Oxford

While I had been to the Law Library, Keith had spent a profitable morning in the Bodleian library. After lunch, I headed off to visit the Christ Church College and the Ashmolean Art Gallery while Keith returned to the library. He was in his element, being able to sit and read the resources there.

Christ Church College is enormous and spectacularly beautiful. The cathedral is the largest in Oxford and dates back to the 1600s.





The dining hall is where the filmed Harry Potter. It had the aromas of a cooked lunch while I strolled up and down beside its long tables. I wondered if it had included mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage.

I then discovered some Condie history. I found a list of those who died while serving with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light infantry between 1939 and 1945. It just happened to be opened at the Co page and there listed was a Private Gordon Donald McKenzie Condie with the date 11 November 1943 next to it. My Father-in Law Alan has researched much family history. I am curious if there is any link with this Condie.



My head had not been fantastic these last few days, so I decided to retire to a cafe with my book and sit quietly. There is a lovely cafe in the Ashmolean Art Gallery, so I spent the remainder of the afternoon happily engrossed in my book. I am reading my third Margaret Forster book in a row - "Shadow Baby". I had finished reading "Hidden Lives"earlier that week and had enjoyed that enormously. Keith and I met up again in the late afternoon and had a quick browse of the gallery before returning to Morton in Marsh by train.

Oxford is where my father grew up and there is so much more I would like to see and discover. I can only imagine what it was like for him there growing up. I know that he went to the Dragon School, which is now one of the most expensive schools in Oxford, but it wasn't then. He loved riding his bike and walking. I can imagine that he enjoyed cycling out into the countryside and around the town exploring.