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At least three protesters were arrested as part of a demonstration disrupting former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s address at the Oxford Union this Sunday afternoon. A group of around 60 activists gathered outside the buildings on St Michael’s Street, chanting and blocking access to the main entrance, leading to the event being delayed by an hour.
The activists were arrested by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of aggravated trespass after climbing over the wall into the Union, while three more activists were removed from the chamber by Union security. Around 25 police officers were present outside throughout the protest.
During the talk, in which Olmert discussed Israeli internal affairs and military operations, the protesters could be heard from outside the debate chamber where the talk was taking place. Several activists inside had their hands painted red and were yelling “shame” and “lies”. They were later removed by security upon request of the President Moosa Haraj, in accordance with Regulation 51(a) of the Oxford Union.
The President told the activists to wait until the questions would be taken from the audience. Olmert replied to protesters saying: “If you will not be too hostile, people in Israel will think you’re not against me. Be against me and it will help me at home [sic].”
The three activists who were removed from the chamber, all members of the Oxford Union, told Cherwell that they were “shoved out” of the chamber by security, and that police officers attempted to arrest and handcuff them on suspicion of aggravated trespass, before the Oxford Union security confirmed that they were all Union members.
An Oxford Union spokesperson told Cherwell that “it is categorically false that they [the activists] were shoved out, and video recordings of the event confirm this”. They added that “after 30 minutes” of the protesters “interjecting and abusing the forms of the house”, they were “respectfully” escorted out by security.
Before the talk began, around 60 pro-Palestine protesters had gathered outside the Union. By around 4pm the gates to the courtyard were blocked by protesters, interlinking arms to not be removed. The protesters’ chants included “Union, Union, you can’t hide, you’re whitewashing genocide”.
Police officers told protesters they “may need to use force to restore access to the building”, but ultimately the back entrance on Cornmarket street was used to allow Union members to enter. Around 15 officers with bicycles created a barrier on Cornmarket street to allow members to queue outside while Union security checked membership cards. Cherwell understands that no bag checks were in place outside of the chamber until the first activists were removed.
The protest was organised by Oxford Schools 4 Palestine, in collaboration with Oxford Action 4 Palestine (OA4P) and Youth Demand Oxford. Most of the 60 protesters present on St Michael’s Street were students at the University. The protesters were joined by drummers and activists from Oxford Stand Up to Racism.
The majority of police officers moved away from the Union to hold back a dozen counterprotesters with Union Jacks and St George flags. Following that, pro-Palestine protesters moved to block the entrance of the building and climb over the wall.
During the event, Olmert was questioned on his role in Operation Cast Lead, an Israeli military offensive in January 2009 which resulted in over 1,400 Palestinian and 13 Israeli deaths. He said: “1,400 Hamas fighters were killed and unfortunately some others might have been killed too, with civilian populations being used as a human shield.”
Ehud Olmert was the Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009. Serving as a Prime Minister, he was engaged in the 2006 Lebanon War and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, in response to Hamas terrorist attacks. Olmert served 16 months of a 27-month sentence for a string of corruption cases, including accepting bribes from real estate developers as the mayor of Jerusalem and bribery and obstruction of justice as a trade minister.
While Olmert defended Israel at the start of the war, 19 months since its start he has been critical of Israel’s action in Gaza, calling its government a “criminal gang” and its blockade of Gaza a “war crime”. Olmert had already visited Oxford in Hilary Term 2024, giving an address to Oxford Speaks and the Oxford Diplomatic Society.
An Oxford Union spokesperson told Cherwell: “Disagreement is intrinsic to the Oxford Union’s commitment to upholding free speech. As such, we remain committed to hosting speakers whose views may be subject to disagreement, not to endorse those views but to challenge them in an open forum. Platforming a speaker does not equate to supporting their positions – it allows those positions to be questioned and held to account by instrumentalising our tradition to debate and disagree.”
As part of their commitment to free speech, the spokesperson emphasised to Cherwell that the Union also hosted the former Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh earler this week.
