Cultural Differences: drinking age in the UK vs the USA

My husband and kids at The Plough, our local pub in Wolvercote, Oxford

When my family was on sabbatical in England, I researched a young adult novel about an American girl who spends her junior year at a British boarding school. One of the reasons my protagonist is 16 is that's the legal age for beer and wine in the UK, as long as someone 18 or older buys, and it's consumed with a meal. This law makes pubs a popular place for families and teens, giving them a very different vibe from American bars, where the drinking age is 21.

lower Manhattan: my teen playground

To understand how my fictional character might react to a change in her legal status, I recalled my own teenaged years. Back in the 1980s, the legal age was 18 in NYC. Club reps used to hand out free passes to underage girls outside our high school. At Limelight, a church that became a dance club, a bouncer told my friends where we could buy fake ID. We were more interested in dancing than in drinking, but teens drank heavily in the 1980s. It felt more like the UK.

While I was in college, the legal drinking age was raised to 21 in the USA. I went from being of age to underage, and this varied by state. Drinking went underground at dorm keg parties, which was not my scene. The change in law brought new danger as underage binge drinkers were afraid to call for medical help.

The Rose and Crown in Oxford

I spent my junior year in London where pubs and college bars were a big part of the social scene. I frequently saw students as young as 16 drinking in the streets, often getting sick. It's a myth that starting younger encourages moderation with alcohol. Still, as a young woman, a pub was a more comfortable place to be than an American bar or keg party.

The Dartmouth Arms, North London

Once I became a parent, my view on teen drinking gained a new perspective. In Maine we live next door to a college dorm.  Our yard becomes a recycling bin on weekends. Back in elementary school, my daughter once asked her brother, "Was so-and-so louder than a drunk college student?" It wasn't all bad. My kids believe that getting drunk is disgusting and embarrassing. Even in England, where my son can now drink legally, he orders a soda at the pub.

Our family has lived in both countries because my husband is British and an academic. It's been tricky coming up with cohesive rules for our kids. We discuss the risks of alcohol and drugs with our kids and ways to deal with peer pressure.

My biggest concern with underage drinking is drunk driving. In the UK the driving age is 17 and there are stiff fines for driving intoxicated and ubiquitous speed cameras. Most people live within walking distances of a pub, and there is an extensive network of nationally subsidized public transportation. In most of the USA, kids can drive at age 16 so underage drinking is a bigger problem. Teens are actually safer in a big city where no one has a car, let alone a license in high school. Perhaps the push should be for better public transportation to keep drunk drivers of all ages off the roads.

Update: be sure to check out the comments for info about drinking laws in other countries. Fascinating discussion! Do share more.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton: found for real in London

Walking up Drayton Gardens, a residential road in London, we saw a little house, wedged between townhouses. Above the ancient door was a mural of the house’s pastoral grandeur. Like the shepherd at the gate, I stopped in my tracks. Tears welled up in my eyes.


Growing up in Manhattan, one of my favorite books was The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. My father saved it from his childhood collection. He would have been 6 and living in Manhattan too when it was released in 1942.

Sadly that first edition book did not survive my children. I cried the day I found the yellowed pages scattered in the nursery. I replaced it and supervised picture book reading after that.

The Little House is an American tale of a small pink house in the country. She sees the distant lights of the city and wonders what it would be like to live there. Over the years, the city sprawls towards her. Abandoned by the family who built her, she grows derelict and is trapped between skyscrapers, no longer able to see the stars at all.

“Then one fine morning in Spring along came the great-great-great-grandaughter of the man who built the Little House so well. She saw the shabby Little House, but didn’t hurry by.”

The Little House was published in 1942, but the story feels like a current tale of urban sprawl. Burton’s gorgeous illustrations remind me of another favorite artist, Grandma Moses. Her words are both poetic and visionary. The Little House won the Caldecott Medal in 1943.

