford later this year, an afternoon conference followed by a debate in the Oxford Union, surely the most famous of debating chambers, and dinner at Exeter College. This is truly a magnificent occasion and we’ve been there today sorting out details. It’s a tough job sometimes.
Mind you, I did think it was tough when I left ‘home’ at 7am, following a very late night last night. I had only five hours sleep – not enough beauty sleep for a girl like me.
Then my next memory lane was a trip to Epsom (once home), via Reading (once home) and Sandhurst (once home). I must confess that when I’m far away from home I do feel as though I’m having my nose rubbed in it by being in all of these ex-homes, especially in a single day!
My working day exceeded twelve hours and that included missing an important meeting (by phone with the USA) because I was stuck on a train with no way of conducting a serious conversation by phone.
That 'fallen angel' also appeared today last year!