Friday 20 April 2012

Weekend away, Oxford.


Highbury, London. 8am.

We left London on Monday morning with a detour to Oxford en route for home. I was keen to see an exhibition of Indian paintings that had been enthusiastically reviewed in the national papers. 
I had not done my homework properly because when we got to Oxford  I discovered that the Ashmolean is closed every Monday!


The work on display is all owned by the artist, Howard Hodkin, and is said to be one of the finest collections of its kind in the world.

What a pity, no chance to see the Maharaja Bakhat Singh holding a flower. 


We consoled ourselves with lunch at the Nosebag and a wander round the covered market, stopping at The Garden where there are always lovely flowers to enjoy.





Wonderful ranunculus from Devon. I have never managed to grow them successfully but looking at this colourful bucketful I am tempted to try again.

The cake shop in the market was new to me. There was great concentration being given to the Oxford Dictionary - in sugar icing!

The Bod as a cake!
And there is no escaping the preparations for Queenie's big bash.
(They all look inedible.) Enough!

We walked through Christchurch water meadows towards the river

It was cold. No rowers, no punts.
Time to go home.


14 comments:

  1. One of my fondest memories is of the two weeks we spent in Oxford so many years ago. While I remember the Ashmolean there is little else I can say oh I remember that. I seem to remember an unground market. It was a quiet stay after several days of hustling through London from one event to another. Thank you for sharing and whisking me back in time.

    Oh my the cakes are divine.

    Hope you have a great weekend. Bonnie

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  2. Those cakes - I wouldn't want to eat them! My photographs didn't do Oxford justice, but no doubt I'll be back on another occasion. I'm glad that they revived happy memories for you.
    We had a lovely weekend but it is nice to be home!

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  3. Wow, you really had a great weekend! I love the shop called "The Garden". Excellent pictures of Oxford!

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  4. Yes, we had a good time away, seeing new things and also wandering down memory lane. I always bought flowers from 'The Garden' when I was visiting my daughter at college in Oxford. (Am a dab hand at punting, but only in good weather!)

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  5. thanks for sharing your journey...beautiful!

    I wanted to let you know you have also inspired me to continue my work on my garden...many thank my dear!

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    1. I am looking forward, in due course, to seeing photos of the garden on your blog, Tamera. I'm expecting your usual fabulous style!

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  6. I thoroughly enjoy your site. Our family visited Oxford in 1999. As Southern California folks and anglophiles (smile) we were interested not only the history of this lovely region but to see where the British series films Morse and Inspector Lewis!
    So much fun to revisit England via your blog.
    Karen

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    1. We have watched Morse closely like you,Karen, and been very excited by scenes shot at the college where our daughter was a student!

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  7. I loved going to Oxford when I lived in London and Christchurch was my favourite college ! Your gorgeous post made very homesick !

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    1. Hello Silver Bunny, I didn't mean to make you homesick! If it's any help the weather was soo cold that it was not very pleasant to be out and about. (But if I go back in the summer with my camera, watch out!)

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  8. great pictures, what a charming and beautiful city. I love the flowers, parks, art and cakes, everything looks so lovely. The cakes are amazing , the oxford dictionary looks really cute, I think my son needs that for his birthday.

    mongs
    mythriftycloset,blogspot.com

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    1. I suspect your son would prefer the cake version of the dictionary for his birthday rather than the book!

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  9. What fabulous photos you take! I can only make my blog accept one measly photo and then it dies. I really must get someone to show me what I am doing wrong.

    I know about the weather. It's the same here in the Midlands. (Shropshire, actually!)

    Cheers,
    Rosemary www.foreveronthecatwalkoflife.com

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  10. Well, bless my soul! Just realized we have the same name!! What can that mean?

    Cheers,
    Rosemary

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