Oxford

A stunning city, synonymous for its university and renown worldwide as a centre of academic excellence. A city bursting with architectural gems from the St. George's Tower which forms part of the historic Oxford Castle, to the Radcliffe Camera, the Bridge of Sighs and the Carfax Tower. A seemingly endless list of marvels to explore. The name itself can carry a lot of history and Oxford is no exception. A long time ago Oxford was known as Oxenford and was the place of oxen's shallow river crossings, or fords as they are also known. The River Thames splits into many channels here and was an important north south route for cattle connecting the south of England with the Midlands.

It was a warm day in early September and the gentle breeze caressed the still abundant foliage on the trees at Headington Hill Campus. The auburn and yellow colors of the leaves were entrancing and added to the magical atmosphere of the English countryside in Autumn. We were standing under the trees, in a queue that slowly moved towards one of the buildings. The excitement was tangible as we all waited to get our induction packs and finalise the registration that would officially make us all students at Oxford Brooked University.

We lived in the south side of the city, just off Abingdon road. I enjoyed the daily commute to class, passing through the city centre and right next to the Carfax Tower. The St. Martin's church was the official city church of Oxford, dating back to 1122, and the Carfax Tower is all that remains of it today. Right next to it there used to be a coffee shop that made the best freshly baked baguettes in town. It used to be a frequent pit stop for me to get some coffee and food on the way to class. In fact they made a pretty delicious chicken curry baguette. I ended up working there part time for a few months while studying towards my degree. These memories still bring a smile on my face, working with a real motley crew of Oxfordshire natives. The conversations from those days still make me cringe to this day.

There are many fond memories of the university libraries and what felt at that time like years spent poring over administrative law textbooks. Initially I enrolled and was about to embark on a degree in cellular biology but ended up going down the legal route. However my interest in that subject has never dwindled in the slightest over the years. Watching a close family member deteriorate with the devastating effects of dementia has been heartbreaking. It has also raised many questions as to what spurred its onset and what could have been done to prevent (or at least postpone it). Perhaps one day in the far future I will get an opportunity to pursue these studies.