Oxford Parkruns - By Kit Villiers

As I live close to Cutteslowe Park, one of two Parkrun venues in Oxford, I always leave it to the last minute before dashing over to the start line; in fact by last Saturday I'd done this last minute rush 99 times, and the organisers asked me if I was going to show up next week for my 100th run, to which I, rather wittily I thought, responded that I'd be too shy to have to step out in front of 200 or so other runners to get my fancy new 100th run t-shirt, and would come again on my 101st.

Anyway what I wanted to say is that on this particular Saturday  - and it has taken me the 3 years since Oxford Parkrun began to reach the dizzy heights of being almost a centenarian - while I was chatting to a couple of cronies just before the start, I suddenly caught sight of a familiar face. And yes, you've guessed it - it was Sam, late of OISE Oxford office fame, and who I think were her two flatmates. All had chosen this chilly November day to make their Parkrun debuts. I had been joking with Sam for ages (i.e. virtually the whole of the 3 years) about running Parkrun - after all she lives even nearer than I do - but 9am has to date proved a little too early for her and her household. It transpired though that this time an alarm had been set and the three athletes from Jackson Road were - at last-  assembled on the start line, ready for the 'off'.

For people who don't know, Parkrun is a relatively recent phenomenon. It began in a London Park a few years ago, and the format is so simple. Runs are always in a park, they're always 5k in length and always start at 9am. I believe this means local time, so runners in Melbourne will have long finished before we even think about starting in the old country. The other feature is that it's free: you just get a bar-code which gets clicked as you finish and so there's no nonsense about wearing numbers either. And it's very welcoming. We always give new runners a welcoming clap, and of course this time this included Sam and co., together with quite a few others. After the run Cutteslowe Park's kiosk is now open for a coffee (this is quite a new feature as the number of participants has gradually built up - I suppose 200 runners means quite a bit of potential business).

Although a few fast people show up, a really nice aspect is that nobody can be too slow for Parkrun. We have a lady who simply walks all the way, and we all give her a clap when she finishes. There is a tail-runner who always brings up the rear, and makes sure nobody gets lost.

Parkrun is apparently the 'in' thing at the moment - everybody is doing it. A second venue opened up in Oxford, at Harcourt Hill, only a few weeks ago, and there are runs at Abingdon-on-Thames and other nearby towns too. Each Parkrun depends on volunteers. These include timekeepers and marshals, as well as the tail-runner.

And how did Sam and co get on? I think the 3 of them were all safely back home in Jackson Road before I crossed the finish line.....

Evensong - By Kit Villiers

Just as in the previous 900 or so Octobers, Oxford University is back for another academic year. Full term (Michaelmas term that is - not Christmas term as everywhere else - Oxford always has to be different) commenced on 12th October, and one of the many activities which has begun again is college chapel. Perhaps surprisingly in this secular age all 38 major colleges are not only nominally still Christian establishments but maintain Anglican (Church of England) chapels, complete with resident chaplain (like a priest or rector in a local church), and, usually, a choir.

 

Finding out which colleges invite the public to Evensong (generally the main church service held in chapel, normally around 6pm) is a subtle ploy not only for those who like to listen to good music but are frustrated that the beautiful ancient colleges are so often closed to the public: at least they can't stop you going in to pray! Seriously though, most of the colleges do welcome visitors to Evensong, whatever your religion or lack of it.

 

Here are a few pointers.

 

The 2014/15 University of Oxford Pocket Diary (a must have for anyone living here I would say) now lists 5 colleges - as well as the University Church - in its 'Times of Services' section. Three of these have always been there, the colleges with the so-called 'professional' choirs. These three, Christ Church, Magdalen and New College differ chiefly from the others in that they still maintain a male only tradition. Boy trebles sing the high bits instead of sopranos, who are usually female undergraduates in the other college choirs. Even these three have developed quite differently over the centuries....

 

Christ Church's chapel doubles up as Oxford's Cathedral; this is a big advantage for OISE as it means our students can listen to Evensong there almost every night of the year, while Magdalen and New College have services only during the University's (extremely short) terms. Careful though! As nobody can sing 365 nights a year, Christ Church runs a 'B' team in the vacations - you might not get the proper choir at all.

 

Magdalen is notable in that all the male voices are so-called 'Academical Clerks', i.e. they are all undergraduates with music scholarships. It's also notable in that the school that provides the choirboys, Magdalen College School, is these days almost as famous as the college. It's a secondary school as well as primary, and, judging by A level results, one of the best in the country.

 

The oldest is New College, founded in 1379. The founder, William of Wykeham, also established New College School in the same year to provide the choristers, and services have been sung - in term time - ever since. Unlike Magdalen the male voices were all professionals, called Lay Clerks, until recent times; now though about half are Academical Clerks. New College probably rates highest in ability - or is it just the wonderful acoustics?  In any event a father of a current chorister told me the other day that the standard of music was so high that he feels he is at a concert rather than a church service. A sort of back-handed compliment, I suppose!