Back in the 1970s, my family lived in a brownstone in a vanishing neighborhood of low-rise buildings. The old wood frame building next door, one of the last remaining in the city, was torn down to build a “pencil building” before laws banned them. Pencil buildings were mini-apartment buildings, built on a single lot.

On the avenues, rows of century old townhouses were razed to build luxury condominium high-rises. The Old World feeling of Yorkville became Upper East Side posh. Today there are no more children playing unattended on the sidewalks. Brownstones remain midblock, wedged between huge apartment buildings.

SPOILER ALERT

Living in small town Maine now, I feel like the Little House dug up from the city and transported:

“ As the Little House settled down

on her new foundation,

she smiled happily.

Once again she could watch

the moon and the stars.

Once again she could watch

Spring and Summer

and Fall and Winter

come and go.

Once again

she was lived in

and taken care of.”

Virginia Lee Burton passed away in 1968, when I was just learning how to turn pages without tearing them. Burton’s picture books are still in print today through Houghton Mifflin. The Little House would make a special holiday gift for your child or grandchild. Of the many books I passed onto other children when mine got older, this one remains on my shelf and in my heart.

Do you have a favorite picture book from your childhood?

Book Award Watch: Tonight is the National Book Award. I'm rooting for Maine author Phillip Hoose.  Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice tells the true story of a teenaged girl who refused to give her seat to a white woman on the bus. Colvin was jailed 9 months before Rosa Parks and went on to testify in court against segregation. Hoose interviewed Colvin to tell this true heroic tale, for the first time giving it the attention it deserves. Hoose's guest tonight is Colvin. I dare you to watch the video above with dry eyes.  Update: Phillip Hoose won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature - congratulations!

Shakespeare Watch: the Brunswick High School in Maine is performing Much Ado About Nothing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm and 2pm matinee on Saturday.  In addition to a ticket, bring one item of non-perishable food to contribute to the food drive.  Ten percent of ticket sales are also going towards the hunger drive, once costume costs are paid.  The kids are doing a great job with this delightful romantic comedy.  I've been observing rehearsals to research my young adult novel as u like it.

The Dartmouth Arms Book Club (North London)

A book club at a pub? Only in North London! I was in Kentish Town last month doing research for my novel, NOT CRICKET (A MATCH FOR EVE). Two of my (fictional) characters grew up in this neighborhood. I had to visit the local boozer. I was impressed to find them reading Man Booker Prize literary fiction.

Look inside the Dartmouth Arms. Can you imagine curling up on that leather armchair before the fire with a pint of Adnams in one hand and a novel in the other? Bliss. I could hear my characters talking to me.

How did I find this gem? My husband once lived in this neighborhood. He rented the garden flat in the house with the purple door. Years ago we had gone back to visit, and the memory stayed with me. When I pictured my imaginary families living side-by-side in North London, this was the image that came to mind.

The Kentish Delight Wine Bar (above) looks new, but most of the neighborhood hadn’t changed much in two decades. This is not a posh part of London, but it’s affordable. The high street features row shops selling: greasy kebabs, fish and chips, discount electronics, Middle Eastern carpets, polyester clothing, flimsy furniture etc. North London hosts an ethnic mix and plenty of bohemian intellectuals and artists, like my characters.

The Owl Bookshop has been on the Kentish Town Road since the 1970s. This well-stocked independent bookshop is worth a trip on its own. Maybe one of my characters could own it. I'm browsing.

The low-rise neighborhood has a timeless, gritty quality to it. This isn’t touristy London.

You can imagine having a relationship with the butcher (if you weren’t a Vegan) instead of grabbing cellophaned packages. One change was a butcher advertising “organic” meat and fish. Probably the same stuff, just updated marketing.

For fun you’d go hear the latest indie rock live. Back in the 1980s the hmv forum was the Town and Country. My husband saw Stiff Little Fingers play there.

There has been only a touch of yuppification.

I have to admit to enjoying this new addition: Satuma Japanese Restaurant.

