A Day Out

On an (almost) spur of the moment, and after three hard days in the garden, we decided that would would take a trip out. But where to go?  I have quite a number of places on my list, but this week we chose Oxford. Its about an hour run out to this historic city, and we used te excellent Park and Ride system to get into the heart of town.

There are so many beautiful buildings here - we certainly are not about the shopping!   

But one that was on my list to visit was "The Radcliffe Camera" which was built to house the Radcliffe Science Library. 

designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical style and built in 1737–1749

So we rock up to book a ticket for one of the guided tours only to find that they only take place on Wednesday Friday and Saturday 😞 and we were there on Thursday 😒 so back on my list of "things to see" it goes until we get back, maybe in the summer!

 So we just wandered around the city popping in and out of some of the buildings that were open on a Thursday 🙄

Opposite the "Camera" is the University Church of St Mary The Virgin,

 Which was VERY well heated for a church! 

 After a stop for a bite of lunch,  more wandering, this time around the Bodleian Library area.

 Then into another little church - this time the Anglo-Saxon St Michael at the Northgate, Oxfords oldest building, originally built around 1000–1050, with the tower from 1040 still in existence.

Which was charmingly simple. 

 The Lady's chapel a little more ornate

 William Morris (the artist and designer of beautiful fabrics) was married here in 1859.

the original Saxon Tower

the easiest way to get around the city!

A fabulous Magnolia just beginning to bloom

 Lots of the Oxford buildings were used in the Harry Potter films (of which I have seen none!) but I did recognise many sites of foul murder that appeared in the Morse series😂

We were there longer than we thought, and rather than get caught up in commuter traffic ( all those bikes)  we stopped at a tea shop for a little refreshment before we headed home

couldn't resist 😋

Back at home I have caught up on some sewing - but most of it is a secret so will have to wait for a bit.  I did pull the fabrics for my March Mini Mania  - the colours were chosen for us

 And I have finished my Tessellation quilt with over two weeks to spare!  My math skills were appalling when working out how many pieces of each were needed so the extras were sewn together to make the backing, so I am not unhappy about that. 

 It is quilted and bound ready for the reveal at the end of the month.
Now I will get back to another UFO on my (very long) list .