 

The other two colleges are Merton and The Queen's College. The latter has choral evensong at 6.15pm in term time on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while Merton's evening services are on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. I know Merton has been expanding its choir's scope and activities a lot in recent years, and of course they've got a lot going for them with that wonderful chapel which has now held services for almost 750 years. Merton is now the Evensong of choice for my brother when he comes visiting from Devon, even though he went to New College School as a boy.

 

Finally I wouldn't write off the other colleges just because they are not in the diary: Worcester College for example runs two choirs, one with all students and one 'borrowing' the boys from Christ Church Cathedral School, and the public is welcome to all of their services.

Out of Africa (cont.)

Many of you will no doubt recall my piece about my voyage from Liverpool to West Africa during my 'gap' year. I think I reached the point of arrival at our first African port, Bathurst in Gambia. Would you like to hear more about those malaria infested shores? Don't all answer at once.....

While you're pondering this, i.e. wondering how you can politely point out that you've heard quite enough of the Dark Continent, I thought I'd tell you about a small incident that occurred when we finally returned to Liverpool, some seven weeks after departure.

Well, as we sailed up the Mersey on that sunny day, we all lined up at the Purser's office to get paid off and I came away, as I recall, with some £22/10/3, after deductions for bar-bills, laundry, etc. I carefully stowed this untold wealth into my wallet, grabbed my sea-bag and, as soon as we'd docked, headed for the gangway, waving a fond farewell to my shipmates. I planned to walk to Lime Street and get the first train home to Oxford.

Almost immediately I reached the dockside, I fell in with this young(ish) man, who seemed to be heading my way. "Just signed off this ship, have you?" he said, eyeing my sun-tan and sea-bag. "Me too" he went on ungrammatically, "Third Engineer from SS Carterton here, just in from Recife" (or somewhere, I don't rightly recall now). I'm just heading for the station - my bag's already there". I glanced back and sure enough there was the "Carterton", berthed astern of my vessel. The bloke seemed genuine enough: it was a lovely day and I was euphoric at the prospect of getting home at last.

The upshot was that, naturally enough, we set off together; in fact, since my new friend had nothing, he even carried my bag for a bit. We were great pals by the time we reached Lime Street.  It seemed that the Oxford train was going from platform 1, and we headed there first.  Jim - I think that was his name - seemed a little vague about exactly where he was headed. "I just need to clear my bag from Left Luggage", he said. "Trouble is all my money's in it. Could you lend me ten bob? The bag's just over there" (pointing vaguely). "I'll be back in a jiffy".

Of course I handed over a ten shilling note from my hard earned wages. It was a long platform, and he was soon a dot in the distance. Leave happy and content to be alive and well on that sunny morning as I was, I still didn't realise I'd been 'had'; it was only when my friend reached the end of the platform, and glanced back, did it dawn on me that he was never coming back. I kicked myself. Ten shillings was a lot of money in those days, or so it seemed. All the way back to Oxford I wondered how I'd been so easily taken in, and what I'd tell my father. Jim probably wasn't from the 'Carterton' at all, and he would have guessed I would have money as I came ashore from a cargo vessel which had obviously come in from foreign parts.

An expensive lesson, but at least I wasn't mugged (not that that word existed in those days), and I had the bulk of my earnings still. Also I ran into a bit of luck in Oxford, almost immediately landing a job adding up A level marks in the Examination Schools, but that's another story....

"The Perfect Host Family"

The house was quite a long way out of town, and served by a very infrequent bus service. There was a bed, and a loo. Apart from that there was a wash basin, but very little else. Certainly nothing by way of a shower or a bath. Nothing was ever said about meals.

What student would put up with this? Well, I did, in Lyon ('Lions' we called it, in true British fashion). I had to offer a language to enter the Diplomatic Service, and French seemed the only possibility. I'd done it at school for around 8 years, and one - not surprisingly - wasn't allowed to offer dead languages like Latin and Greek in the exam. The idea apparently was that one was supposed to demonstrate 'potential'  - i.e. an ability to learn a foreign language. So, having decided that I'd meet too many other English speakers in Paris, I enrolled at the University of Lyon for an English course. Unluckily at school I had always been bottom of the class in French, being spectacularly feeble in the spoken language.

On arrival in Lyon I had managed (with some difficulty) to locate the accommodation officer at the university. Not being used to the French queuing system I stood back modestly and was amongst the last to be seen. Perhaps that was one reason I ended up in such a dump. Perhaps another reason was that the woman (the officer) gabbled away in her own tongue and I caught hardly a word. She gave me the address and mumbled something about Bus route 4, but luckily another British student was going in the same direction and dropped me off, otherwise I'd still be wandering around Lyon to this day.