Around 100 protesters marched through central Oxford today as part of a unity rally organised by Oxford Stand Up to Racism, a local movement aimed at countering “rising racism and the far right”. The march started at Templars Square in Cowley where local councillors from the Labour, Green, and Liberal Democrat parties addressed the protesters before walking towards Bonn Square.
The protesters carried banners, with chants including: “Stop the hate, stop the fear, refugees are welcome here.” A small number of counterprotesters were also present, holding St George’s flags at Bonn Square where the march concluded.
One of the protesters attending the march told Cherwell: “It’s important that we come together to show unity in the face of racism. Our politics is becoming dominated by right-wing voices, so it’s really important that we speak out to show that all are welcome here.”
Another protester remarked how “wonderful” it was to see so many members of the public show their support for the march, including families and young children who “waved at us as we walked past”.
Over 20 organisations took part in the march, including the Oxford Green Party, Oxford Stand up to Racism, Oxford Liberal Democrats, Oxford Palestine Solidarity Campaign, North Oxfordshire Socialist Alliance, and the Oxford Labour Party.
Some protesters wore the distinctive green t-shirts associated with Extinction Rebellion (XR), a climate activist group who also participated in a protest yesterday on Cornmarket Street against the development of the Rosebank oilfield.
Speaking ahead of today’s march, Ian McKendrick from Oxford Stand Up To Racism said: “A toxic narrative in mainstream politics that blames refugees, migrants and Muslims for social problems created by austerity is giving a green light for racists to abuse and attack people.”
Green Party Councillor Max Morris, who attended the march, told Cherwell: “While the media fixates on Farage, ordinary people are standing in unity with migrants and refugees. Green Party councillors, candidates, and members showed up in big numbers to oppose the rise of fascism alongside the government’s disastrous attempts to appease the far-right.”
The Detention provided its fair share of giggles, but whether that was a result of humour or awkwardness is up for debate.
There were undoubtedly many merits to this production: if looks could kill, then Liz Freeman’s mean girl character, Sasha, certainly slayed. Stanley Toyne’s portrayal of stern teacher Mr Fairton was also exceptional; he commanded the stage with a God-like presence (if God had a somewhat temperamental speaker system, that is). The standout performance was definitely Seth Olner’s hilariously clueless depiction of misunderstood jock Thomas. Similar to how his character failed to miss a goal, Olner’s lines scored a laugh every time, his (hopeful) pretence to be oblivious adding a layer of comic relief that was desperately needed to offset the hard-hitting themes of the play.
While there is much to be commended in the show, I must admit I found it to be reminiscent of my GCSE theatre days. As the writers packed a hearty number of witty one-liners into the script, so too did they include a tooth-ache inducing pick-and-mix of mental illnesses. I fear the phrase ‘on the nose’ doesn’t quite cover it, with the script attempting to be so didactic that not only did we witness a detention, but an actual lecture on the plethora of mental health concerns that appeared within the final act of the production.
Perhaps it is envy that taints my view, but I found the sporadic way in which each character took turns to have a sudden epiphany to cause mild whiplash. In quick succession, every member of the group both admitted their deep-seated troubles to their peers and then miraculously had a revelation leading them to find a solution to their problems and accept their true selves. These monologues were of course all accompanied by a somewhat effective soundtrack of intense breathing and echoing heartbeats (a soundtrack that perhaps would have been less jarring without the inclusion of some slightly off-putting ASMR provided by none other than Mr Fairton from backstage).
Of course, any good student production would not be complete without a fantastic finale to shock and surprise the audience. The Detention offered this in the form of a spontaneous dance break, because what else could encapsulate the morals of this story but the expressive language of dance?
Ultimately, although I must credit the cast and crew for tackling such complex themes, I must stress the need for some tact when bombarding the audience with a jerking rollercoaster ride of emotions. At its core, The Detention is a moral story of self-acceptance and the value of sharing your burdens without fear of judgement. On the surface, the delivery of this moral needs some fine-tuning, but at least we could laugh our way through these occasional stumbles.
