oxford welfare guide

8/12/2019 Oxford Welfare Guide

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THE WELFARE GUIDE TO

OXFORD


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Hello everyone!

So, Autumn is drawing near, and Im sure youre all

very excited about coming up to College in October.

Of course, youll all be very busy in the next fewweeks, but in between episodes of Brideshead

Revisited and Morse, try to find some time to flip

through this friendly guide to Oxford.

There are so many absolutely

beautiful places to go, but it takes a whole lot of exploring

before you even stumble across half of them - some of the bestspots are hidden away, which only makes them better, really.

Anyway, in the next couple of pages, Ill try to give

you a brief overview of some of the loveliest walks,picnic areas, cafes, theatres, museums... everything,

really, in the hope that youll really get the best out of

your first year at Merton.

Oxford is a wonderful and (more

often than not) fantastically crazy city to live in, and

theres never a shortage of things to do or places to go.Come October, youll all hopefully start discovering your

own favourite things in Oxford, but until then, here are a

few of mine. :)

Kess x

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Merton College from the Chapel roof

Christ Church Meadows

The University Parks at Dusk

Out on the Merton punts


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CON ENTS

Walks & Picnic Spots 4

Cafes & Restaurants 7

Cinemas, Theatres etc. 10

Museums 12

Practical Stuff (still not boring,

promise!)

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Oxford from the South.(Thats Merton, front and centre)

The Rad Cam(Radcliffe Camera, part of the BodleianLibrary)


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The great outdoors

Im not going to promise fantastic weather all the time, because lets face it, this is England. But,

that being said, dont let a bit of rain spoil your fun. Oxford is a seriously beautiful place, and,

despite being a city, is surrounded by fantastic countryside, not to mention all the parks, fields and

walks within a ten minute walking distance from College. And theyre especially fun in the snow!

Christ Church Meadows

Ive put this first because it was the first place I

discovered, and its lovely. Also, its right next to

College. Were talking, walk out of the gate and

youre there, sort of thing, which is great if you

suddenly feel the need to get out of the city and go

for a wander. The squirrels are pretty friendly, and

you can even take that forgotten bread from the backof your cupboard and go and feed the ducks. Steer

clear of the geese though - apparently they prefer the taste of human flesh to bakery products.

Also there are big hairy Scottish cows. And deer. And the occasional rowing team. So yeah,

livestock galore. Plus, Im fairly sure Turner painted it, which pretty much guarantees its status as

one of the loveliest places in Oxford, and, hey, its right on your doorstep! :)

Magdalen Fellows Garden

Dont get the wrong impression from

these names, by the way. Merton is by far

the most beautiful college, and the oldest,

and also of course the best, but putting all

about Merton in here would be pointless,

because youre going to be living there -you hardly need my prodding to discover

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it. So these are the places you might overlook. This one in particular

is really hard to find. Or at least, it was for us. After months of

staring at it longingly as we crossed Magdalen Bridge, we finally

managed to actually get to it (its an island) in Trinity term. Eventually

we figured out that just wandering into Magdalen College andheading for the huge croquet lawn took us to the bridge across to it.

Incidentally, its also where they shot a lot of Brideshead Revisited.

Its a fantastic place for punting, too - you can rent the punts out,

bring along the chapmagne and strawberries and feel like a

living cliche. I can recommend it - its great fun. This is

definitely one to check out. Its probably my favourite place

in Oxford.

University Parks

Theyre a fair walk away, by Oxford standards, whichmeans theyre not really far at all. Ten, maybe fifteen

minutes across town (straight up past Magdalen and

then follow the road right the way round) and youve

got 70 acres of prime picnic area, make-shift football

pitches and/or spontaneous games of hide & seek. We

spent most of Trinity here - its gorgeous.

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Your LGBTQ Rep trying

his hand at punting


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The Merton Punting River

Yes, I know thats not what its really called, but thats

essentially what it is. Sadly, you can only rent the

Merton punts out in Trinity, but its definitely worth thewait. A ten minute walk up to St. Cats and one

vicarious clamber into a punt later, and you can barely

believe youre in the city. There are fields and willow

trees and its absolutely story-book beautiful.

