Tonight kicks off a week of shrieks and bonfires across the UK and a spectacular, nine metre wicker man, created by Oxfordshire artist Dan Barton, will add to the incendiary attractions at the Oxford Round Table's annual display on Saturday, November 8, in South Park, Oxford.
Here is a is a sample track from the walkdigital.com Tour of Oxford, it features Christchurch College, which has formed the subject of a number of posts in this blog and is notable for literary associations with Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter.
And here is a video excerpt about the Bodleian Library and the benefactors who have supported it over the years, produced by The Virtual Experience Company.
Well here's a great , unplanned, link to the previous post. London's Globe theatre is mounting a production of Shakespeare's magical story of jealousy, love and redemption, The Winter's Tale, within the idyllic surroundings of the Bodleian Library Quadrangle, Oxford. Oxford is not far from Stratford-upon-Avon and would be a convenient venue on a literary tour. The current performance of The Winter's Tale only runs until Friday 22 August, 2008, with tickets booked at the Oxford Playhouse Box Office but the Oxford Playhouse has many other exciting productions in the pipeline.
The Bodleian Library dates back to 1600 and holds around 12 million volumes, offering over 200,000 titles from their Early English books and their Eighteenth Century collections, online. It is also a partner in Google's Book Search initiative and they are scanning many of their 19th century books.
At the end of June, the Man Booker International Prize 2007 was formally awarded to Chinua Achebe during a presentation ceremony that included over 200 guests enjoying Smoked Salmon Bavarois, English Lamb and Summer Pudding, in the Great Hall at Christ Church College, Oxford, England. This hall once housed Parliament, during the English Civil War when King Charles I took residence at Christ Church. I wonder if the guests were aware that their surroundings are better known to millions of Harry Potter fans as the great banqueting hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Christ Church is Oxford University's largest College and was founded in 1524. Visitors are made welcome, but being a working academic and religious institution some areas may be inaccessible; the hall for example, can be closed to visitors between 12pm and 2pm. The visitor entrance is through the large gate facing Christ Church Meadow, a remarkable oasis of calm, much loved by one Lewis Carroll, who famously created another magical world 'through the looking glass'.
There is much to see at Christ Church besides the Great Hall, the college houses an important collection of Old Master paintings and drawings, so allow plenty of time to browse.