For a price that rivals tuition fees, a small but lucrative group of private consultancies promise expert guidance for students applying to Oxford and Cambridge. Bespoke packages costing up to £25,590 offer everything from interview preparation to subject-specific mentoring through the increasingly competitive application process.
The real draw for many, however, is the promise of insider access, with some firms openly advertising direct connections to current tutors who sit on the universities’ admissions panels. To investigate these claims, Cherwell posed as a prospective client and obtained prospectus documents from several companies, revealing their full scope and cost.
Cherwell has found that oversight of these services appears to be almost non-existent. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to all Oxford undergraduate colleges revealed only two tutors declared paid work with admissions consultancies over the past three academic years.
This tiny number stands in stark contrast to the extensive access firms advertise, with the discrepancy exposing a grey area in accountability. Whether fault lies on the part of companies or colleges, both possibilities undermine confidence in the equity of admissions – one by selling the illusion of access, the other by directly risking the reality of it.
Inside the programmes
Much of the work these firms do has been hidden from public view due to their exclusive nature. But internal prospectuses obtained by Cherwell reveal just how extensive – and expensive – these programmes can be.
Most begin with an initial consultation involving the student and their parents, followed by a long-term plan that can run for over a year. In some cases, companies advise starting this process as early as 14 or 15 years old, framing early preparation as a competitive advantage.
A growing number of firms now operate in the market, with services ranging from preparation for admissions tests, through to mock interviews and even assistance with super-curricular activities.
Dr Tranter’s Oxbridge Tutorials, for example, includes support “with sourcing work experience and other relevant preparation”, as well as a “comprehensive review of the full UCAS application, with ongoing feedback and support throughout the process”. Another firm, First Class Education, offers weekly one-to-one tutorials and termly strategic reviews with parents, while also covering personal statement drafting and mock interviews.
One parent told Cherwell she turned to a private consultancy after her son’s state school – rated “inadequate” by Ofsted – provided no support for his Cambridge application. She said the “several thousand pound” programme “helped him improve his personal statement and he had about six mock interviews”. Reflecting on the process, she said: “To be honest, they were amazing – he got a place and has just graduated with a high 2:1.”
Not everyone views the industry as a benign force, however. One former tutor who has previously worked for elite firms told Cherwell: “The fees these firms charge are neither reasonable nor justified by the quality of the service provided. Much of their material is produced by students who lack teaching credentials and are inadequately compensated, which undermines the quality of their work.”
Firms repeatedly invoke the idea of ‘insider knowledge’, usually coming from tutors who are Oxbridge graduates. Some firms, however, go further, with Dr Tranter’s explicitly promising access to tutors who currently sit on Oxford and Cambridge admissions panels – the very bodies that decide which applicants receive offers each year. Cherwell contacted Dr Tranter’s for comment, but the firm did not respond to requests for comment.
Claims of disproportionate success rates are also prevalent, with First Class Education proudly boasting: “100% of our Oxbridge applicants received an interview last year, and 24 out of 50 secured offers.” This equates to an acceptance rate of 48% – over triple the average among all Oxford undergraduate applicants in 2024. The company told Cherwell that these figures came from internal data, but acknowledged they were not independently verified, as “not all clients disclose final outcomes”.
The former tutor said the lack of regulation of the industry allows “some companies to misrepresent their success rates and, in some cases, their tutors’ qualifications”. They added: “Parents are paying thousands for a service that often adds little value, with no professional body to ensure standards or quality assurance.”
Whether through success statistics or promises of exclusive access, these claims capture the image of privileged insight that these firms seek to cultivate. Applicants are offered a potentially crucial advantage unavailable to those unwilling or unable to pay for similar opportunities.
