It’s only when I visit Magdalen College deer park that I get the feeling Oxford academics have been kidding themselves about the success of this meat-to-vegetable transformation.
Sure enough there are plenty of deer, but on closer inspection there’s no sign of any veg.
“It’s said to have happened during World War II, when the government had authority to take possession of any meat products or livestock,” Stephen explains. “Because of the pure breeding of the Magdalen deer, some well-connected dons had them classified as vegetables to protect them from the butcher.”
The sanctity of the Magdalen deer, which dates back to the 1700s, goes a long way to explain the position that Oxford holds in British society. Along with Cambridge, it’s still very much the breeding ground of British high society, and has significant reach into political life.
Not that the quality of education plays second fiddle to those aspiring for a life in Westminster. This is the university where researchers developed penicillin for use in medicine, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, co-inventor of the internet, studied.
Today tourists inundate the city to get a feel for student life, which seeps into every cobble and quad.
The 39 colleges and seven permanent private halls remain a focus of much attention, with Magdalen and Christ Church the favourites for visitors. Aside from its ‘vegetable deer’, Magdalen is a 15th-century college with classic buildings and beautifully manicured lawns. There is also a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper in the chapel, which was supposedly painted by one of the master’s apprentices.
Christ Church has received a boost in visitor numbers in recent years thanks to the release of the Harry Potter films. The college’s grand dining room was used as the inspiration for the Hogwarts dining hall and is open to visitors outside of mealtimes.
It’s all well and good to see where the students sleep and study, but to get a feel for how they actually live, give yourself time to check out the pubs.
One of the best is the Turf Tavern, hidden down St Helen’s Passage off Holywell Street. Not only is it a great pub with old-school low ceilings and a beer garden, it’s also the place where former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke entered the Guinness Book of Records. Despite Hawke’s academic achievement (he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford), his time at the university is best remembered for his world record, which saw him skol a yard glass in 11 seconds at the Turf Tavern in 1963. A chalk board out the back stands as testament to his effort.
For those who aren’t that keen on Australian politics, the Turf Tavern is also the place where Bill Clinton, also a Rhodes Scholar, famously smoked marijuana but did “not inhale”. Once again, all is not as it seems in Oxford.
» Krysten Booth travelled with Budget Rent-a-Car (0844-581 9999; www.budget.co.uk). Car hire starts from £15 per day with unlimited mileage if prepaid online.
Famous alumni
Bill Clinton
The former US president studied government at Oxford in the ’60s. His daughter, Chelsea, followed in his footsteps 30 years later.
Tony Blair
One of 25 British prime ministers to have graced the halls of Oxford, Blair attended St John’s College where he studied jurisprudence and played guitar in a rock band.
Rupert Murdoch
The media baron studied philosophy, politics and economics at Worcester College. In 1999 British playwright Alan Bennett refused to accept an honourary doctorate from the university because Murdoch was still a financial benefactor.
Imran Khan
The legendary Pakistani cricketer and politician studied politics and economics at Keble College.
Hugh Grant
If you ever wondered how the bloke with the floppy hair perfected the posh English accent, it’s because he studied English literature at Oxford.
David Kirk
New Zealand rugby legend David Kirk quit the All Blacks at age 25, after captaining his country to the inaugural Rugby World Cup, to take up a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford.
