Friday 13th February 2026

Lifestyle

The case for doing nothing (on holiday)

My best memories of gallivanting around Europe were of parks. They were found in the tranquility of self-reflection as I enjoyed the serenity of nature, clutching my too-expensive coffee and watching the ducks swim about in the river as the cold winter wind whipped the fallen leaves off the ground beside me.

Why you shouldn’t finish your reading list

On being accepted into Oxford, everyone warned me about the reading lists. “You’ll be reading eight hours a day,” they said. At the time, it sounded almost romantic.

Kilts, Ceilidhs and Calling: Inside the World of Oxford Reeling

It's Thursday night in New College's Long Room, and several dozen students are desperately trying to master The Plough Speed, which, for the uninitiated, is a mind boggling routine of side-steps, spins and shuffles.

Moving cities, keeping home

l've moved cities enough times to know that leaving is never just about packing boxes. After spending eighteen years in London, I found myself applying to a number of different cities, including Oxford, for university.

Grilling the Parsonage: Oxford’s ‘best’ restaurant?

Sometimes you want more than just a meal, to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation. You want somewhere that feels like it appreciates...

Why I no longer trust ‘male feminists’

Over the past year, I’ve spent more time in male-dominated spaces than I ever had before. Growing up with a sister, attending an all-girls’...

Chivalry in the age of automatic doors

The waiter has just brought the bill, irritatingly diplomatic in his placement – middle of the table. You both glance at it, then at...

TLDR: Literacy in the digital age

No one reads these days. If it’s longer than an Instagram caption, it’s not worth my time. I doubt most people will even make...

The erotic life of the mind

At Oxford, desire often wears a gown. It speaks in footnotes, engages in debates in the smoking area, and sends you into an existential...

Oxford, gone decaf

When I was having lunch with a friend, I ordered my usual, a double espresso, and – horror of horrors – it was decaf. “Can...

Barcelona-Upon-Cherwell: Tapas at Arbequina

Nestled under the antiquated sign of a Victorian chemist in Cowley, a short trek for city-centre dwellers, Arbequina is almost certainly one of the...

How to survive Oxford

Welcome to Oxford, the place where ambition goes to drink, cry, and write 3,000 words on “liminality” at 3 a.m.

Mind over matter: Searching for mental clarity

The first time I saw the phrase “Mind over matter” was in Foyles, displayed above shelves of psychology books. The words immediately reminded me...

Please run responsibly (and intoxicated)

I get it, you’re bored of hearing about running, of seeing the zillionth marathon post. I feel the frustration. I have long been a...

Does Oxford prepare you for the real world?

As one of the approximately 3000 undergraduates to have recently bid farewell to Oxford, I’ve learnt just how easy it is to be overwhelmed...

The incandescent and the immovable

I went to Ometepe in search of a view, but found something closer to a memory. The island floats inside Lake Nicaragua, its twin volcanoes...

“Have you heard the new Laufey album?”

We all know the type, or at least the meme. The tote-bag sporting, wired-headphone wearing, matcha latte drinking, so-called ‘performative’ men flooding our social...

The maddening art of procrastination

In delaying and avoiding writing this piece, I am succumbing to exactly what many university students are guilty of: procrastination. Though not among the...

To read or not to read?

It’s 5pm and I’m standing on a packed, unmoving train, somewhere between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, dodging questionable armpits and trying my best to...

New generation, old hobbies

Knitting needles, film photos, vinyl records, and books: what’s the link? You’d be forgiven for answering with “things I might find in my grandma’s...

Ramen Korner: The souperior choice?

Ramen Korner, located on the (you guessed it) corner between the High street and Long Wall street, boasts a striking facade with bold lettering...

Why we should all relish the chance to be bored

If there’s one thing that this summer has taught me, it’s to relish boredom. It’s in scarce supply for us all in term-time, but...

What does summer mean to me?

“What does summer mean to me?” was always the first question on the first page of a new schoolbook. A trap disguised as a...

My journey with British identity

I was gently raised with the idea that Britain was fair and decent, a country that meant something good. This was likely shaped by...

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