Five-figure packages
This promise of insider guidance comes at a hefty premium, with fees regularly reaching the five-figure mark. In a prospectus document usually reserved for interested families, Dr Tranter’s prices its Gold Tier package at £19,950, with the Elite Tier reaching £25,590. The firm also offers a “6 hour tour of Oxford colleges” for an additional £950.
Internal documents obtained by Cherwell show First Class Education’s Oxford PPE programme is spread over two successive periods. The £8,000 “Phase 1: Profile-Building” stage focuses on developing an applicant’s academic background, while “Phase 2: Application Preparation” comes in at an additional £10,000, covering the full UCAS process, up to and including interviews.
First Class Education told Cherwell that its packages provide “highly tailored, long-term support”, with each student offered “sustained mentorship and skill development rather than short-term tutoring”. They stressed that “no current Oxford or Cambridge admissions officers are employed” by the firm, and that all tutors must “disclose any current university employment” to ensure compliance with conflict of interest policies.
Other firms operate under slightly different models, but command similar fees. Keystone Tutors offers a modular “University Advisory Service”, costing over £6,000. Whilst initially appearing to be a cheaper option, this is tempered by the fact it encourages customers to sign up for additional modules available at rates of up to £177 per hour, depending on the tutors’ experience.
Cherwell found many other such examples of high-cost programmes, including William Clarence (starting at £9,000) and UK Education Garden (from £9,999), as shown in Graph 1, both of whom point to the Oxbridge-specific insights and subject expertise that they provide. Keystone Tutors, William Clarence, and UK Education Garden were all approached for comment.
Taken together, the high fees and the manner in which the programmes are presented create a sense of exclusivity both in the nature of the personalised plans and the promised access. Yet despite these bold claims and premium fees, there is little transparency over how such companies operate, bringing the issues of fairness and conflict into focus.
College oversight
All Oxford colleges maintain formal conflict of interest policies, requiring any staff involved in admissions to declare paid work they have completed that could create either real or perceived conflicts, including in tutoring or consultancy. The policies are intended to ensure that no applicant receives an unfair advantage through personal connections or monetary incentives.
Of the colleges that responded to Cherwell’s FOI request – only Christ Church failed to reply despite repeated attempts to contact them – nearly all reported that there had been no declared involvement with admissions consultancies by tutors.
Hertford College referred to a single private tutoring arrangement, explicitly structured to avoid conflicts, whilst Lincoln College also reported one conflict, though stressed that the candidate in question was not applying to the College, nor for a course that they offer. Both cases demonstrate the lengths to which colleges aim to track even minimal external work.
Most colleges referred to policies that prohibited conflicts relating to pecuniary interests. Exeter College, for instance, warns that situations should be declared if “the assessor … has received remuneration for advice given on Oxford University admissions to any individual or organisation”.
Wadham College, meanwhile, explicitly addresses the potential for commercial tutoring schemes to create conflicts of interest: as their policy states, such programmes grant “privileged access” to applicants, which may conflict “with the College’s stated aim of supporting academically able students, regardless of their background, in applying to Oxford”.
However, the conflict of interest policies of several colleges also apply across the entire university, not just within individual colleges. For instance, Mansfield College specifies that a conflict relating to such paid work should be declared “whether the candidates advised have applied to the College or not”.
In addition to this, Oxford University’s Conflict of Interest Policy requires staff to “recognise and disclose activities that might give rise to actual or perceived conflicts of interest,” highlighting admissions as an area where such conflicts may arise. Cambridge University has a similar policy in place, but did not respond to a request for comment.
The gap between the tiny number of declared conflicts and firms’ advertised practices exposes a serious discrepancy. While companies continue to market “current tutors” as a key selling point, Oxford colleges report almost no such involvement.
Whether this is due to companies overstating their access or tutors providing paid guidance without declaring it, the result is legal and ethical ambiguity in a sector which forms part of the UK’s £7.5 billion tutoring industry.
Minimal regulation, maximum cost
Despite the high fees and the bold marketing claims, the private Oxbridge consultancy market remains almost entirely unregulated. No authority – whether at national or university level – directly oversees the claims these companies make about success rates, tutor credentials, or insider knowledge.