The meals situation soon resolved itself in not perhaps the most satisfactory fashion. It seemed the family was going to provide nothing: not only that, I was told  - even I caught the word "Non" - that I couldn't eat in the house, and that a crumb left on the floor would result in the direst of penalties. Lunch and dinner were available in a sort of enormous student canteen. I particularly recall the French non-queuing system: I along with 1,000 others would arrive about an hour early and all try to push to the front. It was quite amiable; the French clearly regarded this non-queuing as part of the fun of being a student. I saw the same people - the hungriest ones presumably - day after day, and we got quite pally despite my severe linguistic limitations. When we finally rushed in we got served with a metal tray, nearly always with 'steak', which I presume was horsemeat.

Luckily for me I got one decent meal a week. I was asked to teach  English conversation to an 18 year old French boy 1 hour a week. Not having done my TEFL course at this point I'm sure I was a dreadful teacher. But the lessons were in his home, and the boy's mother produced an excellent dinner, although rather richer than I was used to, and certainly a lot richer than the student fare.

In England I was used to eating breakfast, and I wondered how to resolve this serious lack in France. Not having the money to find a restaurant every morning all I could manage was to purchase a baguette each morning at the local boulangerie and munch it during my interminable wait for a bus.

The family, who seemed very keen not to get to know their strange English guest in any way at all, permitted me one bath a week. I would like to have gone on the odd jog, but the lack of a shower made this out of the question. So I investigated sports as offered by the university. There were only 2. Fencing wasn't for me and that left rugby, but the bureaucracy defeated me: 6 photos, a doctor's certificate, buying boots, etc. - it was all too much, and anyway there were only about 2 games per term.

I remained amongst the great unwashed...to cap a dismal episode I also learnt no French and never got into the Diplomatic Corps!

Luckily for our students, OISE Oxford prides itself on the high quality of our host family accommodation. Quite unlike the hosts from my episode, our families are keen to engage with students and embrace the opportunity for cross cultural learning, and they provide breakfast and dinner!

Running In Oxford

I once read an article about how business people try to keep fit on a business trip. Hotel gyms are normally boring affairs. Usually you are the only person there, and there isn't much to raise the heart rate except for those mind-numbingly boring running machines. So the article went on to talk about going for a run in a strange city. There were a few do's and don'ts, like not taking your shirt off in case the locals were offended, but the main part consisted of suggested jogging routes for various cities. I remember Singapore was one - it told you that everybody goes to the MacRitchie Reservoirs and to avoid running on public streets (of course I ignored that when I was there).

Oxford was unsurprisingly not included in the article, but it is an especially good place to go running, almost wherever you are, or wherever your hotel or host family is located. It's not too big, and has plenty of green spaces. Some might say it's a little lacking in hills, but others will be glad to potter along on the level.....

Let's take some of the key areas:

CENTRAL OXFORD.
Although there's no park right in the city centre, there are two fantastic running places within very easy reach of even the unfittest jogger. But first I suppose we need to decide what's the difference between a runner and a jogger. Some years ago when they used to have the 'Sunday Times Fun Run' in Hyde Park in London, I heard it said that anyone who couldn't complete a marathon in under 3 hours 40 minutes could consider themselves a mere jogger. I'm definitely a 'mere' jogger then - especially nowadays! All the suggested routes in this article suit the jogger as well as more serious runners.

Back to the two fantastic places. First there is the University Parks. This lies between the Banbury Road and the River Cherwell; you can't do a lap (about 10 mins at my pace) without seeing stacks of other runners - mostly female, whether in term or out. Very scenic and safe, and you can run on the grass as well as the paths; in this respect the Parks differs from the other popular run, which is around Christ Church Meadow , and where you do stick to the paths. It's slightly shorter than the Parks, but you get tremendous views of both of Oxford's rivers: in fact the Cherwell (famous for punting) meets the Thames (famous for rowing and motor boats) in the Meadow. The Parks at the moment close at 9.30pm while the Meadow just says 'dusk' - about the same time, I suppose. Both of them give instructions to the runner who accidentally gets locked in - you needn't worry - you won't have to spend a night there clad only in your sweaty shorts.

NORTH OXFORD
For those of you lucky enough to live amongst the so-called 'North Oxford Toffs' there are two areas where you can go for quite decent runs. First there's Port Meadow: this has access points from lots of places such as Wolvercote or Jericho. It's a lovely run along the Thames north-west of Oxford. But be warned - it's quite far and there aren't many bridges, so don't try to be too ambitious! Then there is Cutteslowe Park, the largest public park in Oxford, located just outside the ring road, to the north of the city. You can get there easily from the Banbury Road roundabout. Cutteslowe Park also hosts Oxford's Parkrun, an international organisation which puts on 5k runs; these are free and start at 9am every Saturday morning: it's just a case of getting out of bed on time!

