Weekends Summer 2024

OXFORD LIFE

Climb the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin If you have a head for heights the summer is the perfect time to climb the 127 steps up the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Radcliffe Square. The tower is the oldest part of the church still visible today. Dating from 1280, it is decorated with beautifully-carved gargoyles and grotesques. When you reach the top, past the Clore Old Library and the bell ringing tower, you are rewarded with the most incredible views of Oxford, with the Radcliffe Camera, All Soul’s and Brasenose to one side and the High Street to the other. Tickets for the tower of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin are £6 and are available from 9.30am – 4.30pm from Monday – Saturday and from 12 noon to 4.30pm on a Sunday. Alfonso Gelateria Summer will well and truly have started in April when the Alfonso Gelateria truck returns to Summertown. Lewis, the owner and gelato maestro, grew up in Rome before moving to England in 2010 and completing a degree in Chemistry. His concoctions blend Italian flavours with scientific mastery. Try a classic like vanilla or pistachio or something a little more adventurous – strawberry with balsamic vinegar and stilton are both delicious. The Alfonso Piaggio Ape is parked outside Helen & Douglas in Summertown from April – September. Opening hours vary.

Write, Cut, Rewrite at the Weston Library

This exhibition focuses on the creative importance of revision of literature, delving into the editorial process of some of the world’s most celebrated authors. The texts on display are drawn from The Bodleian Libraries’ unparalleled collection of modern manuscripts from the 18th century to the present day. Highlights include discarded ideas, fundamental changes, deletions, additions, notes and scribbles from Mary and Percy Shelley, Jane Austen, James Joyce, Raymond Chandler, Ian Fleming, Samuel Beckett, and John le Carré. Write, Cut, Rewrite will be in the Treasury at the Weston Library until 5th January 2025.

10