After the delights of the Peak District I headed to Oxford for the 4th World Economic Geography Conference. The first three such events were held in Asia, presumably because of the dynamic economic growth shown by that region. I went to the 3rd meeting in Seoul, missing the first two in Singapore and Beijing, and I was so much enthused by that conference I tossed my hat in the ring for this one in Oxford. In part, I was also attracted by the fact that for two years I lived in Oxford, but had never been back! That was from 1969 to 1971 when I quite my job as a systems analyst for the British Leyland Motor Corporation and decided to see the colonies before my newly minted PhD lost value. That's how I wound up in Australia ... and I still live there 44 years further on.
Another attraction for the meeting was that one of the residences for delegates was Balliol College. My father won a scholarship to go there in, I suppose, about 1933. Unfortunately for him, it was the depression and his family could not support him with all the other expenses of university life. So his scholarship was directed towards funding a position of articled clerk to a firm of London solicitors and he became a lifelong lawyer even to the day of his death 58 years later in 1991. Perhaps I should qualify that by saying that during the second world war he served in the Royal Artillery, but didn't manage to leave British shores.
Back to Oxford. I stayed there five nights and was busy at the conference for most of the time. So my stock of pictures is very limited, but I can say that not much seemed to have changed in the city centre during my 44 year absence! That's hardly surprising given the huge agglomeration of ancient buildings. My accommodation was also, unsurprisingly, Balliol College and the only pictures I have of my visit to the city concern the college. It has a pleasant quadrangle surrounded by the great hall in which we ate breakfast for 5 consecutive days.
The remaining pictures are of breakfast in the above hall and most of the participants are conference delegates.
It was probably the most attractive breakfast venue I've ever visited, except for St Catharine's College in Cambridge where Phillip hosted me when he was a student there also a long time ago.
AS
Another attraction for the meeting was that one of the residences for delegates was Balliol College. My father won a scholarship to go there in, I suppose, about 1933. Unfortunately for him, it was the depression and his family could not support him with all the other expenses of university life. So his scholarship was directed towards funding a position of articled clerk to a firm of London solicitors and he became a lifelong lawyer even to the day of his death 58 years later in 1991. Perhaps I should qualify that by saying that during the second world war he served in the Royal Artillery, but didn't manage to leave British shores.
Back to Oxford. I stayed there five nights and was busy at the conference for most of the time. So my stock of pictures is very limited, but I can say that not much seemed to have changed in the city centre during my 44 year absence! That's hardly surprising given the huge agglomeration of ancient buildings. My accommodation was also, unsurprisingly, Balliol College and the only pictures I have of my visit to the city concern the college. It has a pleasant quadrangle surrounded by the great hall in which we ate breakfast for 5 consecutive days.
The remaining pictures are of breakfast in the above hall and most of the participants are conference delegates.
It was probably the most attractive breakfast venue I've ever visited, except for St Catharine's College in Cambridge where Phillip hosted me when he was a student there also a long time ago.
AS
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