Sunday 3rd August 2025

Lifestyle

The girl who lived

Like Harry Potter under the stairs, I was ‘the one who lived’. A rainbow baby (a baby born after loss), wrapped in nappies and layers of meaning and expectation....

The art of snacking in an ingredient household

There’s something quite liminal about being a student. One minute you’re running around a...

Tiny Love Stories

I gazed at the mountains encircling my mother's hometown. I had been travelling in...

Intellectual manspreading? Male students of feminism

If I had to choose one, I’d say my favourite part of studying a...

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

Procrastination: title pending…

In today’s high-pressure society, it is no secret that we all fall prey to procrastination. Whether it’s that looming essay deadline or last-minute revision...

The Not So Secret History: Healthy Habits

As this is the first instalment of my column, it would be natural to give a little bit of background to what I’m going...

Dinner date with yourself

When one of my closest friends first introduced me to the phrase “date yourself”, I found it ridiculous. I have always enjoyed my own...

Grabbing lunch out without going broke

On more days than I care to admit, I wander about town, lunch box empty and stomach growling

Why is the care leaver population so low at Oxford?

"Arbitrary cut-off points in the admissions process fail people from the care system."

A review of the Oxford Wine Company

'The Oxford Wine Company truly has a wine for every occasion, so I was excited when given the opportunity to review a bottle'

The joys of room decorating

An Oxford term vanishes in the blink of an eye. So much happens in eight short weeks – time flies from the moment suitcases...

A delightfully sweet summer at Cocoa Runners

People often say that patience is a virtue, and I embraced this mantra (unintentionally) during my quest for a summer internship. Whilst many friends...

Toilet training: the unexpected troubles of living out

It started with a whining. A soft, barely discernible purring every time we flushed the toilet or turned the taps. “Character”, we called it....

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