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For that Oxford accent

Historical stone structures, soaring spires and towers gently wrap visitors in a beguiling time warp at Oxford, says SELINE AUGUSTINE

CITY OF DREAMING SPIRES The Christ Church, the largest college in Oxford

It is a university town like no other. At first we thought we had stepped into a medieval town. The historical stone structures, soaring spires and towers gently wrap the visitor in a beguiling time warp. The town of the oldest English-speaking varsity, Oxford, has a population of more than 1.35 lakh. A recent three-day visit to the city was exciting. It is referred to as the "City of Dreaming Spires", a phrase coined by Mathew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of the university buildings.

Fifty-five miles northwest of London, Oxford University has 39 self-governing colleges related to the university in a type of federal system. Most of the college campuses are of stupendous proportions, but the entrances to them, small and self-effacing, so much so, at times we had to search for the college name.

Oxford was initially known as Oxenford — a reference to the oxen entering the city through the ford. From humble beginnings, it began to play host to royalty and scholars even by the 15th Century. The Thames when it runs through here, is called Isis, the other river winding its way through the city being Cherwell.

We visited a few well-known colleges — Magdalen College which retains the 15th Century pronunciation of "Maudlin", Christ Church and Balliol colleges. C. S. Lewis was a Fellow of Magdalen, and Oscar Wilde too studied here. Magdalen Bridge is from where students traditionally jump into the River Cherwell every May Day morn after singing at the crack of dawn from the top of the tower.

900-year-old history

We got on board the half-hour indoor ride (on four-seater wooden desks used by Oxford students of yore) at the Oxford Story Experience, which boasts 900 years of university history under one roof. The high water mark is Fleming's discovery of penicillin. This sit-down tour was a good starting point before exploring the city by jumping on to the hop-on hop-off open top sightseeing bus.

There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in 1096 and developed rapidly from the next century when Henry II banned English students for attending the University of Paris. In the 13th Century rioting between "town and gown" (townspeople and students) hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence. Forerunners of St. Thomas's, Heber and Selaiyur Halls of our Madras Christian College, eh?

Then came the first of Oxford's colleges, which began as medieval halls of residence or endowed houses under the supervision of a Master. University, Balliol and Merton colleges established between 1249 and 1264 are the oldest.

Christ Church is the largest college in Oxford where Albert Einstein studied briefly. At least 13 British Prime Ministers have graduated from here. Writers Lewis Carrol, W. H. Auden, religious leaders John Wesley and William Penn also studied here. This is the locale for the filming of at least three Harry Potter films. The Great Hall was the inspiration for Hogwarts, the same Hall where King Charles I held his Parliament in the 17th Century.

The tutorial system is followed in the university under which the ward sits with the tutor for weekly meetings and there is one-to-one study.

Our former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi studied in Somerville College and the guide informs us that in 1992 when the college threw its portals open for men students, it was a controversial decision. The New College was new in 1379, but it did not change its name. We were disappointed as the Trinity College was closed to visitors.

There are half-a-day walking tours of the city that give you an idea of the proximity of colleges. Since parking is at a severe premium, residents of the town prefer to ride bicycles, leaving their limousines at home. On a spot marked bang centre on Broad Street, Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, were burnt for their faith almost 500 years ago.

In 1912, William Morris was the first Britisher to produce cheap cars. He had begun by repairing cycles at the age of 14. When he cut the price of his car during World War I by a 100 pounds, he found that his turnover touched six million pounds in a few years. The philanthropist set up the Morris Motor Co. to produce cars in Cowley where today BMW Minis are being manufactured.

Books galore

Blackwells Bookshop houses 1,60,000 books where the shelves run a length of two and a half miles and the rooms are cavernous. The shop's slogan caught the eye: Live life buy the book. Some of the names of shops arrest attention: Bottoms Up for a wine shop and And So To Bed for a store dealing with cots and accessories. How is this for stark simplicity - The Bookshop, it was OUP's. The new Bodleian Library which looks like a three-storey building hides 11 floors and here a student at times waits for six hours for the underground system to bring the required book from the bowels of the earth. All the books published in the country find a place here.

A sight for sore eyes was the bright young students coming out of the Examination College and walking briskly on the roads after writing their exams — in formal black with carnation on lapel in place. As also the profusion of flowers in delightful hues from hanging plant baskets outside every other shop and house.

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