Day One: Spires, Pubs, and a River That Won

We caught the early train from Bristol Temple Meads with, nearly everyone on the platform (Anett) in time and rolled into Oxford, ready to explore the City of Dreaming Spires.  First up was a 90-minute walking tour through the university’s historic colleges and quads, taking in centuries of history and just enough Latin to make us all feel slightly underqualified.

From there it was a well-earned stop at The Turf Tavern, a 13th-century pub tucked down a medieval alleyway that’s every bit as atmospheric as it sounds. Drinks, nibbles, and the first proper chance to catch up away from our desks.  We then headed to the river for the main event: self-drive punting on the Cherwell. Four punts, sixty minutes, and a level of chaos that can only be described as character-building. Some of the team took to it with surprising elegance. Others spent most of the hour stuck against the riverbank, or going backwards (Robbie, Simon and Melika).

Soggy and slightly humbled, we regrouped at The Cape of Good Hope to dry off, debrief the disasters, and decide whose punting technique needs the most work.

A quick freshen-up at the hotel later, we sat down to dinner at Dirty Bones, on the rooftop terrace at Westgate, American comfort food, great cocktails, and exactly the right energy for the evening ahead.

The night carried on in Jericho, Oxford’s effortlessly cool neighbourhood of independent bars and Victorian terraces,  proof that the WIA team can sightsee by day and still bring the energy after dark, well some of us…

Day Two: Pastries, Meadows, and a Proper Pub Lunch

Day two started gently with coffee and pastries at a Scandinavian bakery that may have single-handedly converted the office to cardamom buns.  With a little free time before lunch, the group split between the museums… the Ashmolean Museum, the Natural History Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum and the Science Museum, and a browse around the historic Covered Market.

From there, we walked out across Port Meadow, one of Oxford’s most loved open spaces and common land since before the Domesday Book — cows, wildflowers, and (thankfully) blue skies all the way to lunch.

Lunch was at The Perch, a beautiful 17th-century thatched pub right on the meadow’s edge, the perfect relaxed, garden-side way to bring the trip to a close. A final wander back into the city centre, one last coffee, one last bookshop browse, and then it was back to the station for the train home.

The Verdict

Two days, four punts, at least one near-miss with a bridge, and a whole lot of Oxford explored on foot. A brilliant way to spend time together outside the office, thank you to everyone who made it such a fun (and occasionally chaotic) trip.

Roll on the WIA Summer Social 2027!