It was a trip down memory lane for my husband. He was a wonderful guide. In order to know characters, I walk the streets of their childhood. I won’t include the entire back story, but I want to understand it.

Expat Tips for Sabbatical in England

Here are the 10 things I wish I’d known before my family's sabbatical at Oxford. This is actually the fifth time I’ve lived in the UK, as my husband is English. Henry teaches at Bowdoin College in Maine USA. He had 2 Oxford University fellowships: The Nissan Institute and The Reuters Institute. He is writing a book on public television in the UK, USA and Japan.

I used the sabbatical to research a young adult novel, NOT CRICKET (renamed A MATCH FOR EVE), about an American girl in England. It all started with Uprooting to England. Click on Oxford Sabbatical Index to view the whole year. I’ll post once more from Oxford next week, and then I will continue blogging in Maine.

Tower Bridge, London from 2004

1. How long should we go? Last time my family moved to England it was for 6 months in London, and this time we came for 11 months in Oxford. I’d definitely recommend coming for the whole year if you can. It will be easier to rent out your house back home and to find accommodation abroad. It will be less disruptive to your children’s education. Most importantly, you will make more friends. People will make more effort getting to know you and you’ll make more effort too if you’re there longer.

On the 6 month stay, I felt as soon as we were settled, it was time to go back home. The move itself is very disruptive. It’s worse than a permanent move because you will have to maintain 2 households. During the year, you may have tenant or property issues to deal with back home complicated by time zones. The disruption was the biggest downside of a sabbatical. Read more about timing in the school section below.

Swans on Wolvercote Common: I counted over 40 on my last walk in adjacent Port Meadow. I'll be posting cygnet photos next week.

2. How do we find a place to live? The best site is sabbaticalhomes.com. It’s set up for the academic community for home exchanges and short-term rentals. It might even help you find a tenant for your house back home. Of course I heard about it after I was living in Oxford.

We found our perfect Wolvercote house through the Oxford University Gazette in March. Most listings go up in June/July. If you are connected with a university or living near one, check their paper for listings. It’s usually nicer living in someone’s home than in a professionally set up rental, and the price might be lower too.

Jericho townhouses are convenient to the Oxford City Center.

3. Where’s the best place to live in Oxford? If you have a family, I’d recommend Summertown as there are good shops in walking distance; the city center is in easy biking distance, and it’s well served by the bus lines. Your elementary school child is most likely to be placed at Cutteslowe which is close by. There’s a community sports center with an okay lap pool. There’s also a private but expensive sports club, Esporta.

On street parking is tight, but you won’t need a car in Summertown. Buy a "second hand" bike. Summertown Cycles has some, but it’s hard to find used ones for kids. Oxford is a biking town with bike lanes going into the center. However, there are no bus routes or bike lanes going across Oxford, so pay careful attention to your location. The downside would be no great pubs in Summertown, and it’s not especially scenic.

Another option is Jericho which is more charming and right by the city center. There are restaurants and some shops. It’s by the Oxford Canal, nice for a walk. It would be a good choice for a couple without kids or dog.

We chose to live in Wolvercote, a small village in the northern edge of Oxford. Wolvercote is the place to live if you have a dog, and it’s a green community with lots of families. We had on-street parking for our (used) car, and the #6 bus goes every 15 minutes to the center and only takes 15 minutes. I loved our location.

The downside about Wolvercote was that 3 miles was kind of far to bike into the center, and the local Wolvercote School was full. We were stuck walking our 10-year-old daughter 3 miles round trip to get her to school. My husband took the morning shift, and I the afternoon, but on some days I had to do both and walk 6 miles. I got very fit! It’s the European way to get exercise just getting places as opposed to driving in a car to work out.

One more cost to include in your calculations is you'll have to pay the council tax (ie poll tax) even if you aren't a Brit. We paid £1,400 for the year! Good news is you're also entitled, as a resident, to the National Health Service. Register when you arrive. We were happy with the Jericho Health Center. You don't have to go to the closest practice. Be sure to choose one that is open full hours.

