Urban Cowboy Goes to Oxford

By Joe Rodriguez

Oxford! O Oxford! My Oxford! Yes, I went to Oxford. As soon as the rooster crowed on my iPhone, I rolled out of bed, put on my boots, and headed to the Oxford Tube Stop near the Victoria Coach Station (VCS). I didn’t want to miss the 0830 departure. Of course, when you take the Oxford Tube from VCS, you have about 14 stops before you get to the city center, depending on whether you take the express, which can be a few stops less.

Anyhow, I wanted to see a bit of the countryside on my ride to Oxford. I saw heaps of sheep laying in the open fields and bales of hay scattered all about, which reminded me of the Texas Hill Country. Once I got to Oxford, I two-stepped to the Weston Library for a City of Oxford Walking Tour offered by the Bodleian Library. On the tour, our guide told us about some of the history of Oxford’s most iconic buildings. The busts you see at the top of the gate surrounding the backside of the Sheldonian Theatre are simply a feature of the designer’s aesthetic or whatever that person decided should be atop the gate during construction.

The Walking Tour included a chance to see the inside of the Divinity School, which has appeared in many films, including the Harry Potter series as the Hogwarts Infirmary. I was later able to climb the steps of the University Church Tower for a view of Oxford from above. Finally, when I got thirsty, I snuck off to the Turf Tavern for a pint. The Pub has been hidden behind Hertford College since 1381. It didn’t take me long to sniff around and find it. There’s an alley, called St. Helen’s Passage, just beyond the Hertford Bridge or Bridge of Sighs that connects parts of the New College and Hertford College buildings on New College Lane that will take you to it.

After I finished my pint, I stumbled to Oxford Prison and Castle or what was left of it. It was HM Prison Oxford until 1996 and is now a hotel and visitor attraction. The Castle itself dates to the Norman medieval era. During the tour, I learned about some of the people that were imprisoned there and walked to the top of St. George’s Tower for another beautiful view of Oxford from above.

Before returning to London, I stopped at The Grand Café for Afternoon Tea. Its website claims to be England’s first coffee house. I ordered the Cream Tea, which is two scones, jam, and clotted cream with either coffee or tea for £11.95. Boy, was it good!