A couple of weekends ago I went back to Oxford for the alumni weekend. This is a three day event that is held every year, and any alumni of the university can go along. As well as the alumni events the colleges also hold their own lectures and dinners. I was lucky enough to stay in Kellogg College's new guest house, which is been done up to the highest standards, and was very comfortable.
On the Friday I had my first lecture 'Britain Begins' by Sir Barry Cunliffe. I was so excited about this, this was the highlight of my weekend. It was a really interesting lecture looking at the 'Atlantic fringe' along the Western coast of Europe, and how trade took place. I found this really fascinating, the idea that local languages would have developed to allow these people to trade between each other. Afterwards I got to briefly meet Barry Cunliffe and get his new book signed, totally starstruck!
In the evening I got a tour of the new Kellogg College facilities - it has grown so much since I was there five years ago! Then it was Pimms oclock in the new Kellogg college accommodation, so I got to catch up with what's going on at the college.
The early lecture on Saturday was 'Medieval Romance and the Gift of Narrative' by Dr Nicholas Perkins. This looked at stories from medieval literature and the idea of gifting, both in the stories, and the giving of books.
In the afternoon I attended 'The Jovial Songster- Popular songs and readings' at the Hollywell Music Room. A duo called Alva performed traditional and early British songs and ballads. It was the first time I'd visiting the music room, which is one of the oldest in the country.
In the evening Kellogg College had their Gaudy Dinner, the food was amazing (apparently it's the best food of any of the colleges) and each table had a display from the Oxford Natural History Museum. I had a wonderful barn owl sitting in front of me, making Oxford feel even more like Harry Potter!
The last lecture on Sunday morning was 'Silence in Christian History' by the Reverend Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch. This looked at the silence throughout Christianity including prayer, contemplation, and the covering up of shameful events in Christianity's past. It was a very interesting lecture, however I was very tired from the night before, so needed a very strong coffee!
It was so great to be able to go back to university, even for a few days. Everyone just accepts that you're intelligent, and I had some really interesting conversations about subjects I wouldn't usually discuss - without being snotty or pretentious. My brain hurt by the end of the weekend, it's not used to being pushed that much nowadays.
The final Oxford event was to go punting with friends. It was my first time, and we bumped from bank to bank very inelegantly, whilst looking for white rabbits on the river bank. A perfect weekend, and I look forward to attending next year.
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