A royal farewell

After a weekend of fun travel (students jet-setted to Dublin, Paris, Cambridge, Sandwich, and the Netherlands), our group reconvened Monday morning for a second and final exam. Ouch. To stay in our students' good graces, we planned another fun Monday afternoon outing...this time to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and current home of the eleventh Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. The palace was built for the first Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne in 1704 after the Duke's victory of the French at the Battle of Blenheim.

Our tour of the palace had a business theme and our group learned what it takes to keep such a grand building up and running. We learned about Blenheim's revenue streams, the less than stellar Dukes of the past who squandered money, and the more business savvy Dukes who have made Blenheim Palace what it is today.

As I write this post today, the group is packing up to leave Oxford tomorrow morning. We'll meet for a dinner tonight, then be on our way. At the beginning of our time here, we made a goal to really get to know Oxford. To move beyond the role of tourist and better understand the people and culture of this great town. As I've witnessed our students giving directions to other visitors, compare cultural differences between England and other countries, and wear their Oxford sweatshirts with pride, I think it's easy to see we've reached out goal. Though we all agree a few more weeks wouldn't hurt the process. This trip has gone by quickly. I have a feeling this is just the beginning (or middle, for some) of many experiences for our group as we continue to learn how each of us... our values, culture, and viewpoints... fits into this global world.

The business of Shakespeare

I know what you're thinking, blog readers, we're nearing toward the end of our trip, and there's been no mention of William Shakespeare. A trip to England with no Shakespeare? Of course not. Thursday afternoon we were joined by Kelly Newman and John O'Conner, two Shakespearian scholars teaching at Oxford this summer. Ms. Newman and Dr. O'Conner led an engaging discussion on the life and times of William Shakespeare complete with scene reenactment and our own practice of line memorization.

Thursday night found us on the rooftop of the Said Business School in Oxford awaiting a performance of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Thanks to Ms. Newman and Dr. O'Conner's guidance, it didn't take long for us to get in the rhythm of the character's words and follow the story line. We also better appreciated the staging and lighting. More than one student suggested Kelley consider adding an outdoor theater to the roof of our new undergraduate building.

For some, one performance that evening wasn't enough. Following the play, a large group hurried off to the cinema to await the midnight showing of the premier Harry Potter film. I know you were wondering about that too, right? England with no Harry Potter? Again, of course not.

Our home at Jesus College

Somerset or bust!

After a week of sunny days and fun activities, its finally a rainy Saturday. Perfect weather for blogging! Our week began with a mid term exam (I know what you're thinking, "a midterm already?!?!?" Believe me, we think the time is going by quickly too). To ease the pain of a Monday morning test, we took a walk down to Christ Church in the afternoon. Christ Church is the largest college at Oxford and well known as a key set for the filming of a few of the Harry Potter movies.

We encouraged the students to get a good night sleep because Tuesday we had an early start. We drove to Street in Somerset, the headquarters of Clarks Shoes. Clarks has a unique history in the shoe making business. It began in 1825 and is still a privately held company with great influence from the Clarks family and its Quaker values. After kind greetings from our host, David Heeley, we drove to the company's distribution center where we witnessed first hand how 40 million pairs of shoes move from production to shops and wholesalers in 50 countries. Well I take that back, some of the shoes are distributed from the company's American center in New Hampshire, but what we saw in Street was still an impressive sight!

After a tour, a quick lunch, and some shopping in Clarks Village (the first Outlet Mall in England) we stretched our legs and lungs by hiking up the Glastonbury Tor, a small mountain that offered views of the English countryside complete with cows and sheep in the background. Lovely.

Seems like a great day, no? It's not over. Reenergized from our hike and breathtaking views, we drove on to Bath for dinner and a tour of the Roman Baths. The Romans first discovered the natural hot springs of Bath in AD 43. It was quickly turned into a destination for Romans wanting a "spa vacation" and named Aquae Sulis. Today it is still a famous spa destination, though I imagine the water purification system and meal selections have improved somewhat in the modern spas.

Banking in London

Last Friday, we took our second trip to London to meet with the private banking firm, Coutts and Co. Dressed to impress in the wee hours of the morning, we boarded the bus to London. At our arrival at Coutts, we were greeted with tea and coffee and a warm welcome from our host, David Hawley and his team. Coutts is unique in its level of customer service and exclusivity (the royal family are among Coutts' customers).

During our visit, we received a tour and short history of Coutts. The tour included a visit to the board of directors room decorated with very rare, hand painted Chinese wallpaper. The wall paper was moved, along with many other historic memorabilia, from Coutts' first place of residence to its current building on the Strand in London. The tour was followed by lunch, and presentations from an investment banker, a marketing and brand guru, and a recent graduate who shared inside tips on how to get a (highly coveted) job at Coutts. We all agreed Coutts was a great place to visit (and some may be slipping in an application for an internship soon!).

Shift change London style

London in a day

Continuing to catch up on our action packed week... on Wednesday we took our first of two group trips to London. We arrived mid morning and took a double-decker bus tour of the city. I know what you're thinking..."A double-decker bus tour! What a great idea!" We thought so too, as did every other person visiting London at 10am that morning. The bus was pretty full, so most of the students departed at Buckingham Palace and continued their tour on foot. For those of us who braved the crowds on the bus, things improved and we saw quite a bit of the city and learned some interesting facts from our commentator. By bus or by foot, the entire gang didn't waste time seeing the sights of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Square, the Marble Arch, the Tower of London, the Globe Theater, the British Museum, etc.

By early evening, our feet, legs, and cameras enjoyed a much deserved rest at dinner and the theater. For many of us, this was our first experience with London Theater. Keeping with the theme of embracing all thing British, we saw Billy Elliot. This is a story of a young boy growing up in a coal mining village in northeast England, who wants to be a dancer. Needless to say, the music, dancing, and setting were all superb. What a fantastic first day in London.