And hey, itll be Trinity - take a bikini or trunks

and go for a swim. The waters not exactly

crystal, but its Uni. If youre not going to jumpin a freezing cold, dirty river now, then when are

you going to? Besides, its an experience, and

it makes for a good story. (which, lets face it, is

the main reason for most things which happen in

these essential and formative years)

Magdalen Meadows

Again, somewhere that took us ages to actually find. Theyre

right across Magdalen Bridge (next to College) but you have to

wander down to a car park just past Sainsburys to actually

get to them. Perfect spot for a picnic (because theyre about

five minutes away, and you have to pass a supermarket to getto them, so theres great opportunity to pick up food on the

way) or for kicking a

ball around.

Right, well, thats all for outdoors-y destinations. On to astudents first priority - food!

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Food

Now, Oxford is a student town, so of course it has its fair share of hipster-y hangouts. If thats

what floats your boat, then just look out for the signature bearded teenagers huddled in the corner

with their Fairtrade lemon grass tea, reading Whitman through thick-rimmed glasses, and Bobs

your Uncle. If, however, youd rather avoid the atmosphere of profound depth and intellect which

such places emit, then there are also quite a few other cafes, delis and restaurants which are happy

to sell you anything from a chocolate chip cookie to home-made lasagne, and not a plaid scarf in

sight.

QL Cafe

This cafe is our weekly haunt. (Seriously. Were so well-

known there that we have our own table.) The foods pretty

good, and not too expensive, and they have a nice range of

stuff. You can go there for anything from a panini to achicken fillet and chips, so its great for a grab-and-run or a proper sit down meal. Plus, its right

opposite college, on the High St., which makes it handy for grabbing a last minute bite to eat when

youre already ten minutes late to lectures. It also serves

the most enormous chocolate chip cookies in the world, and

the fresh orange juice is amazing. The QL Deli (picture to

the left) is great as well, because they do cheap, hot food,

quickly; and if you drop by after 7, everythings half price.The staff are lovely, and the food is always good, so its a

pretty safe bet. And theyre wonderful for comfort food.

Giant chocolate muffin anyone?

Olives

Having only actually discovered Olives (on the High) in Trinity, Im probably not the expert, but I

have since become addicted to their feta cheese ciabattas, so Im fairly well-qualified, at least.

Theyre essentially a sandwich shop, but all their fillings are lovely, and they sell fantastic fresh7


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Mediterranean food both to go on the panini/ciabatta/

bread roll that youre ordering, and/or in packets around

the shop. They also have BNs, which I havent seen

since I was about 10 (when I used to eat them

everyday... :(Its probably a good job they disappearedfor ten years) which means I cant walk into the Deli

without hearing that stupid song. Anyway, this place is

fantastic, and probably the most popular sandwich shop

in Oxford, for good reason. But if youre going for lunch,

go early. Seriously early. And theyre not open very late, so just take early as a general rule. And

hey, you know what they say - the early fresher catches the deliciously fresh, melt-in-your-mouth

European Olives panini. Actually maybe thats not how it goes. That is kind of a mouthful.

Turl Street Kitchen

Ah, Turl Street Kitchen, haunt of only the coolest of undergrads. As

the name suggests, its on Turl Street (just off High, next to Lincoln.

You cant miss it.) and, I am sad to admit, comes dangerously close

to what I earlier identified as Hipster Territory. But its still great.They sell weird food combinations (venison sausage roll being

particularly popular), and their rooms are called things like The

Library and Lounge, and you wont see a branded product within a

mile of the place. Most people tend to use it as a coffee shop to hang

out in between classes, but

they do sell proper food as

well, only they have fixed meal times and menus and stuff,which is fun. I cant really account for their food or pricing,

as Ive never actually eaten there, but Im sure its pretty

reasonable, being that it prides itself on being the no. 1

student hang-out in Oxford. Youll have to decide the truth

of this for yourself, but give it a shot - its quirky.

