I had a longstanding diary date to go to my old college law society dinner on Friday night, staying over with friends in Oxford. They asked me if I fancied joining them for the Oxford game on the Saturday and I rarely turn down a football match. But then on Wednesday the College tutors decided to cancel the dinner, but it was too late, I felt, to cancel the trip since by now I was committed to the football. And then my mate John, who was also going to the cancelled dinner and already had a hotel room booked, said why not just meet up in Oxford and have dinner together. Why not indeed. So I booked a restaurant for us.
And then the football was cancelled.
So all the reasons for going to Oxford were disappearing. But by now I had also arranged lunch with the son of friends of mine who is currently at university. So my trip to Oxford had now converted into lunch and dinner. And I had offered to take my hosts out for dinner on Saturday. So a lot of dining was now on the cards, but just without the need for a dinner jacket.
Favourite pastime
On CVs you are supposed to state your leisure interests. Reading this blog you would surmise travel, music, stand up comedy, art, sport and theatre in some order. But let me make a confession. If I were to state my number one favourite leisure activity it would be good conversation over good food and drink. I enjoy that more than foreign holidays, music festivals or the best night at the theatre.
So my enforced weekend of fine dining was not such a hardship.
And I would find it hard to exaggerate my enjoyment of lunch with young Tom. Now let me point out what should be an obvious truth for all. It is great meeting up with friends you know well. It makes for a really relaxed time, knowing you don't have to be careful what you say, and knowing you already like each other. but there is also something very nice about meeting someone new. With friends you see regularly sometimes one is struggling to think of conversation that you haven't had before. New people offer the whole gamut of conversation - finding out about their lives and interests, utilising your best anecdotes that you have already used on all your friends. But new people can be awkward too. You don't know if you are going to get on, and there is that awkward sparring where you work out your common ground.
Which brings me to the perfect halfway house between the two - young Tom. I have literally known him all his life, since he was a baby. But hadn't actually seen him since this time last year. And of course huge amounts have gone on in the last year, not least his new long term girlfriend. So essentially this was getting to know the updated Tom, without any awkwardness of unfamiliarity.
And then there is just spending time with Tom, who is simply as delightful company as one could possibly wish for. Always funny (but I knew that from when he was kid) but also highly intelligent without being opinionated. We could talk about everything in the world without it ever getting heavy.
He also refreshes one's view of students, although deep down I always knew this. Students in the media are always boorish, self-righteous, self-indulgent prats who will go on a demo or spout complete woke crap while doing sod all work with an overwhelming sense of entitlement. Or are falling apart with mental health issues that require a team of support workers. But of course it is just that they are the only ones that make the newspapers. The ones who want to study their chosen subject, are sensible, work hard and who just want to go out and have a laugh with and make love to their fellow students never ever make the papers. But in all probability they make up the vast majority of students.
Anyway, Tom is very much in the group that makes you think the world will actually be very safe in the hands of the next generation. It is so nice to talk to someone who isn't angst ridden, but knows his future should be fine because he will end up with a good degree. Someone will want to employ him. In fact I suspect he will have to beat them off with a stick. He would interview so well....
So we chatted for a good three hours over a very nice lunch at Quod, one of Oxford's better restaurants. I got three hours of perfect company and Tom at least got a quality meal, photos of which he sent back to his girlfriend (ailing with food poisoning. I felt this might be insensitive...😏), which was probably somewhat outside a student budget.
 |
| Octopus |
 |
| Terrine with toasted sourdough |
 |
| Lamb cutlets |
 |
| I resisted temptation and went for sorbet on prosecco jelly for pudding. Tom who is as skinny as a rake (which actually means he is just slim but to a jealous fat bloke, skinny) didn't and went for salted caramel cheesecake |
Finally we decided we better up sticks and he should get back to his poor girlfriend. I asked him to apologise to her for me. If it had been me I don't think I would have been too impressed if I was ailing with a bad stomach while my boyfriend was having a slap up lunch with a random old bloke! However, Tom wanted to visit my old college since we had spoken about it over lunch (Tom has long had an interest in architecture) so I said I would take him around on the way back, and he suggested in turn he would give me a look around Keble which, although neighbouring my college I had similarly not explored.
Now Keble is quite different to most Oxford Colleges, being built "only" 150 years ago in a Victorian neo-gothic style which was still out of fashion in my time ("Victorian monstrosity") but is now much more appreciated again. It also has the second largest quad in Oxford. And I am a great fan of quads. Just a great idea - essentially the same as garden squares. Make a big square, put all your accommodation around it so everyone is facing in to a fine communal lawn, and all the doors are obviously "lawn" side. It sort of creates an automatic community, enclosed from the outside world (and traffic!).
I can't say I shared Tom's enthusiasm for the modern accommodation additions, although of course students need somewhere to live and would like big windows letting in light (as well as decent bathrooms).
And here is young Tom in his natural habitat.
And as he departed, that left me time to kill before dinner booked at 7:30. While there was daylight I wanted to walk around Oxford. It is an unfailingly beautiful place, especially when not overrun by tourists.
 |
| Sheldonian Theatre |
Bodleian Library is impressive even just from the exterior.
With the light failing I retired to the Lamb & Flag to nurse a pint (of foul cider as it turned out) until John arrived for dinner.
I had booked Browns across the road. Nearly all restaurants have changed since our day (indeed Quod where I had enjoyed lunch was still a branch of Barclays Bank when we were students), but Browns has remained. It was the place we always went for a better class of meal without totally breaking the bank. I think we both felt the menu had gone downhill since our day. But that is nostalgia for you. Nevertheless we enjoyed our dinner even if it was just two of us rather nearer a hundred that we were originally expecting. John and I definitely fall into the old friends category. And we hadn't had dinner together for almost a whole week...
After a couple of drinks at the Eagle & Child, another old Oxford favourite (which I understand may be redeveloped as a hotel), we went our separate ways and I walked to see my hosts for the weekend. A cup of late night tea offered up another hour of conversation with friends I really like. So all in all, a very pleasant day indeed, doing my favourite things.
But what to do tomorrow with no football match?
No comments:
Post a Comment