there and back again
It’s been so long since I’ve updated this I almost forgot I was in Europe. While my life over the last two weeks has only had a couple interesting days, I’m sure I’ll still need to update this in sections; I don’t have the energy for a marathon post.
As I said in my last entry all the way back on the 9th, Manuel and I went to Oxford February 10th. The morning definitely could have started off smoother: somehow the clock on Manuel’s phone was 20 minutes slow, so while I was rushing to get ready, he was out and about in Wood Green leisurely visiting the ATM and grabbing a cup of coffee, and couldn’t understand why I was in such a rush when he returned. So not only did we leave 15 minutes late, but there were severe delays on every line of the tube that would get us to Paddington Station. So that was fun. By the time we got there our train had been gone, but luckily they let us to get on another train an hour later. It was my first real train experience, and I very much enjoyed it. It was incredibly relaxing hopping aboard a peaceful train and watching the English countryside fly by.
We were severely lacking in a plan for the day, and only had a vague idea of a couple Tolkien and Harry Potter sites we had to visit, so our day was not the most well organized, but who needs plans anyway? We somewhat aimlessly walked around the city, which is very much centered on the 39 colleges that make up the University of Oxford, the oldest English speaking university (with almost 800 years of history). It’s an adorable little town and quite a good choice for my first excursion outside of London. We tried to go into Christ Church College first, as it is a pilgrimage site for Harry Potter fans, but it was closed until the afternoon, so that was postponed. We ended up in a couple second-hand bookshops and the Alice Shop, where we found a handy booklet on the Oxford of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis which was the only thing that gave us any real structure in the day. We henceforth wandered to the various colleges and churches at which the Inklings had both attended and taught classes, preached, and basically hung out. I’m pretty sure there is not a place in the city that they did not live or hang out at regularly. So that was definitely fun. Many of the colleges were closed to visitors, which didn’t particularly stop us, except on one instance when they asked to see our University IDs, at which point we spun ‘round on our heels and admitted defeat by the Man. In any case, here’s a small sampling of the early day sites of Oxford…
Christ Church College, before we found out it was closed for the morning
St. Aldate’s Church, where C.S. Lewis was asked to preach
Pembroke College, where Tolkien was a professor of Anglo-Saxon
University College, where C.S. Lewis (as well as Percy Shelley) attended as a undergraduate
We also stopped inside the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, which had a much more interesting history than I expected. Just a couple: the sermon which launched the Oxford Movement was preached here, and — just for you, Dad — John Wesley preached some of his most famous sermons here. Since then, a number of historical figures have preached or attended the University Church.
Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis both preached from this pulpit
I absolutely love historic churches; everyone says they start to look the same after a while but I have yet to be bored by one. And I absolutely love the smell; I don’t care if that sounds weird.
Merton College, where Tolkien was also a professor of Anglo-Saxon and English Language
Magdalen College. We didn’t get to go inside here, because we didn’t have enough time to explore for it to be worth the 4 pounds to get in. If I go back to Oxford it’s definitely on my list of places to go though. The Inklings met in one of the rooms here weekly, and Tolkien read Lord of the Rings out loud to his friends as he was working on it. Additionally, Lewis was a Fellow here and it was where he was converted to Theism and ultimately Christianity.
University Church again
Radcliffe Camera, one of the libraries at Oxford. This was where we got turned away…for shame
We also wanted to go into the Bodleian Library and the Divinity School, where (among the other more historical aspects of the buildings I’m sure) they filmed the Hogwarts library and hospital wing, respectively. However, you could only get inside those if you paid 6 pounds for the tour, and it wasn’t until much later in the day, neither of which bits of news were relevant to our interests. So instead, we made our way back through the charming streets of Oxford…
…to return to Christ Church, since it was now open…
…and into Hogwarts!
I must say, the Great Hall was smaller than it looks in the movies (maybe it’s the fact that there’s a real ceiling?), and there were only three rows of tables instead of four. That film trickery! But it was still quite amazing to be inside the most important room of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
We also took a few moments outside to the dining hall to revel in the beauty of the staircase. I kept waiting to run into Minerva or Albus — even Filch! — but alas, they must have all been in their offices or doing important things like running the school.
We explored the rest of Christ Church as well — that is to say, the cathedral — which was beautiful. But it wasn’t Hogwarts, so is it really worth our time?
Okay, maybe.
We couldn’t stay long though because we had an important event to get to. Manuel and I were the keynote speakers and I don’t think they’re a patient bunch, seeing as they only get to meet once a year.
After Christ Church, we hopped on a bus to take us to Wolvercote Cemetary in order to pay our respects to Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien himself. We wandered around for a while before noticing that there were actually signs pointing you in the right direction, which was kind of them, and we finally made it.
I don’t think it was until I saw the name — saw Beren next to his Luthien — that the gravity of where I was set in. In recent years, The Lord of the Rings has been reinvigorated as a popular-nerd-culture phenomenon, more acceptable than World of Warcraft but not quite as cool as Harry Potter, but for me it is more than that. It is a book (and then three movies) which changed my life completely. The impact of Tolkien’s work on my life cannot be overstated, and this city was where it came to life. And here he was in front of me. I got the tiniest bit choked up out of sheer gratitude for the creation of one of the most masterful pieces of literature ever. I’m not ashamed to say that I probably would have broken down like a baby and wept if I had been alone. However, I am a Palfreyman and from my experience, my branch of the family does not tend to cry while in the company of others, unless it’s during a viewing of Cool Runnings.
Multiple people had left tokens at the grave, but I had nothing to offer, so I wrote a quick little note of respect on a scrap piece of paper and we headed back into town, where we visited the University of Oxford store, tried and failed to find a bookstore Carly had told me about, and then headed over to The Eagle and Child pub.
The pub was one of the places in Great Britain that I was determined to visit. For 23 years, Tolkien, Lewis, and the other members of the Inklings met here every Tuesday for food, drinks and discussion on every topic imaginable, including their current writings. I think the Pubs in Time plaque hanging inside the Rabbit Room described the history of the Eagle and Child best: “The conversations that have taken place here have profoundly influenced the development of 20th century English literature.”
(side note: I found this scarf on the street in London near St. Paul’s. I washed it and now it is mine all mine!)
It was quite an honor to sit in the room that was a second home to some of the finest writers of our time, and it was even more touching to read the pub’s guestbook. I read every single entry in the current book, which dated back only about 7 months. Even in such a short amount of time, the incredible number of people who have made a point to visit this unimposing pub in the middle of England was a testament to the enduring influence of the Inklings and their work. Some people seemed to be even more obsessive than myself, for I must admit I haven’t learned how to write the inscription on the One Ring.
After we had eaten dinner and it was almost time for our train back to London, we sadly left the Eagle and Child. We did pop into the Lamb and the Flag across the street, where the Inklings would sometimes meet as well, as well as other authors such as Thomas Hardy. Manuel had a quick pint there before we headed back to the train station and back into London. All in all, it was quite an enjoyable day in Oxford, and I’m beginning to rethink my decision to not apply there as a freshman because of the hassle that comes with international admissions. Live and learn, though. Maybe someday my path will take me back there.
