I arrived at Oxford at 9.00am (having got up at 5.00 and at the bus stop by 6.15) and was met by Syliva, an economics lecturer. I stepped off the bus and found myself in the middle of a group of third year students all dressed up in their formal matriculation garb. Sylvia explained that it was exam week and that these were third year students sitting their final exams. They all walked together to the exam hall and wore a carnation button hole. A white carnation signified it was their first exam, pink meant they were in the middle and red was for the final exam. those leaving with a red carnation after their last exam were then covered in egg, flour and glitter by their friends!
My meetings went very well and later in the afternoon I had time for a quick look in a couple of shops and time to write postcards too at the wee leather top desk in the guest apartment. Andrew then met me and I was given a full tour of Brasenose including the 'new quad' built in the 1800's (!) I then dressed for dinner and was very fortunate to be seated at High table. The students wore casual clothes with their 'common gown' over top. The meal was beautiful, pork and pistachio terrine for entree, steak and summer salad for main and tiamisu for pudding. The wine was beautiful and very nice to try at least one of the 15,000 bottles in the College cellar.
AFter pudding, high table left the Dining Hall and moved into the Senior Common Room for desert. The table was laid out with candelabra, cheeses, fruit, turkish delight, wine, and port. Afterwards the youngest Fellow passed around the snuff. I've always wanted to try it and it was refreshing and had a menthol perfume. Its possibly the new latest and greatest thing given that England goes smoke free on the 1st July.
Anwyay after such a wonderful evening I retired to my guest accommodation and sat and wrote at my little leather topped desk and sipped tea from my wedgewood cup. And I sat and drank in the wonder of sharing my lounge with an incredible collection of books all carefully stored in little grey boxes. I opened one up, and it was a recent edition - 1829. An older publication was from 1647!!!
I don't think it was my imagination but as I gently turned the pages I'm sure I caught a faint smell of a cigar or pipe tobacco. Maybe it was snuff.
Cambridge
Trinity College above
The Cambridge May Bumps
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