Survey reveals 7 social classes in UK

People in the UK now fit into seven social classes, a major survey conducted by the BBC suggests.  It says the traditional categories of working, middle and upper class are outdated, applying to just 39% of the population.

After analysing the results of 161,000 participants, a new model of seven social classes was found ranging from the elite at the top to a "precariat" - the poor, precarious proletariat - at the bottom.

Class has traditionally been defined by occupation, wealth and education. But this research argues that this is too simplistic, suggesting that class has three dimensions - economic, social and cultural.

The new classes are defined as:

Elite - the most privileged group in the UK, distinct from the other six classes through its wealth. This group has the highest levels of all three capitals

Established middle class - the second wealthiest, scoring highly on all three capitals. The largest and most gregarious group, scoring second highest for cultural capital

Technical middle class - a small, distinctive new class group which is prosperous but scores low for social and cultural capital. Distinguished by its social isolation and cultural apathy

New affluent workers - a young class group which is socially and culturally active, with middling levels of economic capital

Traditional working class - scores low on all forms of capital, but is not completely deprived. Its members have reasonably high house values, explained by this group having the oldest average age at 66

Emergent service workers - a new, young, urban group which is relatively poor but has high social and cultural capital

Precariat, or precarious proletariat - the poorest, most deprived class, scoring low for social and cultural capital

Professor of sociology at Manchester University, Fiona Devine, said the survey really gave a sense of class in 21st Century Britain.

"It shows us there is still a top and a bottom, at the top we still have an elite of very wealthy people and at the bottom the poor, with very little social and cultural engagement...The survey has really allowed us to drill down and get a much more complete picture of class in modern Britain."

Take the test here...what class are you?

Source: BBC

Scenic walks in Oxford

The weather is just glorious at the moment so it is a perfect time to get out and about.  Oxfordshire is blessed with some spectacularly picturesque scenery. One of the great things about Oxford is that within 15 minutes walk of the centre of town, you can find yourself trailing into the heart of England’s green and pleasant countryside. Check out one of these fabulous walking locations to make the most of a dry weekend:

Within 20 minutes of the centre of town:
Christchurch Meadows 
Port Meadow
Shotover

And a little further afield:
Blenheim Palace grounds
The Cotswolds

If you are in Oxford and have a free day, then click on the image below to see some great country walking routes:

And why not listen to this song while you are planning your route: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg7KsemZGIc

The Red Letter Box

Britain's iconic red letter boxes - 'the red heart of the British streetscape' (BBC News Magazine)

One of the UK's rarest postboxes celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. But what is the future for this red emblem of the British streetscape?  Will the red postbox sadly follow the same fate as the red phone box?  And now that the privatisation of the Royal Mail has taken place, are other colours set to replace the familiar red?

The first pillar boxes were erected at St Helier in Jersey in 1852, at the recommendation of novelist Anthony Trollope - who was an employee of the General Post Office at the time. The first boxes were erected in Britain a year later.

Designs varied but in 1859 an improved cylindrical design was adopted for standard use nationwide. A Liverpool postmaster decided to rebel, and after a waging a long battle with London, the Liverpool Special letter box - with its increased capacity and chunkily cast crown on top - was born.

Andrew Young, chairman of the Letter Box Study Group, views that in a deregulated system, there could be a decline in numbers of the traditional form of the red boxes.

"There is a question over who would become responsible for the heritage," says Young. "It would take a campaign to determine who had liability."

This would be a great shame as the Traditional letter box has many fans.  For many communities, they are a reassuring presence - a cheerful, red splash that has stood out on British streets for a more than a century and a half.

Jonathan Glancey, writer and author of Pillar Boxes, sees them as miniature works of architecture, as a "glorious piece of public design", both functional and aesthetic, that has stood the test of time.

"Postboxes - like the old telephone boxes - are symbolic of democratic order and high standards. Whether you lived in Toxteth or Mayfair, there was the same standards for public design."

Lets hope the red boxes will remain.  But what are your views?  What colour would you be happy to see replace the traditional and vibrant red?

The full article can be read here.

If you have enjoyed reading about the red letter box, why not stay on red theme and read our article about The Big Red British Telephone Box

Happy Pancake Day!

Happy Pancake Day to you!  Today is Shrove Tuesday, more commonly known as Pancake Day. The word 'Shrove' is from the verb 'to shrive', or 'to confess'.  Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, when Christians traditionally begin a period of fasting in the lead up to Easter Sunday.