This absence of oversight is not unique to university admissions consultancy, with the broader private tutoring industry also operating with minimal regulation. Firms are governed only by general consumer protection and advertising standards, with the lack of an official regulator leaving a gap in an industry shaping access to elite universities.
The Tutors’ Association (TTA) – the UK’s only professional body for private tutors – told Cherwell that “all tutors and tutoring organisations (including education consultancies and Oxbridge admissions specialists) should meet minimum standards of professionalism and ethical conduct, ensuring transparency, integrity and accountability in their work”.
In the absence of government regulation, the TTA maintains a voluntary Code of Practice, runs an independent disciplinary committee, and supports safeguarding measures, such as “mandatory criminal record checks for all tutors working with children and young people”.
Unclear regulation and unchecked advertising claims have led to a sector where five-figure packages have become the norm and firms operate largely without accountability. Companies publicly tout their ability to provide access to current admissions tutors, yet this is directly at odds with data showing almost no such arrangements have been formally declared.
Until this inconsistency is addressed, the equity of Oxford’s admissions system will remain an open question. For now though, the promise of insider access remains a powerful incentive for families willing and able to pay tens of thousands of pounds – even if, as university and college policies make clear, that knowledge should never be for sale.
As students, we meticulously optimise our environment for success. We seek out the perfect library spot, invest in noise-cancelling headphones, and curate playlists designed for focus. Yet, there is a critical, invisible factor in our study spaces and bedrooms that receives scant attention but has a demonstrable impact on cognitive function: the quality of the air we breathe. In the often-aged and poorly ventilated housing stock of Oxford, understanding and improving indoor air quality could be the missing piece in the academic performance puzzle.
The challenge is particularly acute in student accommodation. Older Victorian and Edwardian houses, converted into HMOs, often rely solely on draughty windows for ventilation, while modern purpose-built blocks can be so airtight that they trap pollutants inside. The result in both cases is often suboptimal: either a freezing room from an open window or a stuffy, stagnant atmosphere that impairs concentration.
The primary culprit in a stuffy study room is carbon dioxide (CO2). While not toxic at these levels, elevated CO2 is a direct indicator of poor ventilation. As we exhale, CO2 levels rise, and a growing body of research links this to a significant decline in cognitive ability.
A seminal study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that when CO2 levels reached concentrations common in conventional buildings (around 945 ppm), participants’ cognitive function scores were 15% lower than when in environments with enhanced ventilation. When CO2 levels were raised further to 1,400 ppm—a level easily attainable in a small, occupied bedroom with the door and window closed—cognitive scores dropped by 50%. The functions most affected were crisis response, strategy, and information usage—precisely the skills needed for writing essays, solving complex problems, and revising for exams.
Beyond CO2, poor ventilation allows for the build-up of other pollutants. Dust mites thrive in humid conditions, and their droppings are a common allergen that can disrupt sleep and cause daytime fatigue. Mould, which grows readily in damp, poorly ventilated corners (often behind furniture pushed against cold external walls), releases spores that can trigger respiratory issues and headaches.
Before you can fix the air, you need to diagnose the issue. The signs are often subtle but telling.
Practical Solutions for the Student Tenant
As tenants, our ability to install permanent systems is limited, but there are several effective and landlord-friendly strategies to take control of your air.
Simply cracking a window is inefficient. The most effective method is “cross-ventilation.” Open windows on different sides of your room, or open your bedroom door and a window in another room to create a through-draught. A short, intense 10-15 minute burst of this, several times a day, is far more effective at flushing out stale air than leaving a single window slightly ajar all day. This is also more energy-efficient, as it minimises heat loss.
Many rooms, even in older buildings, have background ventilation. Check for trickle vents at the top of your window frames—these small, adjustable slats are designed to provide a constant, low level of ventilation. Ensure they are open and not blocked by curtains or blinds.