Abingdon School Chapel: the boys attend weekly Anglican services. Both state and public schools study multi-religions as a required subject.

4. Where should the kids go to school? This may be your biggest headache. English state schools (ie public schools in American) will not automatically accept your kids, and most have crowding issues. Class sizes are large – up to 30 in a class and often one more. Oxford requires a signed tenant agreement (lease.) They have to provide children a spot only if you are resident for six months.

Due to school choice, you are not guaranteed a spot in a local school, and your kids won’t necessarily end up at the same schools. There are no school buses so you are responsible for your kid’s transportation unless it is over 3 miles one way (Oxford.) The school system is riddled with inequity.

In London we weren’t even allowed to apply until we were physically resident. Since we were moving in the middle of the year and wanted them at the same elementary school, we sent our kids (then 6 and 9) to a prep school instead. A prep school is a private primary school, usually up to age 11 or 13.

Many Americans in London send their kids to The American School. When we lived in London, we sent our kids to The Abercorn School which was mostly English but had a lot of international students with many Americans. It had an English curriculum and high academic standards. I’ve heard good things about The American School, and it certainly makes for an easier transition on both sides. Still, we were happy to send our kids to an English school for the full experience. Abercorn also cost less than The American School.

It’s confusing: many private secondary schools are called "public schools" in the UK. Some public schools provide scholarships but many require an entrance exam the spring before you go. When we were told that Cherwell, the state school in Oxford, was too full to accept our thirteen-year-old son, we sent him to The Abingdon School. You can read more about it in Public School Dayboy. It's his last day of school today. Our daughter's state school runs until July 23rd! There are more vacations over the school year.

Another factor you should consider is the age of your children. The demands on young children are much higher in the UK. A six-year-old is expected to be reading chapter books and memorizing times tables. Americans do catch up in the later elementary school years. Academically the differences increase as English schools get very specialized and tracked in the final years. It would be much easier for your high school student to attend The American School or an international school than to study for English A-levels that are in only a few chosen subjects.


My husband in his Oriel College boating club blazer.

5. What should we ship vs. buy? Everything is cheaper in the US, so it’s worth anticipating your needs and shipping stuff over. This year things cost the same number of dollars as pounds so life was twice as expensive. Plus my husband's grants were in dollars.

If you want to price compare items between the US and UK, check Argos on line. There’s a branch in Oxford center and others all over England. It’s a discount chain where you order from an in-store catalogue or on line. There are other "superstores" outside Oxford, but you won’t find the bargains or selection that you’re used to in the US. Boswells in Oxford Center will provide most of your household needs. You can find and get rid of stuff for free through freecycle.

The climate, no matter what time of year, is pretty consistent. Pack for 50’s and light rain. It can get up to the 70’s (rarely 80’s) in the summer, and it might occasionally snow or frost in winter. You’ll need wellies (rubber boots) for country walks, but you can find them here for not too much. I’d recommend bringing a good, light weight raincoat or you can buy a “pack a mac” here.

At Oxford there are many black tie or jacket and tie events. A dark suit is fine for all events for men (no real need for the tux.) You will get invited to more things at the beginning and end of the academic year than in the middle. Sensible dress shoes for women are a must as you will be walking on cobblestones and up slippery stone steps, possibly even on rooftops!

Shipping home is a headache. The Royal Mail no longer ships by boat and is expensive by air. The cheapest convenient option was Mail Boxes Etc, which has a branch in Summertown and many all over the USA. It’s about £3 per kg with a 17% fuel surcharge. Shipping from the US is much cheaper.

The airing cupboard can be in the bathroom, hall or kitchen. Our drying space is unusually small since the tank is extra big.

