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So! What has everyone's favourite Nomad been up to in recent days? Good question! Here's the Reader's Digest version:
Recent days have contained some very lovely firsts! It began on Friday evening, when I launched the weekend by ringing bells with the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers. This was not ordinary ringing practice -- the OUS was hosting the annual Southern Universities Association. As such, we rang at Carfax tower, in the heart of Oxford. This tower -- the only remaining part of the 13the century St. Martin's Church -- is widely regarded as marking the very centre of Oxford. Before last week, though, I had never rung there before. I was a bit nervous to be ringing in a new place with visiting ringers all about... but it was also very exciting to be ringing to the crowds that fill Oxford's streets on a Friday night!
After ringing, I came home and spent the rest of the evening with my beloved![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cheshcat. We got in some quality alone time, as well as starting in on the season eight DVDs of Smallville. A quiet evening... but a nice one!
On Saturday, the firsts continued! The lovelysweetcyanide came down from Manchester for her first visit to my fair city. I took out my [metaphorical] tour guide hat and showed her some of the sights around town! Over the course of the weekend, we hit several museums, colleges, and more! We also learned that the local Holiday Inn has a very nice swimming pool, jacuzzi, and sauna! One of the [many] highlights was visiting the Museum of the History of Science, where there is currently a fascinating exhibition on Steampunk art! Twas most nifty -- and I shall have to visit again before it leaves in late February! At the very end of the exhibition, there is a room full of so-called "Steampunk originals" -- these are actual pieces of Victorian scientific equipment that inspired the whole "steampunk" style!
The Weather Gods were a bit petulant on Saturday, so we spend most of the day indoors... at the Museum of Natural History[*], the Pitt Rivers Museum[**], lunch at my favourite vegetarian pub[***], and the aforementioned Steampunk exhibition. I believe that our dip in the pool and jacuzzi on Saturday evening convinced said Gods that we were wet enough... so the rest of the weekend weather was absolutely splendid! We took advantage of that on Sunday, with a walking tour of the city, a climb up to the top of Carfax tower[****], and exploring Christ Church -- my favourite of the Oxford colleges.
In addition to all this running about, this was also a first in that I had never before spent this much time alone withsweetcyanide. Getting to know her better was quite, quite wonderful! At the end of the weekend, she accidentally left her umbrella in my car... which ensures that she will have to return to Oxford again to collect it!
On Monday evening, after work, the firsts continued. After months of dancing around travel schedules, I was finally able to meetcmcmck and her husband for the first time! We dined together at Daquise -- a delicious Polish restaurant in South Kensington... in the place where the Polish government-in-exile has been located during the Second World War! The food was delicious, the conversation fascinating, and the company excellent!
Moving on to Tuesday evening, I rang bells at Mary Mag -- also with the OUSCR -- and then met my darlingbunnypip at the Flat With No Name for a date. There may have been some firsts involved... but listing what they are might not be suitable for this space! Suffice to say that the evening ended with many smiles!
Now I am riding Ye Olde Oxford Tubee back home, where I shall collect my dearcheshcat and we shall make our way up to Stratford-upon-Avon. There we will see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform Twelfth Night. Perhaps the run of "firsts" is now ended, as I have seen productions of Twelfth Night before. Thus, this shall not advance me on my quest to see all thirty-eight of the Bard's plays performed on stage; my Shakespeare NumberTM will -- for now -- remain at twenty-seven. However, after tonight I will have seen the RSC perform twenty-three out of the thirty-eight... thus furthering me on my secondary goal to see an RSC production of every play![*****]
Nearly home now, so best to post this and get ready for the evening's entertainment!
[*] Including the current Darwin exhibition and pointing out the room where the famous Huxley-Wilberforce evolution debate took place in 1860.
[**] Including everybody's favourite -- the shrunken heads!
[***] The Gardener's Arms, on Plantation Road.
[****] Where I acted like an excited little kid, pointing out tosweetcyanide the ropes that I had been ringing on less than two days later as we ascended through the ringing chamber.
