Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Monday 6 June 2022

The Platinum Jubilee - Day 4


I was unable to watch the Jubiler Pageant live on television as I was attending a Jubilee Afternoon Tea with my neighbours as our community celebration. I must try and catch up with the events on The Mall on iplayer. When I got back home I did watch the appearance by The Queen on the balcony of the Palace together with her immediate heirs and their wives - plenty of symbolism in that and without the rather gloomy impression of a somewhat similar group looking out from the balcony under a lowering sky about to rain at the conclusion of the Diamond Jubilee a decade ago.

Our local tea party had a very positive feel to it and it was a good opportunity to get to know neighbours better and share common interests and enthusiasms. Very much what the national organisers wanted to see I think, and, from the news reports, that appears to have been achieved. For an instance of that look at John Ramsden’s comment which he made to my first post about the celebrations.


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