Oxford Architecture

Happy Fence Friday:-)

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) And, there's more...... Haven't uploaded a shot of the Bio Buillding for a while so here is one taken back in December :-)

Happy Fence Friday :-) The Radcliffe Camera, a Fence, some Bicycles and lots of Tourists :-)

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) All Souls College, Oxford Extract from Wikipedia - “All Souls College, Oxford is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become Fellows (i.e., full members of the College's governing body). It has no undergraduate members, but each year recent graduates of Oxford and graduates of other universities now registered as postgraduate students at Oxford are eligible to apply for Examination Fellowships through a competitive examination (once described as "the hardest exam in the world") and, for the several shortlisted after the examinations, an interview. All Souls is one of the wealthiest colleges in Oxford, with a financial endowment of £272m (2013). However, since the College's principal source of revenue is its endowment, it only ranks nineteenth among Oxford colleges with respect to total income." Mick has pointed me in the direction of Billy Joel :-) So, here comes - All About Soul ~ Billy Joel Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) This is similar to an older upload. In this shot I have included the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in the background. Taken from inside the Divinity School. Possibly better on black :-)

Happy Fence Friday :-)

Tom Tower is the main entrance to Christ Church College, Oxford. It is a bell tower named for its bell, 'Great Tom'. So, here comes one of my wayward and obscure links for 'Soundtrack to Life' :-) I have made two references to 'Tom'. Therefore, I think I should be allowed to use a track with 'Tom' in the title :-) And, the sky is very 'Blues' here :-) In which case, it is easy for me to link this to Bob Dylan's classic “Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues” here sung by Linda Ronstadt. This comes from Linda's “We Ran” album from 1998. According to Wikipedia “the album only lasted two weeks on the Billboard album chart, peaking at a disappointing #160. Despite positive reviews, this release was a rare commercial failure for Linda with US sales of approximately 60,000 copies. The disc was taken out of print in 2009” I find this astonishing because, in my humble opinion, the album is full of so many gems! In particular, it contains stunning versions of two of my fave songs. They are “Icy Blue Heart” written by John Hiatt and “Dreams of the San Joaquin” written by Jack Wesley Routh & Randy Sharp”. If anyone can suggest photos to go with these two songs I will be eternally grateful :-)) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues ~ Linda Ronstadt

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) Back to another shot of my fave building, taken last year :-)

If I don't hurry up it will be 'Happy Fence Saturday' :-) So, this will have to be my HFF entry! "Happy Fence Friday" everyone :-) This is no longer used as an Observatory. It is now the centre-piece of Green Templeton College.

Below is an extract from the College website. Link as follows - www.magd.ox.ac.uk/discover-magdalen/history-of-college “Magdalen College was founded in 1458 by William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester, and Lord Chancellor. He wanted a College on the grandest scale, and his foundation was the largest in Oxford, with 40 Fellows, 30 scholars (known at Magdalen as Demies), and a large choir for his Chapel. Waynflete lived to a great age, dying in 1486, by which time Magdalen was equipped with a large income, splendid buildings, and a set of statutes. The 20th century has seen Magdalen’s academic reputation flourish. Two of our most famous Fellows from this period were the English scholar and theologian C. S. Lewis and the historian A. J. P. Taylor; in addition, nine Nobel Prize winners have been Fellows or students here. Women first came here in 1979, and the College today prides itself on being an inclusive institution, open to all.”

The Andrew Wiles Building dating from 2013. In the background the Radcliffe Observatory dating from 1794.

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) “Eight Miles High” was banned in the States shortly after its release following allegations there were perceived drug connotations in the lyrics. But, as Chris Hillman says it was more about The Byrd's flight to London in August 1965 :-) Obviously two of the guys here are Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen. I'm 99% sure the guy playing the red guitar is John Jorgenson. Now to the slightly tenuous link for 'Soundtrack to Life'. It might look like sensor dirt but there is an aeroplane in the top corner of my shot that is flying very high leaving engine exhaust contrails. Unless it is a spacecraft :-) Apparently, commercial airliners fly at an altitude of six to seven miles and I believe the song was entitled “Eight Miles High” 'cos that sounded more poetic :-) Added to ~ Soundtrack to Life Listen here ~ Eight Miles High ~ Acoustic Desert Rose Band

~ Explored! ~ Thank you very much :-))) I don't know if this building is finished. I don't know if this is the final colour-scheme. I don't know if it is for commercial use or maybe flats. But, I do know that I took this shot in Oxford :-)

This is the New Building. The following information is reproduced from a College booklet provided to visitors - "The foundation stone was laid on 27 August 1733. In the early 18th century the New Building was indeed new. It was intended as the beginning of a grand neoclassical quadrangle. Its subsequent troubled history is visible in the different colour of the stone at either end which dates from the 1820s when it was finally resolved to complete the building. And, thus the New Building stands today, only one wing of a grand architectural fantasy that was never realised."

Happy Fence Friday :-)

There is always someone who wants to walk into my shot at the very moment I press the shutter :-)) Anyway, this is one of my fave buildings in Oxford to photograph. It is the Mathematical Institute named after Andrew Wiles the Oxford professor who proved Fermat's Last Theorem, one of history's most difficult mathematical problems. I would have probably proved the Theorem myself but Andrew beat me to it :-)) The tiling in front of the building is Penrose tiling, named after the mathematician Roger Penrose who invented it in the 1970s. Allegedly, no matter where you stand the pattern never repeats :-)

In 2013 Balliol College celebrated its 750th anniversary being founded in 1263. An extract from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balliol_College,_Oxford follows - "Balliol College was founded by John I de Balliol under the guidance of the Bishop of Durham. After his death in 1268, his widow, Dervorguilla of Galloway made arrangements to ensure the permanence of the college in that she provided capital and in 1282 formulated the college statutes, documents that survive to this day."

I've always wanted to call this College “mag-da-lin”. But it is actually pronounced “mawd-lin” :-) It dates from 1458.