A week ago, me and Mrs B stayed for a few days in Oxford.

It was not a trip we would have planned if it weren’t for the fact our newly qualified nurse niece had arrived the day before from India to start work in Oxford’s hospitals. I had visited Oxford twice – once in recent years to attend a conference and once as a student, when I was impressed by its pleasant riverbank scenes and its amazing history, exemplified by the buildings linked with Oxford University.

But our visit was not to site see, although a search on the Internet reveals there is a lot for visitors to do in Oxford if they so wished, but rather it was for a very specific purpose, which was to help our niece to settle in and to adjust to her new situation – doing what these days is a regular occurrence in the UK, the result of recruiting nurses from overseas to work in NHS hospitals, notably from India.

We undertook the 2–3-hour drive to Oxford in a hybrid hired car (which included various modern bits, which was a pleasant revelation) stopping at the M40 service station (one of the best I have come across) and arrived in Oxford around midday, giving us time to check out the surroundings to what will be out niece’s home for the next year, near the Churchill Hospital in the Headington district. We discovered the nearby local shopping centre, where there was a small but pleasant park, a public convenience and the Mojo café, which served an acceptable meal, all of which was handy for what we needed to do. We then met our niece and passed on various goodies and advice, and helped her to sort out stuff in her new home, before taking the 25-minute journey out of town, checking in at the Premier Inn in Kidlington, while a budget hotel admirably served our needs (breakfast and room were great).

The next day, Friday, we decided to check out churches starting with James Street (Brethren) for their coffee morning, where I had some past connections, and enjoyed the hospitality. We were alerted to the fact Oxford, especially near the centre, was one of the most unfriendly places I have come across as a private car driver, all linked to its 15-minute city ideas, something the few residents I talked to weren’t keen on. Many non-main roads were blocked off (making SatNav nigh redundant), there was little parking in side roads for non-permit holders and car parks were outrageously expensive. Before meeting our niece (who had been doing her induction) early evening we checked out St. Ebbs CofE church close to where she lived and was pleasantly surprised as to its potential suitability.  We then took our niece and two of her friends, also new to the UK nurses, to the nearby White Horse pub for an evening meal. While busy and noisy, food, service, value and ambience were good, confirming it was the right choice.  

Saturday, was quite leisurely. Mrs B and niece did shopping at the centre we checked out on our first day, while I read my book in the park. We enjoyed lunch at Mojo’s, a family (in India) WhatsApp conference and more sorting out. We returned early evening to our hotel and had an early night. On Sunday, we decided to visit St. James church again, which we enjoyed. We took a chance and decided to eat at nearby Café Orient, a Chinese restaurant almost exclusively patronised by Chinese people. The food was excellent although service, value and ambience were average. We then took our niece back to her home, said our final goodbyes (planning to return soon) and a smooth, uneventful journey home.

Forgive this rather “boring” account, but it is there for the record, lol. It was a trip long anticipated although I hadn’t planned on my car being off the road, and it was a visit well worth undertaking. While with the benefit of hindsight I might have been better prepared after I found Oxford were pioneers in pushing 15-minute cities, the pluses, including meeting many lovely people, outweighed the minuses. I look forward to returning to this fascinating city.