Introduction script

Question 1

Ice breaker

Answer 1

Hello, and welcome to Oxford

[pause for a response - which will inevitably be
quite muted. Laugh this off, and say]

“Guys, this is all you need to say for the next
two hours!”

Question 2

First Paragraph

Answer 2

Today we are going to do a two hour tour of Oxford. Why are we going for two
hours? Well because of the very simple question - where is Oxford University?

A very simple question, but it actually has a difficult answer….

There are now 39
colleges, over 100 libraries, and lots of faculty buildings - all of which are spread
over the city centre.

So there is not one place I can take you to and say, here is
where it starts, here is where it ends.

But hopefully after this tour, you will have a
good idea of what we mean, when we say Oxford University.

Question 3

Second Paragraph

Answer 3

What I am now going to do now is give you a brief little timeline of the events in
Oxford, in the hope that as we go around and see these buildings from different
periods, you can think back to the timeline.

Don’t worry, there are no tests on the
timeline.

Question 4

What is timeline 1

Answer 4

Start of the 8th Century - St Frideswide Patron Saint of Oxford.

Question 5

Tell me about St Frideswide.

Answer 5

She spurned the advances of a royal suitor in order to devote her life to Christ.

When prayers and flatteries had failed to work, he prepared to take her by force.

Frideswide flees the city into nearby towns for 3 years. She hears that her father is
dying of a broken heart, being a good daughter she comes back to look after him.

The Royal Suitor hears about this, and she prays for protection, and as the young
man passed through the town gates, he is struck blind.

Realizing his fault, he begs
her forgiveness and his sight is restored. He leaves her in peace and she lives out
her days in St Frideswide priory, which is down by Christ Church, which we will see
later in the tour

Question 6

What happened in 911AD

Answer 6

In 911AD: The residents of Oxford are so scared of raids from the Danes that they
build the first wall around the city.

Question 7

What happened in 1002

Answer 7

In 1002, 13 November: St. Brice’s Day Massacre

Question 8

Tell me about St. Brice’s Day Massacre

Answer 8

During the reign of King Ethelred the Unready, he felt the Danes were popping up
like weeds, and so he made it legal for the English people to kill anyone from
Denmark.

The Danes in Oxford took refuge in St. Frideswide’s Church, whereupon
the local populace set fire to it and destroyed it, murdering all the men, woman
and children inside.

Please note, that if someone is looking to kill everyone, in
your group; scatter. Most of you will get away, do not gather in one place!

Among those murdered was Gunhild, the sister of Sweyn the King of Denmark. He
responded by attacking England and gradually took over the whole country.

Question 9

What happened in 1009?

Answer 9

In 1009 the Danes sailed up the Thames and sacked Oxford.

Question 10

What happened in 1013?

Answer 10

In 1013 Ethelred was driven out of the country and Sweyn was declared King of
England.

Question 11

What happened in 1015?

Answer 11

Two years later, both rival kings were dead. Cnut, son of Sweyn and Edmund, son
of Ethelred, agreed a truce, with Cnut ruling England north of the Thames, and Edmund south of it.

Question 12

What happen in 1016?

Answer 12

One week after signing the truce, Edmund was assassinated and Cnut
became sole ruler.

A disgruntled nobleman, Edric, had his son hide in a cesspit in
Oxford. When the King entered the privy the youth stabbed him to death from
below.

When Edric presented himself to Cnut, the Danish king promised to exalt
him higher than any other English noble – he chopped off his head and displayed
it on a pole from the highest battlement in the palace.

Question 13

What happened in 1355?

Answer 13

In 1355 The St Scholastica Day riots start on 10th February.

Not the first, but the
worst riots where Oxford people fought against students. This underlines the two groups in society, town and gown.

Question 14

What happened in 1556?

Answer 14

In 1556 Queen Mary Tudor has two bishops and the most power archbishop England has ever seen burned right here on the cross on Broad Street.

Question 15

What happened in 1642?

Answer 15

King Charles is fighting the Civil War and makes Oxford his capital.

Roundhead enemies attack, and Charles manages to make an escape. Oxford
surrenders and the Civil War ends.

Question 16

What happened in 1683?

Answer 16

1683 The Ashmolean Museum, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, opens.

It’s the world’s first university museum and on display is the body of the last dodo bird
seen in Europe.

After a hundred years, all that is left of the bird is the head and foot.

Question 17

What happened in 1840?

Answer 17

In 1840 The Great Western railway links Oxford with London.

This was a move which the University attempted to stop, as they feared the university students would be influenced by the decedent lifestyles in the rest of Europe and they also feared a rush of tourists.

Thankfully for us, they were right.

Question 18

What happened in 1954?

Answer 18

1954 Roger Bannister, a medical student, becomes the first person to run a mile in
under four minutes. A new record which he set at the Iffley Road track here in Oxford.

Question 19

And finally…

Answer 19

And finally, perhaps most important and remarkable occurrence in the history of
Oxford: on 13th March 2003 I came to Oxford. Then later came to university here in 2021!