According to the Guardian, Waitrose has forecasted a 500% rise in frying pan sales in the week leading up to today, while Sainsbury's expects to sell enough batter mix to make three million pancakes! Last year, the much-love topping Nutella sold nearly one million jars in the week preceding Pancake Day. It is all quite ironic, given that Shrove Tuesday is meant to be about using up rich foods before the start of Lent, not buying new ones.

Pancake Day originated as a way to use up the fat, butter and eggs which were not allowed during Lent. Nowadays, people commonly take the opportunity to give up unhealthy foods such as chocolate, cake or biscuits. My colleague on the other hand will be taking a different tack, giving up clothes-buying instead.

The pancake is centuries old.  Food historian, Ken Albala, says the word pancake appeared in the middle ages.  He says the very first pancake-like recipe is also from the middle ages, and was for the French crepe. Crepes were fare for poorer folk and "they began as deep-fried fritters and only later became thin pancakes".

Albala defines a pancake "as a flat cake of any starchy batter, normally cooked in a small amount of fat, on a flat surface, with anything from a hint of leavening to positive fluffiness, with a soft interior structure. But it must be poured as a batter, not made from a rolled dough like a flat bread, which can look similar and can also be eaten in similar ways".

Why not try one of these pancake recipes, recommended by BBC Good Food?

Lets hope your pancakes are not a flop!

Where do the British ginger roots come from?

What do Prince Harry, Nicole Kidman, Rupert Grint and Geri Halliwell all have in common? No, they don’t all have royal roots…they have ginger ones! Many international students are fascinated by the abundance of red hair when they come Britain and it is true that, especially amongst the Scots, gingerness is at its most prevalent here. Whilst only about 1 – 2 % of the world’s population has red hair, a whopping 13% of Scots are ginger, closely followed by Ireland with 10%. Traditionally there has been a bizarre prejudice against redheads in Britain but more recently it has become a more desirable feature with many people choosing to dye their hair red. But why are there so many more ginger people in Scotland? A recent study by researchers at the ScotlandsDNA project shows that a much higher proportion of people in Scotland carry the ‘ginger gene’ and Mr Moffat, their Managing Director, believes the origins of the gene may be an adaptation to Scotland's poor weather.

Mr Moffat explains: "I think it's to do with sunshine - we all need vitamin D from sunshine - but Scotland is cloudy, we have an Atlantic climate and we need light skin to get as much vitamin D from the Sun as possible."

Click on the image below to read more!

Be positive!

Today's positive blog comes from a guest blogger who is ever so calm and positive. Maybe it is because she follows the following steps...

Do you sometimes feel like you've had enough? That you are the only one with bad luck? We all have a worse day at work or at home once in a while and we all feel down from time to time.

However, whatever happens to us, we have to be able to deal with the negative experiences – even if sometimes we think it is the end of the world! We need to know how to be positive and optimistic – easy said that done? Wrong! If you want to change your life for better all you need is the desire to change – and a lot of patience which will eventually help you be more positive.

First of all, you have to constantly remind yourself of your desire to change. It is very useful to have post-it notes all over your house with positives notes like “I'm happy” or “I can handle anything” or simply “I'm smart, I'm great, I'm beautiful.” Set reminders in your mobile for different times of the day and week that say “It is going to be a great day!” or “Keep smiling!” Listening to calm and relaxing music will also help you find inner peace.

Secondly, think about your friends and family. Research shows, that depression also comes from the lack of communication with other people. The more time you spend on your own the more depressed you feel. Tell your friends and family about your plan to change your life and tell them how you want to reach that goal. Look for new friends who, just like you, try to be more positive.

And don't forget about the small things – smile on your way to school or work, do some exercise, always eat breakfast and sleep well. The hormone that makes us happy is being produced while we are being active the most.

Try those few simple steps and soon you will notice the difference in your attitude. The more positive you are, the more positive things will happen to you!

What are the world's most spoken languages, and which are the hardest to learn?

'The world's most widely spoken languages by number of native speakers and as a second language, according to figures from UNESCO (The United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), are: Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French.

The ease or difficulty of learning another language can depend on your mother tongue. In general, the closer the second language is to the learner's native tongue and culture in terms of vocabulary, sounds or sentence structure, the easier acquisition will be.

So, a Polish speaker will find it easier to learn another Slavic language like Czech than an Asian language such as Japanese, while linguistic similarities mean that a Japanese speaker would find it easier to learn Mandarin Chinese than Polish.

Dutch is said to be the easiest language for native English speakers to pick up, while research shows that for those native English speakers who already know another language, the five most difficult languages to get your head around are Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Korean.'[1]

Do you speak English as a second language? If so, what do you think is the most difficult part of learning English? Please leave your comments below.

Oxford’s Dreamy Pub Scene

Oxford is famed for being a “city of dreaming spires" but it is also home to many dreamy public houses (pubs), which are a popular drinking establishment choice for residents, students and tourists of Oxford.

