Thursday 16th October 2025

Lifestyle

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 rising like ancient lungs out...

“Have you heard the new Laufey album?”

We all know the type, or at least the meme. The tote-bag sporting, wired-headphone...

The maddening art of procrastination

In delaying and avoiding writing this piece, I am succumbing to exactly what many...

To read or not to read?

It’s 5pm and I’m standing on a packed, unmoving train, somewhere between Swindon and...

The patience of ordinary things

"A different perspective exposes something new in Oxford’s tangle of streets and colleges; from afar, students on bikes and tourist groups and traffic disputes stop feeling like a nuisance, revealing instead a quiet, understated sort of loveliness."

To all the pubs we’ve loved before

We are Réka and Suzy, two law finalists on a mission to find the best pubs in Oxford. We will begin our journey by reviewing our clear favourite...

A fresh(er’s) perspective on Michaelmas term

"My approach to Michaelmas term was that it was a trial run for the rest of my university experience."

The Patience of Ordinary Things

"How truly can we say that our past selves are gone, when there they are, right now - pressed between the pages of an old diary..."

0th Week: ‘Dough(nut) trust strangers!

Thursday evening. Eighth week. My head has finally stopped spinning after a tumultuous Park End (I think). A crinkled pastry bag is tucked under...

New Year’s Resolutions: Why are we so bad at keeping them?

New year, new start. It is a terrible cliché. But the fact is, as another year ticks by, it’s a good opportunity to close...

‘Home is where the heart is.’

"It can feel like a bit of a conflict - the home where I grew up now feels like a waiting room before I get back to my ‘real life’ at Oxford."

Wild swimming in Oxford: ready to take the plunge?

"Swimming in Oxford offers a chance to leave behind the stress of the Radcam rat race. While it certainly isn’t a cure-all, I have found it helps me balance my student life."

Cherwell Food dines at Lula’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine

I knew it would be good when we were sat opposite Lula’s poetry library.  On a warm afternoon in early June, my friend and I...

The Not So Secret History: Family dynamics

After the madness of the first half of term, these last few weeks have seen at least three of the household retreating back into...

Hooked!

I never thought to pick up crochet. Other than a few lessons from my grandmother as a child, the thought didn’t cross my mind....

X days ’til Christmas

Ah yes, November. The clocks have gone forward, Halloween has been and gone and, according to TikTok, Mariah Carey has officially begun her annual...

A guide to homesickness

We’re now in the middle of the Michaelmas term. The first term always feels like the longest because there are no bank holidays or...

Vegan sage gnocchi

Outside the church at the end of my street I recently spotted a small, carefully cultivated herb garden. Upon further inspection of this aromatic...

The Not So Secret History: moments of clarity

Is ‘happy fifth week’ a contradiction in terms? Either way, I hope yours isn’t going too badly. We’ve reached the stage in term where...

I bought pesto, pissed

I can only wonder at what I was thinking, spending so much on so little

A care leaver’s note on Oxford’s whacky traditions

This week is National Care Leavers Week. The act of dedicating a week to raise awareness for a cause is a PR strategy as...

The Not So Secret History – The Party

I’m beginning to think a fortnightly column simply isn’t enough to cover everything that goes on in this house of mine. To give you...

Pedal to the metal

Oxford is a city ruled by cyclists. In this cycling paradise, pedestrians often find themselves swept up in the whirlwind of cyclists and tourists,...

A taste of Tuscany

Wine was so prevalent throughout my Tuscan culinary experience, it replaced whole courses when dining out

Follow us