6. What’s different in the household? Your flat (as apartments are called in England) will probably have no dryer or an all in one unit that will not do much more than steam your clothes. You might have a clothesline, but it rains more days than not. Most people hang clothes on radiators or off furniture. Damp clothes are put in the airing cupboard. This is a cupboard around your hot water heater with wooden slats designed for drying clothes.

Another option, if you have space, is to buy a condenser dryer for about £200. Every 3 loads or so you empty out the water collected in the tank. It takes longer than a vented dryer, but it does the job.

I like Ariel Biological detergent. Buy Calgon limescale protection tablets to soften up the water. Then you can use half the recommended detergent. The washing machines tend to work well at spinning off excess water so clothes dry faster but also wear out faster.

Due to hard water, you have to add a special salt to your dishwasher occasionally. You’ll see limescale in the machine and on your glasses if you don’t. Be sure to get a toilet cleaner that’s tough on limescale. Andrex toilet paper is softest.

Your fridge and freezer will probably be small by American standards. You can order groceries on the internet and have them delivered for free (if you spend over £50) from Sainsbury's.

None of your recipes will work in the UK without conversion. All English products are in grams of weight whereas American recipes are by oz volume. You won’t find American shortening for baking. Use caster sugar for baking and a little less butter than you would usually since the butter is creamier. Baking soda is called bicarbonate of soda and most Brits don’t use it.

Your heat and hot water will probably be on a timer. You can reprogram it, but you probably won’t need heat at night as it rarely gets below freezing. Expect a small hot water tank and not much water pressure unless you are lucky (we were.) Most English people prefer baths and have nice deep and long ones. English homes tend to be cool and damp so bring layers to wear inside.

My English home office where I started writing NOT CRICKET (A MATCH FOR EVE).

7. How do I set up a home office and stay connected? The good news is there are Staples in England, including one in Oxford center, but the bad news is that everything costs twice as much. Worst of all, standard computer paper is a slightly different size – a bit longer and narrower. Shipping a large document, like a novel manuscript, is expensive. I needed to send manuscripts to readers and my agent in the USA. There were postal strikes going on last fall.

The best solution was to e-mail my manuscript as a US formatted PDF to FedEx Kinko’s and have them print it. I found a branch a few blocks away from my agent, and the courier service ($15) was cheaper than a fed ex. My agent’s assistant picked up my manuscripts the first couple of times [thanks, Marika!]

We chose BT for a cable wireless hub, but it is slower than what we had back home and has to be reset weekly to discharge static electricity. It comes with a broadband phone which allows us to make inexpensive calls at any time to the USA. The reception is not as good as our land line. A cheaper option is Skype, but the reception is poor and requires a camera in both computers to get the full service.

It took BT several weeks to get us connected to the internet, and my husband spent many hours (not exaggerating) on phone queues (on hold) and was often disconnected. The UK is not a service economy. Call lines are understaffed and often out-sourced. This drove us completely crazy and ruined the first couple of weeks. Does anyone know a better option than BT? If so, please comment.

Free WiFi is hard to find. There are a few places where you can pay 70p for a half an hour to use ancient computers. Read my first Oxford post.

Mobile phones are inexpensive and plentiful. Best to get a pay as you go with a cheap US calls plan. We did ours through carphone warehouse. You can buy a separate card to use in the rest of Europe.

Blogging is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends and to create a record of your adventure. If you want privacy, you can have your blog password protected and unlisted. You can set up a free google blog in minutes.

The downside of blogging was that it will distract you from work (that’s why I only post weekly) and your friends and family probably won’t post comments on your blog. They get your news without you getting theirs so you’ll feel disconnected. It’s still the best way to update people without repeating yourself endlessly.

My writers' group: standing L and R Miranda Glover and Rachel Nkere-Uwem Jackson; seated L to R Jennie Walmsley, Sarah Laurence (me), Anne Tuite-Dalton and Lucy Cavendish. Alexa Wilson is in the group too. I'm missing you guys already! Photo by Miranda's husband.