If your room has extractor fans in the bathroom or kitchen, use them. Turn them on during and for at least 20 minutes after showering or cooking. Check that the exterior air vents are not blocked by leaves or debris, as this renders them useless. If a vent cover is damaged or missing, reporting it to your landlord is a reasonable request, as it protects the property from damp.
For a data-driven approach, a simple, affordable CO2 monitor (available online for £50-£100) can be a revelation. It provides real-time feedback, showing you exactly when the air in your room is becoming stale and it’s time to open a window. This takes the guesswork out of ventilation.
A University-Wide Responsibility
While individual action is powerful, the ultimate solution requires institutional commitment. Colleges and private accommodation providers should be encouraged to prioritise ventilation in refurbishments, considering systems like Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) for new builds, which provide fresh, filtered air without heat loss. Ensuring that all student rooms have adequate, controllable ventilation should be seen as fundamental to supporting academic welfare, as vital as providing adequate heating or internet access.
In the intense academic environment of Oxford, every advantage counts. By bringing the issue of air quality out of the shadows, we can empower students to create environments that don’t just house them, but actively help them think, focus, and succeed.
Perfume is more than just a beauty accessory. It’s emotion bottled, memory distilled, and confidence in a single spritz. Finding your signature scent is like falling in love, it’s instant, magical, and deeply personal.
But with so many perfumes on the market, how do you discover the one? Ready to meet your fragrance soulmate?
Our ultimate guide will help you explore seasonal scents and share simple, effective tips on choosing, wearing, and caring for a perfume that feels truly you.
Spring scents are all about awakening. Think blooming peonies, dewy roses, green tea, and a touch of citrus. These notes mirror the season’s lightness and renewal, making them perfect for everyday wear.
If you’re drawn to gentle femininity, look for eau de toilettes (EDT) that blend soft florals with clean notes like lily of the valley or pear. They’re ideal for daytime because they linger subtly, like sunshine through sheer curtains.
Not into florals? Opt for crisp, green fragrances with notes of cucumber, basil, or mint — they capture the same freshness of spring without the sweetness.
Try this: Mist your spring perfume on your scarf or hairbrush. It’ll diffuse delicately throughout the day, leaving a fresh trail behind you.
Summer calls for breezy, sun-kissed fragrances. Think sea salt, coconut, lemon zest, or white musk. Opt for lighter formulations, such as colognes or body mists,that won’t overwhelm in the heat.
Want to make it last longer? Apply unscented body lotion first. Hydrated skin locks in scent better. And don’t store your perfume in a sunny bathroom! Heat and light can break down delicate fragrance molecules, dulling that sparkling summer scent.
Our tip: If you’re attending a summer evening event, layer your daytime scent with a deeper base. A drop of vanilla or amber can transform it into a sultry night fragrance.
As the air turns crisp, your perfume can grow warmer. This is where the right sweet and warm fragrance truly shines. Look for notes like caramel, honey, tonka bean, amber, or patchouli. They evoke comfort just like wrapping yourself in your favourite sweater.
Autumn perfumes tend to have more depth, so opt for eau de parfum (EDP) instead of EDT. The higher concentration of essential oils gives your scent more staying power for those chilly evenings and candlelit dinners.
Pair it with: a bold lipstick and your favourite leather jacket. Together, they make an unforgettable statement.
Winter fragrances are all about luxury and intensity. Think smoky woods, vanilla orchid, oud, and spiced cinnamon. This is your moment for statement scents that last long after you’ve left the room.
Perfume layering works beautifully here. Combine a warm base (like amber or praline) with a touch of floral or woody top notes. The result? A custom scent that’s uniquely yours.
Night perfumes in winter can be richer and more mysterious. These are perfect for festive dinners or quiet nights in. Remember, a little goes a long way when it comes to concentrated EDPs or parfum extracts.
When you find that fragrance that makes you close your eyes and smile, that’s it. That’s your scent story.
Your perfume is alive, so treat it like a treasure.
