Dons and Dragons

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

May I remind everyone of the excellent "listen again" aspect of Radio 4? It will be available for a week after broadcast to everyone with internet access - here or hereabouts....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/listenagain.shtml

I hope it will be! The connection was dodgy on my PC so a lot of it sounded like Daleks and I'd like to hear it again. But it was well worth hearing! No snootiness thankfully (didn't think there would be with Michael Rosen, the old hippy ), and plenty of food for thought.

The programme pondered whether Oxford with its old buildings presented an invitation to wonder with mysterious doorways and the unchanging atmosphere (though I wondered about this, as Oxford has its fair share of modern intrusions!). Other possibilities as to Why Oxford included the sense of ritual entrenched in collegiate life and the sense of seclusion brought on by it (particularly for bachelors, which Tolkien was most definitely not). It was also mentioned that it could simply be that at Oxford arcane topics such as Anglo-saxon might be studied and it is easier to find like-minded people.

It seems Oxford halls have had an influence too, with the architecture and a 'monastic' sense. Though at Balliol where the students trample across the tables in order to rise from their meal I didn't get a sense of the monastic, more of bravado.