Vix's guest post

Hello everyone! I have been invited to write a blog entry focused on Mark and Gill's trip to Oxford. I say Mark and Gill's trip, but to be honest it was the Worcester boys' trip really (hence my alternative title for the weekend: 'booze and bromance' TM). There was a disconcerting amount of hugging, some unsettling gyrating on the dancefloor, plenty of "eeuurrgghh yeuurrggghh kneeuurrgghhing", and more than one man snog. But, first things first....


We met at Magdalen Bridge boat house with picnic food a plenty and hired two four-man punts. It was quickly established that Simon was the most proficient punter and so he took charge of our boat (I also had a go, as you'll see from the photos, but Alex and Paul wimped out). Mark and Tom manfully did their duty on the second boat, while Gill and Sam did a brilliant job at keeping everyone in steady supply of Pimms and sandwiches.


After a couple of hours messing about on the river, it was felt more liquid refreshment was needed. So followed a whistle-stop tour of some of the city's finest public houses, with sight-seeing titbits from Oxford's premier tour guide between stop-offs and a longer stroll around the mighty Worcester College.

Having a bit of difficulty with the piccies, so they're gonna be on the next update....

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So, the story continues... I see that Mark has put up his own version of the truth, so I'll try not to be too repetitive with the pictures.



As I was saying, having met up with other ex-inhabitants of the great city, we went on a brief but highly enjoyable tour of Oxford's highlights. It turns out Oxford's main highlights are Worcester and its pubs...

I should not (and will not) fail to mention Mr Richard Brookes at this juncture. With his bike as his faithful steed, Richard heroically travelled ahead to each and every watering hole and by the time the rest of us arrived we had pints/rum and keurghks (delete as appropriate) waiting. Which brings us nicely on to the Chiang Mai Kitchen, where once again Brooksie played a vital role. By this point everyone was a little on the merry side - there'd been a human pyramid (see Mark's photo), Sam's hat was being passed around far too many sweaty heads, and the singing had begun. So Richard took charge and made sure everyone was fed and watered. The food was lovely, but the company even better. I haven't laughed as much in a long time, and I suspect others would say the same. It's possible we scared off the rest of the diners (many a bemused head poked into our private room on the way to the exit), but the waiting staff seemed happy enough. If only every Saturday could be the same...

It is at this point that things get a little hazy. I remember that we went to the Kings Arms (Head?), that Andy was attacked by a man with a machete (I think), that I wasn't allowed in to some sort of Tortoise bar (which resulted in George having to down a number of shots we hadn't ordered), and that there was dancing in Freud's. Yes, there was, um, dancing. Well, there was flailing and pointing. In summary, a really rather wonderful day was had by all!