Next time you reach for a new bottle, think of it as choosing the soundtrack to your life. Invisible notes that follow you everywhere. One spritz, and the world remembers you.
Professor Andrew Davison, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford, advised Royal Mail on the theological and artistic interpretation of its 2025 Christmas stamps, which feature scenes of the Nativity. Professor Ben Quash, Professor of Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London, also contributed, having written the accompanying text for the issue.
Designed by illustrator Paula Doherty, the stamps – which commemorate the artistry of surface and texture – depict an angel for the 2nd class, Mary and Joseph for the 2nd class large letter, Mary and the Baby Jesus for the 1st class, shepherds for the 1st class large letter, and the three wise men for the £3.40 stamp. Drawing on inlaid marble, enamelling, marquetry, and collage, the stamp set combines an artisanal aesthetic with a contemporary retelling of the Nativity story.
Discussing his involvement with the 2025 stamps, Davison told Cherwell: “For six or seven years, Royal Mail have asked me to comment on their designs for Christmas stamps and the text that goes in the presentation pack. I’ve never been involved with the design … I’ve been more like quality control, helping make sure that the Christmas stories or theological traditions around Christmas are handled well, and having an eye to whether something might reasonably but unintentionally cause offence.”
Davison added that he is “thoroughly impressed by how carefully and considerately this part of the company goes about its work”. He added that Royal Mail “have also always been responsive” to his suggestions.
Davison has previously collaborated with Royal Mail, writing the booklet notes for the 2021 Christmas stamps and contributing an article on the depictions of animals in the Nativity.
The Christmas 2025 stamp set is available for purchase from 4th November.
Cienna Jennings visits Oxford’s renowned tattoo and piercings studio, Tigerlily, to speak with the owner, Mick Durham about tattoos, piercings and the changing attitudes surrounding body modifications.
Surrounded by black-tie and Subfusc, body modifications are not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Oxford University. However, as someone who attends Oxford Uni and has 14 piercings, five of which are on my face and very visible, I have not had many negative experiences because of them. As to be expected, the standard piercings, such as earlobes and nose, are quite popular among the student population,but I have also met many other individuals with visible piercings.
The reasons for getting body modifications vary from cultural or aesthetic, to a form of self-expression. Speaking from my own experience, my decision to get most of my piercings was simply because I thought they “looked cool” and would help emphasise my individuality and represent my own personal style.
The history of body modifications is long and varied. From the culture of ear stretching in pre-Roman Britain to nose rings that originated in the middle east, body modifications have a culturally rich history. Body modifications were relatively acceptable before Christianity spread in Britain. However, they later became associated with paganism and were therefore deemed unacceptable. Later, during the Elizabethan period, piecing’s, specifically lobes, became a symbol of wealth among the upper-class, with Queen Elizabeth II often wearing them herself.
In the 1970’s the Punk subculture made body modifications loud again. From spiked hair to visible tattoos and piercings, these acted as symbols of protest against the political system and social norms. Now, these same visible body modifications are almost everywhere, from mainstream television to your local barista, they have become more of a symbol of fashion and self-expression than one of rebellion.
Wanting to find out more about the culture of body modifications in Oxford, I took a trip down to Oxford’s most well-known tattoo and piercing studio, Tigerlily. Here I interviewed the owner, Mick Durham, about his experiences’. He told Cherwell how he has been working in Oxford since 1991 after he and his wife moved here. Mick stated how he travelled around selling things he got on holiday to different student unions, one being Oxford Brookes. Oxford University, however, did not have a market for it in the student union.
When asked what inspired him to enter this line of work, he responded: “I always say that I did not choose tattoo and piercings, it chose me and it has been very kind to me.” Mick explained that he originally began by selling clothes and gifts from Guatemala. As customers started asking for jewellery, he began selling that too, eventually expanding to body jewellery. When people asked if he could fit the jewellery himself, he decided to learn how and later even taught his son – Brendan – to pierce.
