Oxford Open Doors weekend

Darren has a full programme of events for this year's Open Doors weekend. For the last few years we have always been away and missed out on this opportunity to visit lots of places that are not open to the public, but this year we got it right.

We started with Christchurch College - this was extremely popular and Daz booked tickets as soon as they came out. 

We have walked and run past the outside of the college, but this is our first time inside. We started at the spectacular cathedral and were met and blessed by the new Arch Deacon. Shame about the clashing footwear. 

We also met the real Chief Verger and admired the amazing stained glass windows. This one dates from 2023 and shows St Francis, patron saint of the environment and animals. 

Of course, we couldn't miss the Dining Hall where parts of the Harry Potter films were shot. 

After a quick break we moved on to Queen's College with its incredible front gate and statue topped frontage. This college is much smaller than Christchurch while and very grand, it seemed a more homely size. 

A famous student was Rowan Atkinson who did his PhD here and donated money to pay for new chairs in the lovely dining hall. 

Unfortunately I learnt that fact after we took our photos and I don't think that we can see the chairs in this picture. 

Just across the road is University College, the oldest college in Oxford and was founded in 1249.

Every college seems to have its own church, dining hall and quadrangle, and they are all very impressive and very different to each other. Also, they all have incredible stained glass windows in the churches. However, what struck me most in University College's church, was the very unattractive figures of Adam and Eve with the apple tree. 

I nearly forgot, all of the colleges also have fancy libraries, and this one looked very much like a church. 

We asked one of the student volunteers about it and apparently in the 1840's a very rich donor had a statue made of his grandfather Lord Eldon and his brother Lord Stowell. He wanted to donate it to the college, but they said that they had nowhere to put it, so he also then donated enough money to build a library to house the statue. What a result. 

Apparently, the reason that the library resembles a church is because the architect that they chose usually designed churches, so perhaps that was the only style that he could draw. 

Finally, and getting tired by now, our last college of the day was Magdalen. 

Another huge, extremely wealthy college that is next to the river and the punting station. 

Finally, finally, last night we went to an authentic Flamenco show. The performers were all from Seville and the dancer had the most beautiful costumes.