8. How do I meet people? It can be challenging to make friends in England. The country is smaller so people are used to keeping their old friends and won’t empathize as readily with your situation. The English are more reserved than Americans so don’t take a cool first reaction personally.

Look for groups of people who share your interests. Your local community center or library may have classes or book groups. The church would have a choir. Choosing a local state school is a good way to meet other parents. I joined a writers' group after meeting another author at a party.

Join the Oxford Newcomers’ Club. It’s mostly women but open to any spouse or partner of someone who is working/studying/on sabbatical at Oxford. Oxford is not an open university and access is very limited. Through Newcomers you will go on special tours. Some are free and others cost a few pounds. They even have a book group. If you aren’t at Oxford, check to see if the university has a similar program. Cambridge University does.

Our golden retriever loved Port Meadow, so did we. Wellies required!

9. Should I bring my dog/cat/ferret? England recently introduced the pet travel scheme so you don’t have to put your pet in 6 months quarantine. You have to start the paperwork and tests six months before you depart. It’s really complicated and expensive. You also have to get a final check within 2 days of departing the US.

BA is the only airline that you can ship your pet to England, but you don’t need to accompany your pet. You have to buy a huge crate to fit their requirements. The crate for my golden retriever was big enough for a Shetland pony, and her airfare was over a thousand dollars! To return, she can go on American for much less, but we have to buy a smaller crate as the minimum size crate for BA was larger than the maximum size for American Airlines.

We chose to live in Wolvercote because Port Meadow is the best place to walk and swim your dog off lead (leash.) Here’s a virtual dog walk post. Hill’s Science Diet Pet Food is readily available in both countries so switch your pet over before you leave. We were very happy with our Parkwood Veterinary Group.

Despite the hassle and the cost, I’m glad we brought our dog. Home is not home without her. I’ve also met people through my dog. England is very dog friendly. It’s easier to find a rental open to pets here than in the US. Dogs are welcome on Oxford buses. There are even special dog gates on country walks. Having a dog in London, however, would be difficult.

Hot air balloon over Lincoln College, Oxford. Bon voyage!

10. Was it worth it? Yes! We had a wonderful time, and I collected fabulous material for my novel, NOT CRICKET (A MATCH FOR EVE). Living abroad is much more satisfying and personal than traveling as a tourist or for work. If you have a family, this will be a broadening and educational experience your children will never forget. Even the hardships will pull you closer together. A sabbatical is the ultimate bonding experience. Plus it was fun!

More Oxford Info:
Oxfordshire County Council for state schools
NHS for medical services
Best Lunch and Tea in Oxford
Best Pubs in Oxford
Fine Dining in Oxford
Americans in Oxford
The Oxford Guide

Did I leave anything out? Please "comment" below.
Go to Oxford Sabbatical Index to view the whole year.

Shakespeare's Rose

My favorite venue for Shakespeare, especially with kids, is the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park. In June Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens are in peak bloom.

Doves flutter across the stage and coo from trees. What better place to hear Juliet ask Romeo:

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

Timothy Sheader’s Romeo and Juliet was dynamically staged with as much Leonard Bernstein as William Shakespeare in spirit. The 1950’s gang member costumes and the elaborate dance routines were very West Side Story, but the language was from the Bard.

It was visually stunning and engaging. The acting was good too if not as seamless as the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Nicholas Shaw’s Romeo brought a youthful vigor and handsome charm to his role even if Laura Donelly’s Juliet was too girly in her pink gowns, teddy bear and tears. Amazingly Claire Benedict stole the show as the nurse. She was laugh out loud funny, attractive and endearing – her body language, timing and delivery were natural. I was amazed so much could be done with such a stereotypical role. Benedict made it her own. Another star in both performance and humor was Oscar Pearce as Mercutio, and Dale Superville was hilarious in the bit part of Peter.