I asked Mick whether he felt as if the culture of body modifications had changed over time in Oxford. He believes it has become more popular, and credits much of this increase to David Beckham, stating how “As soon as we had a gorgeous, respected man who had tattoos, it became more acceptable to get them. David Beckham is a working-class hero who made tattoos and piercings more respectable.”
When asked whether there was a favourite tattoo or piercing, Mick responded with: “there is no most popular tattoo or piercing as people want a variety of things. For piercings it is probably nostrils or lobes, but for tattoos there is no favourite one, as for a tattoo to be good it has to have some kind of meaning.”
It was clear from this interaction and my own research that there has been an upsurge in body modifications, especially in young people as they are becoming increasingly visible. However, there is still a stigma surrounding body modifications. Visible tattoos and piercings are sometimes banned in professional workplaces, which may consciously or subconsciously stereotype those who have them, believing it may affect their ability to perform a job or get clients. But hopefully one day, as we continue to move towards being a progressive society, the judgement of people based on their appearances and how they choose to express themselves, body modifications and all, will no longer be an issue.
When term gets busy, I don’t know how I would survive without my collection of 76 Spotify playlists. They cover all bases. Of course, there are the classic ones: one for the gym, one for essay writing, one for winding down after a busy day of lectures. Then there are the playlists I make when I begin trying to write a new novel, which is often – playlists and Pinterest boards are a procrastinator’s best friends. I have songs that remind me of my parents, songs that make me cry. Endless set lists from tours I never got the chance to attend – and the ones that I did. A carefully curated playlist of Joni Mitchell’s masterpieces.
I am a writer, and songs are poetry. I grew up at folk festivals, with songs that told stories, and though I am more into indie-pop now, I still look for solid writing from an artist. Taylor Swift’s lockdown albums ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’ are prime examples, woven with metaphors, as are Phoebe Bridgers’ haunting song ‘I Know The End’ and Lizzy McAlpine’s ‘Pushing It Down and Praying.’ Not even these, though, could top ‘River’ by Joni Mitchell, a piece of music so beautiful that I keep playing it, even when my friends tell me off for listening to a so-called Christmas song in August. Mitchell’s voice is raw, and a sad song with a piano accompaniment never fails to make me sob.
To me, music is more than a thoughtless hobby; it is my lifeline. As someone with severe anxiety, music keeps me going more than anything else can. Panic attacks are followed by ‘Camden’ by Gracie Abrams on repeat. I play songs through my headphones as often as I can, trying to drown out the thought spirals that consume my mind.
When I discovered Abrams’ music, I was not prepared for what it would do for me. Not often do singer-songwriters cover mental health, but she does. And she does it well. Songs about depression, about homesickness, about anxiety and OCD, about losing people that mean everything to you. Nothing has ever summed up the bittersweet feeling of moving to university better than the song ‘Right now,’ in which she proclaims: “People 24/7 / It’s the best and a curse / All they do is remind me / That I’m still introverted.”
This is a song that I will look back on when I am old and grey and I’m sure it will make me smile, thinking of the girl to whom it meant everything. ‘Right now’ has been part of my summer playlist for the last three years. It was my father’s idea, which quickly became a ritual: to, each summer, write down the ten songs I love the most in that moment. I now spend each July sifting through my playlists in search of these ten precious songs, which will become a time capsule of the person I once was.
As an Earth scientist, I am forever donning hiking boots and a hard hat, traipsing around outdoors to look at rock outcrops and draw up maps. I was raised in the countryside, but even at home, I go on walks with my headphones firmly clamped over my ears. Blocking out the world. It is only on those field trip days, when I am forced to leave the music behind, that I truly feel the world around me: that I listen to the ocean and birdsong and human chatter. That I can appreciate silence. And on these days, perhaps my anxiety feels duller.
But when I step back on the coach to drive back to Oxford, the headphones are on again. It’s almost like a drug. Music is a powerful thing, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never ditch my playlists – I rely on them too much.
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