Oxford (more than just an ancient university)
Oxford is (without the traffic) one of England’s most beautiful cities (it didn’t get bombed during the War, as Hitler wanted to make it his home, if he had won). It’s obviously home to a famous university, but there is a lot more to it than that.
In fact, VERO is a group of local boffins who campaign on scientific grounds against the university’s animal testing, in order to encourage people to fund humane medical research.
If you live or shop in Oxford, visit Indie Oxford, to get to know and learn about (and support) the city’s many independent shops and businesses.
A city of dreaming spires
This city is just gorgeous, if you like your architecture! It’s full of astounding architecture, everywhere you look. It’s also home to the world’s oldest public museum.
Home to the world’s biggest indie bookstore
Blackwell’s is an online bookstore too, but has a proper shop in Oxford, even bigger than Powell’s (a well-known independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon). Unlike Amazon, it does not sell other goods (like fur) and even rents textbooks to students, so they don’t have to pay a fortune to buy them.
Home of the Oxford Dictionary
Although this was the gold standard of recent times, recently there has been criticism, as some new words (silly ones) have been added, while more important ones have been lost).
Read The Lost Words, a stunning illustrated guide to the lost words of nature (acorn, otter, bramble). It’s really for children, but a reminder that these words are more important than recent Oxford dictionary words like ‘doomscrolling’ and ‘Tiktoker’.
