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Oxford's "Mr Darcy" with DaithaiC
My regular Blogistas will know that there is a soft spot in my heart for Oxford, the City of the Dreaming Spires, which lies some 18 Leagues from Castle Caldwell. However, as a frequent visitor I somewhat despair of the Tourist Oxford many of them see as they take the Open Top Bus Tour or even worse, visit the theme park style overpriced “Oxford Experience”, which as its name might suggest is nothing of the sort.
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So I was glad to make the acquaintance of Oxford’s answer to Mr. Darcy, the multi-faceted Alasdair de Voil, who dresses up as Jane Austen's Mr Darcy to do the excellent walking tours and who has even started marketing 'Teas and Tours with Mr Darcy!'. Oxford is best explored on foot with its myriad lanes, courtyards, meadows, colleges and nooks and crannies. There are several excellent walking tours but Alasdair’s appeals both for the inimitable sense of personality he adds to the tours and because a donation from them goes to Oxfam. This charity was originally started in this City as the Oxford Famine Relief Fund and is still based in the city.
I Love Oxford Walking Tours was established in Oxford in spring 2011 and offers guided historical walking tours departing outside the Oxfam shop, 17 Broad Street (located next to Oxford Tourist Information Office), OX1 3AS.
Tours cost £8 and depart at 11.00am, 1pm and 2.30pm. Depending on numbers and the season, they may also offer tours at 12, 2 and possibly 4pm. Finally, there is a very eccentric pub tour Alasdair offers on Saturday nights from 8pm. Other nights can be arranged if requested. It also costs £8 but includes 1 free drink.
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| Hertford Bridge, popularly known as the Bridge of Sighs |
N.B. The Pub Tour requires minimum 4 people to book in advance and it departs from outside Saxon Tower and KFC on Cornmarket. The pub tour welcomes local people out for a night out in Oxford too, in conjunction with
www.OxfordNightsOut.com
Usefully for the bargain conscious visitor you can use your tour ticket or flyer to save money in over 40 local businesses- wherever you see 'I Love Oxford' postcards or posters in shop, cafe or tourist attraction windows!
I Love Oxford Walking Tours AND I Love Oxford Benefits CARD.
Find them also on Facebook at I Love Oxford Walking Tours plus I Love Oxford and at I Love Oxford Benefits Card
Daily Guided History Tours of Oxford outside Oxfam shop, Broad Street
PLUS Oxford Pub Tour, Saturdays 8pm
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| The Radcliffe Camera seen from Braesnose College |
What visitors find here is not a single University campus but a jumble of colleges, libraries, museums, fine shops and other buildings. Added to this, Oxford City Council actively tries to preserve the character of the historic centre by discouraging cars and through traffic and encouraging walking, cycling and public transport. Car restrictions are rigorously enforced. Therefore Alasdair’s Tour, as well as helping charity, provides a far better way of seeing and experiencing the heart of this unique, historic and hugely influential University City.
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| The College of All Souls |
Not to be outdone by Mr. Darcy (!) DaithaiC has also developed his ROT (Reduced Oxford Tour) is in the traditions of our
and its aim is to show you the real Oxford as cheaply as possible and keep you out of overpriced and tacky tourist attractions. Perhaps you might wander to some of these locations after getting your bearings on Alasdair’s excellent perambulation!
See also; Oxford Rambles;
For Blogs and much more on Oxford see OXONIENSIS in my Blog Sidebar to the right;
Humid the air! leafless, yet soft as spring,
The tender purple spray on copse and briers!
And that sweet city with her dreaming spires,
She needs not June for beauty's heightening
- Matthew Arnold