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The Rendezvous Cafe

This place is wonderful. Their food is utterly fantastic,

everyones really friendly, and I had the best cheesecake of

my life at the small table at the back. If you need a pick-me-up, go here. If you want some yummy, good quality, organic

food, go here. If you are starving but too lazy to walk

anywhere, still go here - its about a minute away. (see the red building on the left? Two buildings

further down is Rose Lane, and thus Merton. I love being so well-situated^.^) Their crepes

(sweet and savoury) are particularly popular, and they have a nice range of food, so whatever you

fancy, theyve probably got some variation thereof. Long summary short, I love this place. Its a

little more expensive than your standard cafe, but a little nicer, too. So maybe its a treat yourselfplace, or somewhere to take your folks when they come to visit. But if you want the edible

equivalent of a hug, go here. Im having withdrawal symptoms from their desserts as I type...

G&Ds

Oh, G&Ds... What can I say? The Oxford Undergrads

kryptonite. Their ice cream is the best on the planet. And even ifits not, the whole atmosphere is so fun that you wont notice.

There are three G&Ds in Oxford (youll meet at least two of

them in Freshers Week) and theyre all constantly full of ice-

cream eating first years, discussing their lecturers personal lives

over melting banana splits and giant chocolate waffles. It was

founded by a couple of Oxford students in the 90s, and has been popular ever since. This will

become part of your staple Uni diet, Im afraid to say. Thankfully they sell proper food too, andtons of bakery products, so even if you hate ice cream (what is wrong with you?!) youll be fine.

Ignore the Daily Mails emergency archive of bicycle riding professors and gown clad posh kids on

punts. Those arent Oxford cliches, G&Ds is an Oxford cliche, and you should take to it like a

Merton punt to the Cherwell.

As Im beginning to come across as a perpetually optimistic pudding fiend, I think that Ill bring this

section to an end. Remember to check out the Entz guide for more info, other restaurants & cafesand alternative reviews. Theyre less dessert oriented, promise.

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Show time

Like all good cities, Oxford has its fair share of cinemas, theatres and other entertaining things. Ill

leave it to the Entz to clue you in on clubs etc. (this is a welfare guide after all) but there are a

couple of places that are fantastic if you want a fun night out, and that are perhaps lesser known.

Magdalen Film Society

Magdalen Film Soc puts out a list of films at the start of everyterm, and then shows them at their private little theatre every

week. They have a fantastic mix - everything from classics like

Its a Wonderful Life (1946) to brand new films just released.

Plus, (which is a massive bonus in

Winter) its right across the road. In Trinity they show an outside

film in one of their quads, which is fabulous. Everyone squashes

up with blankets and hot chocolate, and the atmosphere is reallysomething. This year they showed Woody Allens Midnight in

Paris, and there was a full moon, and it didnt even rain.

The Ultimate Picture Palace

The Ultimate Picture Palace is this fabulous tiny little cinema about fifteen minutes from the town

centre. Its about the furthest from a chain cinema you can get today. The tickets they sell at the

Box Office are just old raffle tickets, and the whole place is all old and crumbly and brilliant. They

have velvet walls. Red velvet walls. And I dont think theyve

even heard of popcorn. We went to see The Artist here last

year, and it was just the perfect place. Theres only one

screen, and not that many seats, which means theres a

lovely community feel with the audience. And where else are

you going to get to see old films on the big screen? (Apart

from Magdalen, of course... Lucky freshers, spoilt for choice.)

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New Theatre

Lets face it, for exciting evenings out, not much can beat the

theatre. Alright, maybe Hairspray isnt everyones cup of tea,

but theres just something about the atmosphere and thestaging and the lights that always makes me feel a bit like a kid

at Christmas.