[*****] Obsessive-compulsive? Me?? Why would you ever think that?
Recent days have contained some very lovely firsts! It began on Friday evening, when I launched the weekend by ringing bells with the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers. This was not ordinary ringing practice -- the OUS was hosting the annual Southern Universities Association. As such, we rang at Carfax tower, in the heart of Oxford. This tower -- the only remaining part of the 13the century St. Martin's Church -- is widely regarded as marking the very centre of Oxford. Before last week, though, I had never rung there before. I was a bit nervous to be ringing in a new place with visiting ringers all about... but it was also very exciting to be ringing to the crowds that fill Oxford's streets on a Friday night!
After ringing, I came home and spent the rest of the evening with my beloved
cheshcat. We got in some quality alone time, as well as starting in on the season eight DVDs of Smallville. A quiet evening... but a nice one!On Saturday, the firsts continued! The lovely
sweetcyanide came down from Manchester for her first visit to my fair city. I took out my [metaphorical] tour guide hat and showed her some of the sights around town! Over the course of the weekend, we hit several museums, colleges, and more! We also learned that the local Holiday Inn has a very nice swimming pool, jacuzzi, and sauna! One of the [many] highlights was visiting the Museum of the History of Science, where there is currently a fascinating exhibition on Steampunk art! Twas most nifty -- and I shall have to visit again before it leaves in late February! At the very end of the exhibition, there is a room full of so-called "Steampunk originals" -- these are actual pieces of Victorian scientific equipment that inspired the whole "steampunk" style!The Weather Gods were a bit petulant on Saturday, so we spend most of the day indoors... at the Museum of Natural History[*], the Pitt Rivers Museum[**], lunch at my favourite vegetarian pub[***], and the aforementioned Steampunk exhibition. I believe that our dip in the pool and jacuzzi on Saturday evening convinced said Gods that we were wet enough... so the rest of the weekend weather was absolutely splendid! We took advantage of that on Sunday, with a walking tour of the city, a climb up to the top of Carfax tower[****], and exploring Christ Church -- my favourite of the Oxford colleges.
In addition to all this running about, this was also a first in that I had never before spent this much time alone with
sweetcyanide. Getting to know her better was quite, quite wonderful! At the end of the weekend, she accidentally left her umbrella in my car... which ensures that she will have to return to Oxford again to collect it!On Monday evening, after work, the firsts continued. After months of dancing around travel schedules, I was finally able to meet
cmcmck and her husband for the first time! We dined together at Daquise -- a delicious Polish restaurant in South Kensington... in the place where the Polish government-in-exile has been located during the Second World War! The food was delicious, the conversation fascinating, and the company excellent!Moving on to Tuesday evening, I rang bells at Mary Mag -- also with the OUSCR -- and then met my darling
bunnypip at the Flat With No Name for a date. There may have been some firsts involved... but listing what they are might not be suitable for this space! Suffice to say that the evening ended with many smiles!Now I am riding Ye Olde Oxford Tubee back home, where I shall collect my dear
cheshcat and we shall make our way up to Stratford-upon-Avon. There we will see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform Twelfth Night. Perhaps the run of "firsts" is now ended, as I have seen productions of Twelfth Night before. Thus, this shall not advance me on my quest to see all thirty-eight of the Bard's plays performed on stage; my Shakespeare NumberTM will -- for now -- remain at twenty-seven. However, after tonight I will have seen the RSC perform twenty-three out of the thirty-eight... thus furthering me on my secondary goal to see an RSC production of every play![*****]Nearly home now, so best to post this and get ready for the evening's entertainment!
[*] Including the current Darwin exhibition and pointing out the room where the famous Huxley-Wilberforce evolution debate took place in 1860.
[**] Including everybody's favourite -- the shrunken heads!
[***] The Gardener's Arms, on Plantation Road.
[****] Where I acted like an excited little kid, pointing out to
sweetcyanide the ropes that I had been ringing on less than two days later as we ascended through the ringing chamber.[*****] Obsessive-compulsive? Me?? Why would you ever think that?
