Twixt Christmas and New Year

My original festive plans were to stay in Sandiway until New Year, but then it turned out that the Korean girl I had met in China in the summer could only meet up with me on her December trip to London between Christmas and New Year. So I agreed to pop back on the Sunday after Christmas and then take her round Oxford on the Monday before descending on my mate Thibault for an oriental dinner party in the evening.

Then I found another friend whom I had first met on holiday some years ago was also in London for the period with his mother. But it looked therefore that I could only squeeze them in for a drink on the Sunday night. But best laid plans and all that.

Jean then found she needed to fly back to Korea early, which meant taking a plane on the Sunday, so our day out disappeared. I already had train tickets booked so was committed to coming back to London really, along with meeting my mate Gary. But then opportunity arose. With nothing to do on the Monday I could bump Gary and his mum along to the Monday, and I suggested they might like to be taken around Oxford by yours truly too. And they did. So, hey presto, a nice day in Oxford. And it was a really beautiful winter's day.

We went past my old College, St John's

 and then on past Keble

 to the Natural History Museum, one of Oxford's lesser known sights, except by parents with small children who had all descended on the place at once. Never seen so many pushchairs.

Then on for a wander around Broad Street and the High Street

 before heading into a few of the colleges which were open in the afternoon. Starting with St John's. can't beat the view back across the Great Lawn to the college.

Then round the corner and into Trinity.

And finally into Christ Church. Normally the most impressive, and so most expensive college, but annoyingly both the Dining Hall and the Picture Gallery were closed (although they didn't see fit to reduce the £5.50 entrance fee even for the much reduced sights to see.)

But Christ Church cathedral was open and is impressive.

 

 

Getting dark so we got the 5 o'clock train for London which just neatly allowed me to advance to Thibault's dinner party. Splendid occasion and a very brave dinner choice - several Chinese dishes, far more adventurous than I would be at a dinner party. But all went off very well (barring one wok-melted plastic spoon). Thibault decided to challenge us with a dish of preserved duck eggs. Much to the surprise of us all, despite the dubious colour (green yolks), they actually tasted very pleasant. Fortified by an eclectic choice of alcohol (asti, pinot grigio, mulled wine and prosecco), I got home very merrily, set for the next day's morning return trip to Crewe.

Original plan for my return north was to spend a day in Shrewsbury, with myself, Alison and Carolyn going to an art exhibition and the boys entertaining themselves at the Castle. That almost all fell apart as the Castle closed for the winter and Carolyn had a cold, but Alison and I persevered and went to Shrewsbury for the day anyway, leaving the rest to stay at home. Their loss as Shrewsbury is lovely. Although the art exhibition at Shrewsbury museum on the human body was perhaps predictably disappointing. It seemed largely to consist of anything that Birmingham Art gallery had in its basement that featured a human body. No real theme beyond that. To be fair one or two things worth seeing, but not much for s day trip. On the other hand, a wander around Shrewsbury itself was highly rewarding. A beautiful place with lots of timber-framed medieval buildings. All set off with a late seafood lunch. No turkey.

The Abbey looked particularly attractive, glowing warmly in the late afternoon sun.