Watching open air theater in England is a gamble. It’s best to come prepared as if for the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Raincoat, sweater, hat and sunglasses: I used and removed them all. Your kids will get the action better if they know the score, but what if they’re a bit young for reading Shakespeare?

My husband found a manga edition of Romeo and Juliet (U.K. and U.S.A.) that used only true lines and nothing more. Did it work? As we left the production, my ten year-old-daughter asked, “Why didn’t they kill Paris?” We assumed she had that wrong until we checked. The comic book was truer than the abridged performance! My husband explained that most Shakespeare is edited for performances as was the Bard’s intention. Both kids enjoyed it all the same as did their parents. Romeo and Juliet is playing now through August 2, 2008.

After the matinee we strolled through Regents Park. The light is amazing at this time of year in England. The sun (when it shines) rises before 5am and sets after 9pm. The rain and mild climate does make everything so lush and green.

Queen Mary’s Gardens were fragrant with roses in many more hues than you could imagine.

The only down side was that dining options were limited. We had a quick dim sum meal at Ping Pong, which we enjoyed although it’s not as good as Dim-T or China Town elsewhere in London. The restaurant did at least have as many Asian clients, always a good sign. Not such a good sign was when I ordered sake, the waitress brought a cup for my 13-year-old son! He’s grown a lot this year and his voice is dropping, but does he look 18? Freaky!


On the train I finished a fun novel, Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti. It was a bestseller in Sweden and is now translated into English. I like the Swedish title better: Grabben i Graven Brevid (The Guy in the Next Grave.) It’s a tale of mismatched modern love that starts in a graveyard. It’s light and funny without ever being saccharine. The characterization is great, the writing fresh and if there isn’t much plot, it matters little as the story breezes along. Sadly, I don’t think it’s available in the USA yet, just the UK.

We didn’t have to travel to London for good Chinese food. Shanghai 30’s back in Oxford is surprisingly sophisticated. The setting is a 15th century building with high ceilings, later period detailing and generous windows. We went there a couple of weekends ago.

The crispy duck was especially good as was the spicy Ma Po Tofu, and there were interesting, original dishes like honey roasted chicken in a citrus sauce. The prices were high for Chinese food, but the service was excellent. We also had great company. Through our daughter, we’ve become friends with the Kellstedt family who have been on sabbatical from Texas since January.

Before that dinner we had all gone to Evensong at Christ Church. It’s the largest college chapel and the only cathedral in Oxford. The candlelit service below the high vaulted ceiling was a perfect setting to hear hymns sung in Latin by the choir. It was a very spiritual experience.


Afterwards my husband pointed out a chapel grotesque that he is convinced was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat. The girls were entranced as both our families had reread Alice in Wonderland at bedtime this Oxford year.




The Oxford Botanical Gardens is another pleasant family excursion. It’s not the nicest or biggest botanical garden you’ll ever see, but it’s a calm oasis from High Street traffic. Lovely Magdalen Tower presides in the background, making it special

I know it’s a garden cliché, but I love a fountain of lily pads, and these were such vibrant colors. The old stone walls were covered in climbing roses, but nothing anywhere near as spectacular as Queen Mary’s Gardens.

The sun was shining (my whining last week worked,) and the Botanical Gardens is one of the few places in Oxford you are allowed to lie on the grass and admire the rare blue sky.

Even on a rainy day, it’s worth a visit for the greenhouses. The tropical vegetation is like a jungle.

These South African clivia miniata were outside a room of cacti. I wish I’d visited in the cold, damp winter. A year membership is just £10, and it’s £3 for a single visit. Students are discounted and school children are free with a parent.

This post is part of Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. Thank you, Kate, for recommending a visit to the Botanical Gardens. If any of you readers have other recommendations, please post a comment now. I only have one month left to enjoy Oxford. It amazes me that even after 10 months here, I’m still finding more to see.

Photography Credit: Romeo and Juliet photos from the Open Air Theatre's website. All other photos (except book jacket covers) by Sarah Laurence.