One of our favourite pubs is The Royal Oak, which is situated along the Woodstock road. It is a short walk from the city centre and offers a wide range of world beers, wines and spirits – including English potato vodka (obviously something not to be missed!) It is a cosy 18th century pub with many small rooms and corners to relax and drink in. I would thoroughly recommend the traditional Sunday lunch, which is very comforting on cold, winter day. 

Another firm favourite is The Trout, a 17th century pub in Wolvercote, North Oxford. This pub is a great summer option with its large terrace which opens onto the river Thames, it is a perfect place to sit and slowly sip on cold drinks on a summer’s day. I would recommend a gin and tonic (double). The Trout is also a form favourite in Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse novels and in the television adaption. You may spot a star here while enjoying a pint!

Another absolute cracker of a pub is the Perch Inn. Ensconced in the heart of beautiful Port Meadow, this 17th Century pub has been a place of much pleasure for all the Oxford community. In the winter months, the blazing wood fire oozes a warm tingly feeling throughout, and in summer its delightful beer garden overlooks the weeping willow trees and meandering waters of the river Thames. The garden also boasts a giant Alice in Wonderland-style chess set and a children's recreation ground to keep the little ones entertained.

Finally, it would be rude to talk about pubs in Oxford without making reference to one of the city centre's finest (and oldest - 13th Century would you believe!). Yes, you've guessed it, it's the Turf Tavern. Anyone who has been (including Bill Clinton, a regular visitor in his University days) will tell you  that this hidden gem has a very special feeling about it.  The mouth watering selection of real ales and the top quality traditional pub food it serves is a killer combo.

I think you will agree that a pub crawl in Oxford is more than just a beer or two in any old boozer. We, at OISE Oxford, see it as a cultural experience which is why it makes a regular appearance on our leisure programme. Even if beer and ale is not your 'cup of tea', grab a pie and a glass of OJ and soak up the traditional vibe of Oxford's Dreamy Pub Scene.

Top Tips from OISE Oxford's legendary tutor, Stephen Smith

We asked OISE Oxford’s longest serving tutor, Stephen Smith, for his top 10 tips for learners of English and these were his recommendations:

- Choose to stay with a host family. It may be a little less comfortable than a hotel, but it will give you a chance to practise your spoken English.

- If you have a television in your room, watch the news every day. (Newsreaders speak particularly clearly.) Alternatively, watch with your host family, or on your computer. (International news is, of course, easier to understand than the details of British politics).

- Don’t panic if you do not understand much at first, and don’t try to understand every word. English-speakers stress the key words in a sentence and tend to swallow the others. (Ask your teacher about weak forms and elision.) Listen for words you recognise, and gradually you will understand more and more.

- If you have one-to-one lessons, show your teacher(s) the type of emails, reports, etc. that you have to write, and explain what type of presentations, phone calls, etc. you need to make, so that you can practise these specific skills.

- Keep a notebook to note down new vocabulary and expressions. Note the pronunciation of new words. (It is easy to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet – fortunately, as English spelling is so unpredictable.) For single words, it may be enough to write down a literal translation, but for anything more complex than “engine” or “invoice” it is a good idea to write a sentence or sentences illustrating its use(s).

- Learn collocations – words which go naturally together – and common functional expressions – for requesting, thanking, asking for clarification, agreeing, disagreeing, etc. (including those you may need in your professional life). These are far more important than what some people call “idiom” – i.e. rarely used expressions such as “It’s raining cats and dogs” or proverbs such as “look before your leap.”

- A very common type of idiom in English is the phrasal verb (get on with, look forward to, make up, etc.) As these can be confusing, the student should aim at a passive knowledge of these (after the meaning will be clear in context), plus an active use of the most common ones.

- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The important thing is to communicate. Most students find that they gain confidence in speaking after a few days, and are able in this way to activate their passive knowledge of the language.

- If you are held back by points of uncertainty about grammar, for example, ask your teacher(s) to explain them. Frequently, things which have been a mystery for decades can become clear in twenty minutes. Of course, there is a difference between understanding the correct form and always using it, but practice makes perfect.

- Naturally, constant revision is important, both during the course (with the help of homework exercises) and when students return home. Re-read notes, and take every opportunity to speak, read and listen to English. “Use it or lose it”, as they say. Even twenty minutes a day is vastly better.



Stephen Smith
OISE Oxford

Grab Some Grub in Oxford

Oxford is a lively city with many pubs, bars and restaurants to keep all the locals, students and tourists entertained. Sometimes when you're visiting a city for a short period of time, it's hard to know where to go. Of course, there are online reviews and guide books to point you in the right direction, but wouldn't it be nice to hear what the locals have to say? With this in mind, the OISE Oxford team have chosen three restaurants that they would recommend to all of Oxford’s beloved visitors.

