Friday 13th February 2026

Lifestyle

All buttered up: Broche, and the art of the perfect croissant

During these cold winter months, in which – thanks to that pinnacle of British construction, breathable walls – I wake up in a freezing room, I find great solace in hiding beneath my blanket.

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.

Letter from Abroad: Paris

Eleanor Whitchurch speaks of Parisian courtesy in an unsettled atmosphere

An experience of Oxford Women Speak Out

Emily Beswick discusses using her time, and body, for activism

Food diary: why brunch?

Ellie Duncan explores the role of brunch in history, culture and her weekend routine

Recipe: Gluten-free pancakes

Naomi Bradshaw shares a versatile recipe to brighten up your weekend

Fear, frustration and self-loathing: welcome to an Oxford lecture theatre

Daniel Curtis takes a socially-awkward look at the perils of the contact hours in the humanities

A tale of two brunches

Julia Alsop reflects on contrasting versions of Oxford’s favourite meal

Life Divided: rowing

Francesca Salisbury and Sian Bayley debate rowing from differing (seat) positions

Cocktail of the week: Raspberry fields forever

Sam Purnell shares a not so long and winding recipe

Dodging Oxford’s cyclists

Emma Leech shares the life lessons learnt from a bike crash

Recipe: Crispy mock duck pancakes

Kanak Shah shares a free-from alternative to a classic Chinese recipe

Cocktail of the week: red snapper

Julia Alsop shares a refreshing vegan cocktail

Letter from abroad: China

William Gardner on intercultural exchange in China, via The Great British Bake Off

Pandora extols wisdom, seated upon box

Pandora the cat presents her own coping mechanisms for Oxford life.

Life Divided: sub fusc

Nicola Dwornik and Noush Kavanagh debate the good, the bad, and the ugly of Oxford’s sub fusc

Tute sheets and Teletubbies: the life of a student parent in Oxford

Emily Beater dissects the reality of bringing up a child at university

A love letter to The Gardener’s Arms

Daniel Curtis uncovers a hidden vegetarian paradise

Food diary: confessions of an Oxford food blogger

Naomi Bradshaw reveals Oxford’s finest gluten-free restaurants that will leave you hungry for more

Review: Dosa Park

Susie Finlay finds great Indian cooking in a surprising location

Cocktail of the week: Oxford blue

Sam Purnell dedicates a cocktail to Oxford’s athletes

Cherwell Food & Drink Awards HT17

Sam Purnell presents the winners of Oxford’s definitive food survey

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