As far as theatres go, this ones pretty awesome. All the big

touring musicals come here, and there are always plenty of

comedians to choose from, if you prefer Michael McIntyre to

the Sound of Music. This Autumn theyre playing Rufus

Wainwright, a couple of operas and Kevin Bridges, among otherthings, so take advantage of all the culture Oxford has on offer.

Outdoor Summer Productions

Summer in Oxford is probably going to be the best Summer

youve ever had. Theres so much to do1 If, after a long day

of punting, picnicking, playing croquet, (and maybe doingsome work...) you find yourself in search of entertainment,

you wont have to look far. There are outdoor productions

on everywhere - at the castle, (Nope, I didnt know Oxford had a castle either. Its near the train

station.) in the park, in pretty much every college... And theyre all University run. Youll know at

least one drama star, I should think, so chances are youll end up going along to support them

anyway. Do go to at least one - theyre such good fun, and its also a great excuse for some

sunbathing.

Obviously there are tons of other theatres and

cinemas in Oxford, and again, check the Entz

Guide for a more comprehensive list. These are

just my favourites. Anyway, on to Museums.

(Were Oxford students, Im morally obliged toput a Musuem sections.)

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Yeah, Im *that* girl. The one who spends the next few pages waxing lyrical about museums. :( This

is what Oxford does to you, young, innocent Freshers. Be warned.

Lets face it, were the bright future of life, the Universe and everything. Its practically part of our

degree to spend half our spare time in Museums. And Oxford has one for every subject. Not that

youre confined to your subjects museum or anything, (I even ventured into the Maths one once... it

was a strange and enlightening experience.) but its nice to go wander round on a Saturday

afternoon and feel like technically youre working. But in a very relaxed way. :)

Anyway, here are a few of my favourites. I shant list all of them, because wed be here till October.

The Pitt Rivers Museum

I love this place. Its a museum of anthropology and archeology,

and very quirky. The back room is what makes the museum. Its

this crazy jumbled place (see picture) which theyve arranged(unlike most museums) thematically rather than chronologically, so

youve got cases of musical instruments, or boats, or jewellery,

from different times and places, the idea being that you can see

how theyve developed. They also have a case of shrunken heads.

There are over 500,000 objects in this place, and, if you

somehow get bored of looking at them, theres also something called The Mouse Trail (if youre a

Mathematician, your tutor may ask you to do this as a team building exercise. Its an excuse to be

a five year old for a day - do it.) where you have to run around the museum looking for tiny wooden

mice which are hidden in all the exhibits. Im sure some kind of drinking game could be (and has

been) made of it.

The Ashmolean

This is Oxfords most famous (and, I think, biggest) museum, and it has like a billion floors. If youre

a linguist your lectures are right next door, (at the Taylorian Institute, just a bit further upCornmarket.) so youve no excuse not to go and have a look. They have loads of archeological stuff

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Museums are cool


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(from like every era and civilisation) and some really

fabulous art - theyve got a Pre-Raphaelite

exhibition on a the moment, which is always fun.

(For those who dont know, the Pre-Raphaelites

were a somewhat scandalous Victorian brotherhoodof painters who were always having affairs and

painting their patrons wives naked.)

If they offer you a museum map, by the way, take it.

Its like Hogwarts. Im fairly certain the staircases move.

The Bodleian Library

Yes, okay, I know this isnt technically a musuem. But the Bod are always putting on the most

fantastic exhibitions, because, I mean, they pretty much own everything. Last term they had the

Room full of Awesome exhibition (thats probably not its official name, granted, but its a fair

description) which was basically: Look, we own a Shakespeare

First Folio, a couple of Beethovens manuscripts, the distress

wire which was sent from the Titanic and an unpublished

Austen novel. Also a bunch of other amazing stuff. So yeah,

its worth a look. Theyve got a Dickens exhibition coming up,

for all you English students.

And yes, before you ask, that is the hospital wing from Harry

Potter. Its a pretty nice place to have a lecture.

