Oxford Local Customs

  •   Local Customs
    by jo104
  •   Local Customs
    by jo104
  •   Local Customs
    by jo104

Most Viewed Local Customs in Oxford

  • Pronunciation, Oxford

    1. Pronunciation

    Oxford has some intuition-defying pronunciations. If you really want to sound like a native you'll have to say Bay-lee-ill for Balliol (college), Bod-lee-inn for Bodleian (library), Maud-Lynn for...   more
  • May Day, Oxford

    2. May Day

    May Morning is one of Oxford's most popular celebrations. Very many Oxonians (and tourists) party the whole night through only to gather on Magdalen Bridge at the unchristian time of 5.30am. The...   more
  • Punting, Oxford

    3. Punting

    Punting is a very popular passtime, particularly in the summer. I think punting is exclusive to Oxford & Cambridge - I've never seen it elsewhere. It's a lot more difficult than it looks - have a look...   more
  • Rowing, Oxford

    4. Rowing

    Rowing is one of the most popular sports at Oxford, and amongst the colleges the competition is fierce. Whilst the drawbacks of rowing are all too obvious - early starts at 6am, training 7 days a...   more
  • Oxford Jokes, Oxford

    5. Oxford Jokes

    As Oxford is renowned for its theologians, here's an Oxford joke: Q: Why is Turl Street like the Church of England? A: Because it runs from the High to the Broad, passing Jesus by on the way   more
  • Zealots on Cornmarket Street, Oxford

    6. Zealots on Cornmarket Street

    You may find it weird to include a tip about Oxford's zealots in my pages. Well, I've done it for a reason: Oxford has an astonishingly large selection of...   more
  • Oxford Affliations with Lewis Caroll, Oxford

    7. Oxford Affliations with Lewis Caroll

    Famous for his book Alice in Wonderland he attended Christchurch college in Oxford. He developed a stammer it has been said only in adult company but there is...   more
  • College doors, Oxford

    8. College doors

    As you walk past the colleges its almost natural that you would look for the name of the college outside, but in Oxford it is only a coat of arms that...   more
  • Segregation Between Student and Regular Oxfordian, Oxford

    9. Segregation Between Student and Regular Oxfordian

    I came here to visit an old friend that invited me to come and visit her, her husband and baby as well as baby no.2 (then) still to come. And she was telling me...   more
  • Bicycling Around Town, Oxford

    10. Bicycling Around Town

    Something that is quite remarkable, is of how many people travel everywhere by bicycle! Quite normal, you might say, since this is a university town. Yes, but...   more
  • Pub Etiquette, Oxford

    11. Pub Etiquette

    Great Britain may be famous for their love of queues, however the pub is the one place where all respect for queues are forgotten. Pub Etiquette:You somehow get...   more
  • 'Hell's Passage aka St. Helen's Passage' 2, Oxford

    12. 'Hell's Passage aka St. Helen's Passage' 2

    Another fun, likely improbable, story regarding Hell's Passage goes like this:A long, long time ago, when students of the university had a curfew to obey...   more
  • Hell's Passage aka St. Helen's Passage, Oxford

    13. Hell's Passage aka St. Helen's Passage

    The alley between Hertford's famous Bridge of Sighs (see picture) and The Turf Tavern is now called 'St. Helen's Passage', which is a sanitisation of the more...   more
  • Scholar's Guide to Oxford Pubs, Oxford

    14. Scholar's Guide to Oxford Pubs

    http://www.oxford-info.com/Pubs.htmWant an 'objective' view on pub ratings and critiques? Take a look at The Scholar's Guide to Oxford Pubs at...   more
  • TheStudentRoom.co.uk website, Oxford

    15. TheStudentRoom.co.uk website

    http://www.thestudentroom.co.ukIf you're a student looking to come to Oxford, or a current Oxonian needing information, thestudentroom (popularly referred to as...   more
  • Daily Info Website, Oxford

    16. Daily Info Website

    http://www.dailyinfo.co.ukDaily Info is the go-to site for anything Oxford. Very similar to Craigslist in New York, Daily Info offers everything from...   more
  • The Lodge, Oxford

    17. The Lodge

    The guard's desk or porter's building of any college in Oxford is called the Lodge. This is where you ask about admissions fees, opening hours, visiting hours,...   more
  • Cycling, Oxford

    18. Cycling

    Cycling in Oxford is a way of life. It's a city without an underground and limited buses that don't go into the city centre, hence the use of cycles to get...   more
  • Oxford gardens, Oxford

    19. Oxford gardens

    The English love gardening. They can talk about their gardens, displaying knowledge that could do credit to a professional botanist. Their gardens are often...   more
  • Gargoyles, Oxford

    20. Gargoyles

    These Gargoyles adorn many of the old buildings in Oxford eg: Colleges and Churches. Obviously the idea was taken from the architecture in France.I'm sure that...   more
  • The Oxford Light Infantry, Oxford

    21. The Oxford Light Infantry

    War memorials are a very important part of our history and heritage, it's what made it a free country, let's hope it stays that way.....This memorial in New...   more
  • Ed Alleyne Johnson, Oxford

    22. Ed Alleyne Johnson

    Ed Alleyne Johnson started his musical life as a busker on the streets of the city of Oxford in the 1980's.He came to his glory with his music on CD 'Purple...   more
  • Magdalen Hall, Oxford

    23. Magdalen Hall

    This is a magnificently atmospheric dining room with wonderful wood panelling walls and long polished tables. Quite dark and sombre but reaking of tradition and...   more
  • Catch a Film, Oxford

    24. Catch a Film

    The Odeon chain is a good place to see a film. One thing that is different about seeing a film in England is that you have a choice between sweet or salted...   more
  • Anti-War Demonstrations, Oxford

    25. Anti-War Demonstrations

    Before (and during) the recent war in Iraq, Oxford was, just like many other cities in the UK, the scene of many anti-war demonstrations. This one in particular...   more

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