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Oxford.
We had a slow entry due to the congo-line of traffic entering Oxford, what's the reason? Don't know. It was bitterly cold, we found the YHA and booked in, a 10 minute walk to the centre. Parking is an issue in Oxford generally, but at this time of the year and being early in the week we stayed in the 2 hour zones.
Managed to find the Randolph Hotel (The Morse Bar) and had a scrumptious English 'Christmas' Cuisine, very traditional. The food was Michelin standard, the chief created works of art and tastes of delight . Next time we will stay here. The Randolf is connected to St Elmer's Court of Lymington. In both places the food, the service and the appreciation of customer service is adhered to in true English custom. We missed Kevin Wheatley by just a few days, just had to make do with following the Morse and Lewis trail of famous sites. I will pull out the DVD's and reminisce about where we were. Mind you I can easily forget the -5C temperatures even when the sun is out. It is much colder this trip to the UK. Last night it was icy, the streets were empty and I was surprised by the lack of Christmas lights this year. I am thinking that the World Economic Downturn (WED) has had an impact. I will know when we go to Cambridge because thre were lots of lights last time. Keith of course wants to go to Duxford and I would like to go to St Johns College for Evening Song.
Some facts: Randolph Hotel was built in 1864, (architect William Wilkinson.), in Gothic design and received it's name because it was close to the Randolf Gallery (part of the new Ashmolean) Museum, and not because Churchill being born at Blenheim Palace close by.
The Randolph Hotel as long been associated with the TV screening of the Morse programmes, and it has been in this very bar that the Chief inspector had so frequently sat down to drink - at Sergeant Lewis' expense, of course - and so to think his way through the complex cases that confronted the Thames Valley Police. We were there.
Ashmoleon Museum, is the oldest museum in England, we could have spent several more hours here they had so much. For example where so museums would have several Roman amulets they had hundreds all wariety and sizes, hundreds of staues, most in emaculate condition - that is - they still had heads and hands.
The Bodleian Library the largest in England with 6 million books to view/borrow! A huge library.
Many of the colleges were closed for the winter and interviews for new students were being undertaken so many of the Colleges were closed the only one we were able to look through was Balliol College. One of the smaller Collages, however larger than Trinity College Cambrige which is the largest in Cambridge.
I personally still rather be in Cambridge than Oxford, Oxford just does not have the intermacy that Cambridge has. Oxford is a city for the young; for the students and the shoppers.
We can understand why Cromwell hated the Catholics so much since it was in Oxford that the Arch Bishop Cranmer and two bishops Latimer and Ridley were imprisoned (chained ti the wall) and later burnt at the stake, and 300 protestants were murdered. Cromwell had to have his revenge I suppose, because he gave the Catholicts a kick'in.
We saw lots and froze lots. Still can't find a decent place for coffee.
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