The Oxford Museum of Natural History

Okay, scratch what I said about the Ashmolean being big. This is colossal. And it has everything. Imean, they have a Dodo. An actual Dodo. Obviously its dead, but still. They have tons of stuffed

animals, if thats your kind of thing, and they have

Charles Darwins actual collection of crustaceans.

Crustaceans are fairly dull, but the face that Darwin

owned them is pretty cool. As well as Zoology, they have

Entomology, Geology, and Mineralogy & Petrology

collections, which are so big that their website alonetakes about half a day to navigate. I know very little

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about Nat. History, (and what I do know I gained from watching David Attenborough programmes

and/or The Lion King) so I cant really go on about all the amazing stuff they have, but they do

have some Oxford dinosaur skeletons (actual dinosaurs used to live in

Oxford. I mean, imagine how much more interesting that would make

lectures!) and some very very very old fossils.Anyway, this place is right next to the Pitt Rivers Museum, which is

handy - why not kill two dodos with one stone, eh?

Righto, thats the end of the Museums section. Its probably safe to look again now. The next bit is

just a little group of handy places to know if you need something quickly, and itll probably be ofway more use to you than a list of museums.

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A typical Merton BOP

Welcome to Oxford...

A very Oxford Christmas

The Merton Morris dancing troupe

On the way to Matriculation


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So, in my prime role as Welfare Rep, I am introducing you to some placeswhich will improve your welfare. Sainsburys, for example. I mean, I dont

know about you, but I find chocolate a major component of general

welfare, and having a mini supermarket right round the corner has often

saved me at the last minute from dropping dramatically and suddenly into

what we Welfare Folk call a Bad Mood. Anyway, this is a list of places

youll probably become very familiar with over the next year. Enjoy!

Sainsburys

There are a couple of these around Oxford - a fairly large-ish one in the Westgate Centre, (down

High Street and keep walking straight) one right next to the massive Tesco on Cornmarket, and the

uber-convenient one just across Magdalen Bridge. (to the right of College, just out of Rose Lane)

For those of you who live out of the UK, Sainsburys is a supermarket, probably a little more

expensive than Tesco, and a bit smaller. But the convenience of having one right next door is

amazing.

Tesco

Again, there are a couple of these - a tiny one down near Christ Church, good for sandwiches/last

minute meals/re-stocking the mini-fridge etc. and a pretty big one (probably the biggest

supermarket in Oxford - it has two floors!) just further on from Cornmarket Street. (The main

shopping street in Oxford. Youll probably remember it from Christmas shopping during interviews.)

The big one has pretty much everything, and is only a fifteen minute walk or so. Its also worth

remembering that they deliver, and yep, they even squash those giant lorries down Merton Street.

Its pretty fun watching them try to reverse out again. Apparently cobbles and lorries do not get on.

Celebrations Fancy Dress Shop

Ive put this in the practical section because you will probably end up going here at least once a

term, for BOP costumes. What generally happens is a ton of Merton students pile in, wanderround, express shock and horror at the high prices and then resolve to fashion their own creative

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Helpful stuff


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but cheap costumes, and plod off down the road to

Primark. Still, its probably worth mentioning. Theres

also a fancy dress shop in the Westgate Centre, very

close to Primark, so if that great staple of British

fashion should fail you, you always have a back-up.

Primark

Well, it had to be done. Youre a student: theres very

little likelihood that youll be going anywhere more

upmarket. Anyway, for all your fashion and last-minuteBOP costume needs, head to the Westgate Centre

(pretty sure I put directions in earlier. If you missed

them, then stop skim reading and focus) and bask in

the giant onesie-filled Primark which is at your

disposal. It will be crowded, confusingly laid out, and full

of angry people. A true student experience.

Alas, the end is nigh. I hope you have enjoyed this guide (you should, it took me ages to

write) and that its made you all the more eager to come up in October. We look forward to

having you. :) Until then, be good, and have a fabulous Summer!

Merton Welfare x

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Primark Onesies are theheight of fashion at Merton

(We have kind of a happy cop/unimpressed cop

Welfare Technique)

oxford welfare guide

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