time off

Lovely couple of days off. Yesterday, a relaxing walk along the Thames from Lechlade to Kelmscott before lunch at the Five Alls at Filkins - thefiveallsfilkins.co.uk.

Today a walk from Bledington to Church Westcote followed by a pint at the Kingham Plough - thekinghamplough.co.uk - a pub I last visited nearly 30 years ago when a land agent. In those days the lunchtime pint(s) were all part of the working day. Times have changed. For the better, I feel. How did anyone stay awake!

Off to Biztro - www.biztro.co.uk - earlier this evening. Excellent.
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A Conscious Englishman by Magaret Keeping - StreetBooks Kindle edition published 16.08.13 - visit http://www.streetbooks.co.uk for details

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malcolm parkes, punctuation

PS During Frank Cottrell Boyce's address this afternoon, it was great to be reminded of something that Malcolm said in respect of the study of medieval manuscripts that had a profound effect on me as a writer. As Frank put it, punctuation 'brings to us the voice of someone who is absent.'
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malcolm parkes

On my way to Oxford and the memorial service for Malcolm Parkes (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Parkes) who taught me when I was at Keble.

Malcolm was one of two tutors who interviewed me for a place at Keble. For much of that half-hour, though, it was difficult to see him. He was seated in a bay window smoking his pipe and it was only when he wanted to ask a question that his hand batted away the smoke and his face appeared momentarily.

I owe Malcolm, Stephen Wall and Frank Cottrell Boyce (who marked one of my two entrance papers) so much. Sitting the Oxford entrance exam and those thirty minutes being interviewed by Malcolm and Stephen were events that changed my life.

Malcolm was a hugely inspiring academic but also a very warm, kind man. I remember how he arrived at my door the day before my first-year exams (moderations) and handed me a packet of sweets and wished me good luck.

As a tutor, he gave me a love of Anglo-Saxon and Middle English literature that will stay with me always.

The last time we met, I heard his voice first as he called out his habitual greeting, 'Hello squire!' While he was frailer than even a year before, which was a shock, he was in good spirits and it was lovely to see him. We were in Sainsbury's in Kidlington.

It's a grey misty, cocooning day in west Oxfordshire as the 18 bus carries me through the autumn countryside. A melancholy day, perhaps, when I think of how long ago that interview was. Yet a beautiful day too - and I try to remember that my time at Keble taught me to value every day and all the opportunities it offers.
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A Conscious Englishman by Magaret Keeping - StreetBooks Kindle edition published 16.08.13 - visit http://www.streetbooks.co.uk for details

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sunrise

Glorious sunrise (as seen from the bus stop); gorgeous, if chilly, morning.
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A Conscious Englishman by Magaret Keeping - StreetBooks Kindle edition published 16.08.13 - visit http://www.streetbooks.co.uk for details

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freeeezing, spoilt, what's the tree?, old friend, eagle and child

It's freeeezing!

Still, as more than one person said yesterday, it is November.

We were spoilt having no frosts until last week.

There is some beautiful autumn colour, as the photo above shows (what's the tree, though?). A lot of leaves remain green even so.

Great to meet up with an old friend from Germany last night, who was in Oxford for a conference. Lovely chat over a couple of pints in the Eagle and Child.

cultural evening, history in the making, jeremy hughes, wingspan

Excellent cultural evening.

A fascinating seminar at the Taylor Institution given by Sir John Elliott, who was talking about his life as a historian and the inter-disciplinary study of early 17th century Spanish history and art (drawing on his book, History in the Making).

Then it was up to Kellogg College for the launch of my colleague Jeremy Hughes' new novel Wingspan (see pics above). The novel is published by the new Manchester-based firm Cillian Press (http://www.cillianpress.co.uk/wingspan). A terrific reading! Lovely to see colleagues and former students too.
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A Conscious Englishman by Magaret Keeping - StreetBooks Kindle edition published 16.08.13 - visit http://www.streetbooks.co.uk for details

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ethereal skies, first frost, mowing the lawn, berkshire logs, biztro, swiss chard, breathing spaces

First cycle ride for a couple of weeks. Beautiful day with the most amazing clear sunlight and fantastic ethereal skies.

Midweek there was the first frost of the autumn but it's still warm outside today and I cut the lawn this morning - for the last time this year, I presume. Though one never knows! A log delivery yesterday - ash, silver birch and sycamore from a few miles into Berkshire.

Another delicious meal at Biztro when our friend came to stay earlier in the week.

Just been up to the allotment to harvest some Swiss chard - the only veg growing there now.

Enjoying re-reading A Spy in the House of Love by Anaïs Nin.

Needless to say, it's been a busy week, though there are some breathing spaces coming up soon. Hooray!

reviving weekend, autumn leaves, friend staying, kings of leon, london grammar, lou reed, osney sundays

A weekend away. Very reviving - lovely company.

This morning we were fortunate in west Oxfordshire and Oxford to be relatively unaffected by the storm that sped across southern England. Although there were a couple of small trees down on the Oxford canal when I walked to work (see photo above) and a lot of leaves have been scattered.

Meanwhile, Oxford Michaelmas term is settling down - a touch - and this evening, a friend is coming to stay, which I'm looking forward to.

Oh, and I recently downloaded Mechanical Bull by The Kings of Leon and If You Wait by London Grammar. Both excellent. Especially like the latter now I've listened to it a couple of times.

Sad to hear about the death of Lou Reed. Happy memories of listening to a Velvet Underground cassette on Osney Island at Sunday lunchtimes in the late 80s. And of an arrangement of Sunday Morning, played at our wedding blessing at Keble College chapel.
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A Conscious Englishman by Magaret Keeping - StreetBooks Kindle edition published 16.08.13 - visit http://www.streetbooks.co.uk for details

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full term, full swing, oxford, late lunch, hollybush, ramblings, cathy dreyer, finals, allotment

Oxford full term in full swing.

Lots going on at the libraries and in the world of creative writing.

Working in Oxford all today up to a v late lunch at the estimable Hollybush in Witney.

A grey, autumnal but incredibly warm day. Enjoyed my walk along the Oxford canal--photos above. (See the reed bed from the same angle in the summer.) Amazing ash keys this year!

Loved listening to Ramblings on Radio 4 this morning. There I was, lying in the bath, when I suddenly realised that the person being interviewed by Toyah Willcox was a former student, Cathy Dreyer. See her wonderful blog, Shortcircuit.

Tomorrow there will be finals marking and, hopefully, some more work on the allotment.