Quod Brasserie

The Quod is conveniently located a very short stroll from OISE Oxford, along the High Street.  It is a popular meeting spot for lunch, afternoon tea, evening dinner and drinks.  It has a friendly, relaxed feel with attentive, smiley staff and the service is quick.  Thee menu choices are varied, though rather limited for vegetarians.  The scones for afternoon tea are just delicious and are a great British treat!  There is a terrace area to the back of the restaurant which is perfect for summer lunches, however as it is heated it can be a year round option for hardy diners!  


Pizzeria Verde

Trattoria Verde is a family-owned Italian restaurant on the Cowley Road situated in East Oxford. They serve excellent food and the staff are very friendly and helpful. I would recommend the Pasta Frutti di Mare (pasta with shell fish), not to mention the delicious selection of thin based pizzas on offer! There are also many other restaurants with cuisine from around the world, including Greek, Morrocan, Indian, Thai and Chinese. While this area of Oxford is not known for being the most historical or traditional, it is very multi cultural, has a lot of character and is home to the majority of Oxford's student population.


Jamie’s Italian

Jamie’s Italian, located in the restaurant hotspot of George St, is a relatively recent addition to Oxford’s food scene. Nevertheless its popularity is evident from the queues of people who can often be seen waiting for a table and its buzzing atmosphere. It is certainly a trendy place to eat with its industrial modern interior, graffitied brick walls and basement dining area. The menu, too, steers away from the traditional Italian staples, experimenting with fresh, new, seasonal dishes and wacky names. It is a little on the pricey side but there is a good choice, friendly service and in my view, it is worth paying a bit extra for the experience.

Souper Soup

As the cold weather continues, it is the perfect time to turn to a warming bowl of soup.  Soup is the perfect meal choice for those who are ready to turn over a new healthy-eating-leaf in the New Year.  It offers the perfect opportunity to inject more vegetables into our diets following weeks of festive mince pies and mulled wine.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall raves that the ‘Classic British soups more than hold their own against any bouillabaisse, bisque, brodo or borscht…We invented fire. We roasted meats. We made pots. We cooked soup. That's the story of culinary evolution in a nutshell’.

‘On a cold winter's day, soup lifts the spirits, comforts, warms. It soothes us when we're ill and keeps us going when we're broke. It raises expectations at the beginning of a meal or – with the addition of that other unshakable staple, good bread – it can be the meal’.

I will be turning to a roast butternut squash and red pepper soup to lift my spirits, following a great recipe by James Tanner.  Another good office recommendation is the warming Thai pumpkin soup, favoured by some at OISE Oxford.  What soup will you be turning to?  We look forward to hearing.

We are in “taint week”

Britain is currently in  “taint week”.  The in between bit between Christmas and New Year has been nicknamed by some the “taint week” – because t’ain’t one thing nor the other.

A typical week is on hold, with many British people enjoying a festive holiday.  For those who have returned back to work all is very quiet, with the majority of e-mails being sent receiving an 'out of office reply'.  It is a time to relax and enjoy the change in pace.  'This is a national deep breath, a communal duvet day, and a guilty pleasure that unites us all, whatever our religion. Unless, of course, you’re a shop assistant'.

A traditional activity/chore to complete between Christmas and the New Year is the 'thank you' letter, which has to include not only the initial 'thank you' for whatever Christmas gift, but also a thoughtful (and therefore rather difficult) paragraph which would make the reader feel valued.  Often, this letter writing task can be helped with a festive glass of sherry!

It is also a time for the brave and hardy swimmer to prepare for the New Year's dip.  Every year, thousands of Britons and people across the world take the plunge into coastal waters, rivers and lakes and in the case of the UK very icy waters.  Good luck to all who are going to take the plunge, don't forget your towel and maybe a hot water bottle...

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/9767609/The-week-that-unites-us-all-inone-long-deep-breath.html

Cycling to OISE

As it gets colder and darker cycling around can become increasingly an unattractive option to get around town.  Read Kit's blog post on his biking thoughts:

Recently I have fallen off my bike on black ice, had to walk up to the main road pushing the bike through snow, and got thoroughly wet from cycling through sleet and rain.... so why do I carry on coming to work on my not so trusty steed?  Well, read on....

