Sheldonian Theatre

Sheldion Theatre

The Sheldonian Theatre  was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Erected between 1664-1669, it has been described as one of the architectural jewels of Oxford.

The Theatre is the ceremonial hall of the University of Oxford. Its purpose was to provide an appropriate secular venue for the main meetings and public ceremonies of the University and this remains its purpose today. 

Outside of the times it is used for University activity, the Theatre is available for concerts, lectures and events of similar nature.

The Ceremonial Hall

The eight sided Cupola in the centre of the roof has large windows on all sides providing stunning views across central Oxford.

One of the most impressive architectural features of the building is its painted ceiling painted by Robert Sreater. 

A view from the Cupola

The Ceremonial Hall

Me graduating from the Uni. of Ox.:)

Revising Vocabulary & Idioms & Pronunciation

Our day started with some really wonderful exercises and tips for revising vocabulary. Some of them were familiar to me, some of them not.

• Back to the board
• Vocabulary rview (Powerpoint)
• Inner and outer circles

Idioms

Our absolutely wonderful group (and this absolutely true, we are so perfect, seems that we've known each other since childhood!) adores learning idioms. We always have so much fun!

• let sleeping dogs lie
• to go to the dogs
• a white elephant
• to be a cold fish
• to run like clocwork

 Pronunciation

Got some really useful and essentail tips to drill pronunciation. AND surprisingly enough, new news (but maybe not new at all) for pronuncing this awful TH sound. When back, I'll tell you!

 

The Great British Picture Quiz

Today we had  a great opportunity to show in teams how much we know about the British people, places and food. This is an absolutely fabulous idea how to revise what students have learned. As you can see from my photos, all you need is to prepare some photos and let students decide and recognise the famous people places, food, etc.
There's also a handout to go with the task and to be filled in. Our team did really well- we recognised most of the things! Good for us- for me, Marta and Jitka!!!

British dishes

British dishes

British dishes

         Well-known places   all        around Britain

The names of some British Food to be revised:

•  Full English Braekfast
• Sunday Roast
• Flapjack
• Cream Tea
• Crumpets
• Toad in a Hole
• Shepherd's Pie
• Chicken Tika Masala
• Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
• Pigs in Blankets
• Scones

Some useful phrases used in everyday life

• I'm a bit hungry.   =    I'm a bit peckish.
• To go on a pub crawl.    =    To go from pub to pub.
• The food is absolutely heavenly/ scrumptious.
•  Roast pork with all the trimmngs/ garnishes. (potatoes, vegetables, decoration)
• It's mouth-watering.
• To eat like a pig
• To drink like a fish
• To pig out/ to stuff one's face.   = to eat a lot
• My eyes were bigger than my stomach.   =   I had put more on the plate than I could eat.

What did you get up to at the weekend?

Windsor Castle

The Isle of Wight

The British are real dog-lovers!

Just a nice view.

The seaside

• The Island is less than 5 km from England and it's closest point. At its furthest point it sis 8 km from England.
• The population of the island is just over 132,000, almost exactly the same as Oxford.
• In the year 686 it became the last part of England to convert to Christianity.
• It was bought by King Edward I in 1293. Before that it was a private island.
• The first yacht race was started by George IV in 1826.
• Today over 1,000 boats take part in "Cowes Week" every June.
• 50,000 people come to watch  the yacht race. The double tides round the island make it a very hard race.

Me standing in the ocean for the first time in my life!

A typical British summer resort!

• Queen Victoria moved to the island in 1845. She died on the island in 1901. Her 9 children and 39 grandchildren lived or had holidays on the island.
• Many poets and artists have lived on the island, such as Keats and Tennyson.
• Tennyson wrote poems for Queen Victoria and has a monument near Freshwater.
• In the "Oxford Dictionary of Quotations" he is the second most quited writer after Shakespeare.
• Jimi Hendrix played in front of 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 3oth , 1970. He died 19 days later.

Shanklin Village, doll's hoses

 

Tea room in the Village of Shanklin

THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ISLAND.....

.......is totally different from the northern one (see the text and pictures above). It a typical English/British countryside with vast fields and pastures  with the cattle and sheep. 
In the afternoon we had a nice walk on the southern side of the island which has some of the best coastal scenery in England.

A pasture and sheep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The sign says everything

We continued walking towards the white cliffs and to Tennyson's Monument. The landscape was picturesque and the view was breathtaking! You just have to experience it yourself! Cannot put it into words as I was just speechless standing there on the edge of the cliffs, admiring the scene, the ocean (The English Channel as well). Took some chalk with me to prove I was there.

Don't push me!

Like a painting!

On the edge of the world

The white cliffs

The Needles at Alum Bay

Somebody's front yard with lots of stuff

Beautiful glass items are made from the sand

Blenheim Palace & the Village of Woodstock

This impressive palace is the home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Blenheim Palace boasts over 300 years of history and there are more than 2000 acres of parkland. The Palace is surrounded by 90 acres of Formal Gardens, including the Secret Garden, Rose garden, Water Terraces, Italian Garden and Churchill Memorial Garden.

Sir Winston (Spenser) Churchill was very well- known for being a witty man. He once said," I'm grateful for Bleinheim Palace twice: Firstly for the fact that I was born here (Actually it happened by accident: her parents were at the Dance Ball at the Palace and her mother was unexpectedly delivering the baby- Winston). And secondly, thsi is the place where I asked my wife to marry me."

As you can see from the pohotos: the place is absolutely superb. There was lots to see and discover. The state rooms were amazing and there was a nice guy- a guide who explained everytrhing. We could see the Churchill exhibition with lots of different things that once belonged to him- a bed, books, even goldylocks that he had at the age of 5. This exhibition provided a wonderful insight into the life of Sir W. Churchill, including the room in which he was born in November 1874. (NB!!! 1784 Võru was founded!!) There was a library where  Churchill  used to spend his time, lots of the books were more than 100 years old.

We could take a stroll around  the Palace and even walk in the sheepfold surrounded by magnificient nature and sheep.

After the tour at the Palace we walked on to the nearby village called Woodstock! What an amazing village it was! Absolutely not village-like, it looked more like a little town than a village for me. Me and my groupmates, 5 of us, decided to pop into one of the cafes to have cream tea. It was totally mouth-watering and tasted absolutely scrumptious! Look at the pictures: isn't it yummy?? And are you absolutely sure what you get when you order cream tea? (Don't look at the pictures!)  I know, ask me! I can spill the beans!!!