Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Friday 27 March 2015

Blenheim Revisited


Yesterday I made my first visit this year to Blenheim Palace when I took a group of students from a CBL International course at Oriel to visit it. This is an excursion I have led for different groups over several years.

I knew that the permanent exhibition about Sir Winston Churchill had been renovated and when I walked through that thought it a great improvement on the previous version, and it uses video and other modern methods to tell the story of his life as well as an improved display of photographs and memorabilia.

Being early in the season the Palace was quiet so one could see it in more comfort than in high summer. The trees in the park still lack their spring green but one sensed it was not far away with the daffodils blooming on the grass verges by the Palace gates.

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