My route is from Summertown, so I have the great advantage that it's pretty straight, and more importantly, dead flat. It's mostly along the Banbury Road. There is a kind of a cycle lane most of the way, but you have to take care when this lane suddenly gets wider as this means you are sharing with buses, and the buses have got more numerous and wider over the years. They also swoop in front of you to access their all-too-frequent bus stops. But actually if you allow a couple more minutes for the trip, you can avoid the Banbury Road and its ghastly buses altogether. There is a cycle track all the way to the University Parks from north of the Summertown shops, and then you can reach the High St through the relatively quiet science area. Speaking of Summertown though prompts me to add a note of caution: when they redid the shopping area a couple of years ago, the Council clearly forgot about bikes. When we complained, they didn't change the new layout and instead simply painted large cycle signs in the main carriageway. This means you can have great fun quite legally holding up all the traffic in the Banbury Road by cycling sedately along the middle of the road. As everybody always overtakes me anyway (despite the average age of North Oxford cyclists being seemingly about 89) I get more than my share of angry hoots whenever I try this.

There are other advantages for me too. Although there are lots of buses, by cycling I avoid a 5 minute walk to the bus stop, and another walk from Magdalen St to OISE.  I park my bike in the Covered Market, so it's pretty safe, and dry and right by the school. It's also convenient for use in the lunch hour; it's a bit far to take a sandwich in the Parks on a summer's day on foot, but using the bike I can park at the Keble gate and get in a spot of cricket too.

In short I can thoroughly recommend cycling to OISE. We've had students here for just a week who've really enjoyed the experience, hiring a bike from a city-centre bikeshop, or borrowing one from a host family.  OK, so we don't have cycle lanes like much of continental Europe, and unless you're from Japan, Thailand or Indonesia you've got to adjust to pedalling on the other side of the road. I suppose you also lose the chance of honing your conversational skills in negotiating your bus pass with the bus driver, but all of these drawbacks are minor compared with the joys of the independence of cycling. Just think - if you've got a bike you can use it at weekends too. Woodstock and Blenheim Palace, for instance, are close enough to get to even for an amateur cyclist.

Finally though you should remember that in the UK cyclists have to obey the traffic laws. You have to stop at red lights (although some of them seem pretty pointless, e.g. the lights between the Broad and George St), have bike lights at night, and not cycle along pavements; it's a good idea to wear a crash helmet too. 

Enjoy your cycling, and get fit too!

Author: Kit Villiers (OISE Oxford's specialist legal tutor)

Is it OK to lie to your children?

Even the most respectable parents have done it. When faced with a stroppy child who refuses to cooperate, nothing seems to work so effectively as a little white lie. Whether it’s threatening to leave them behind or dob them in to Father Christmas, a recent study of families in the United States and China has revealed that the overwhelming majority of parents lie to their children as a tactic to change their behaviour. But are we setting a good example?

According to a survey of 3000 parents commissioned by The Baby Website, the top 10 lies we tell our children are:

1. Father Christmas only comes to good little children (84%) 
2. Father Christmas only visits children who go to sleep (81%) 
3. Sitting too close to the TV makes your eyes go square (60%) 
4. Spinach makes you strong (48%) 
5. If you cross your eyes, the wind will change and they'll stay there (39%) 
6. An apple tree will grown in their tummies if they eat apple pips (27%) 
7. If children play with their privates too much, they will drop off (25%) 
8. The ice cream van only plays music to let children know it has run out of ice cream (22%) 
9. Eating crusts will put hair on your chest (22%) 
10.The police arrest children who swear (20%)

Whilst I am sure that most of us would not claim to have been permanently scarred by our parents’ fibs, the study, published in the International Journal of Psychology, raises the longer-term issue of the impact on families of such opportunistic approaches to the truth. It suggests it could influence family relationships as children get older and raises "important moral questions for parents about when, if ever, parental lying is justified". Are we simply teaching our children how to lie?

Sources: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education and www.dailymail.co.uk

Will the Americans soon be speaking British English?

Ginger, sell-by date, go missing and chat up are all 'Britishisms' that are increasingly being used in conversation by the Americans. While some argue that for non-British people to use these terms sounds completely absurd, there are a growing number of American citizens that are embracing this trend. Click on the graph below to see more examples of these 'Britishisms'.




'Kory Stamper, Associate Editor for Merriam-Webster, whose dictionaries are used by many American publishers and news organisations, agrees that more and more British words are entering the American vocabulary.

She sees this as clearly tied to the publication in the US of the first Harry Potter book. Dozens of words and phrases were changed for the American market, but ginger slipped through, as did snog (meaning "to kiss amorously") - though that has not proved so popular.

We are not seeing a radical change to the American language, says Jesse Sheidlower, American editor at large of the Oxford English Dictionary - rather a "very small, but noticeable" trend.

Bill Kretzschmar, professor of English at the University of Georgia, makes a similar point - that while the spike in use of some British terms may look dramatic, it is often because they are rising from a very low base. Most are used "very infrequently", he says.

And it is not so much the masses who use these terms, says Geoffrey Nunberg, as the educated elite. Journalists and other media types, like advertising agencies, are the worst offenders, in his view'

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19670686