Oxford is a wildly unique place, filled with quirky characters and brilliant minds. These are just some of the stereotypes of people you’re likely to run into when out and about (or recognise in yourself!)
Found touting around their hockey stick, sports bag, and art kit simultaneously, dressed in a questionable pleated skirt and knee-high socks, the private school kid is hard to miss on the streets of Oxford. These same kids can be found at the best house parties at the weekends, utilising their huge homes and gardens for their socialite soirees. They probably answer to the name of “Hugo” or “Tiffany” and have a bunch of friends also called Hugo or Tiffany.
Whether they’re sat in the Bodleian or one of Oxford’s many coffee shops, the Uni student is sure to be accompanied by their laptop, a stack of books, and probably wearing a pair of chinos. It’s likely that the Uni Student is merely an older version of the private school kid, but they’ll claim that since they didn’t go to Eton “it doesn’t really count”. (It does).
Very similar to the university student, the Academic can also be found surrounded by books. Add a pair of glasses and a motheaten shirt, and you’ve found an academic. They can be difficult to find, as their work keeps them locked away writing research papers most of the time. When they emerge into the outside world, their air of confusion and avoidance of sunlight can be amusing – please guide the lost academic back to their office or the nearest source of caffeine.
It’s hard to avoid the masses of tourists who swarm to Oxford’s historic sites, blocking entire streets with their huge umbrella (so you can’t miss them) and stopping every few paces to take another photo of a bit of stone that happens to be part of a university building (and looks exactly like all the other bits of university building on that street). Make sure to look where you’re going, otherwise, you may get that umbrella point in your eye and inadvertently split up the whole group.
The lone tourist is very different from an individual member of the tourist group. This person or pair won’t be found following a tour guide around, and they may even appear to be acquainted with the city. However, their tendency to hang around only the most famous parts of the city and have their fancy camera immediately to hand suggests otherwise. The lone tourist can be a lot of fun, as they’re often looking for a slightly different experience of the city – buy them a coffee (or even just recommend somewhere for them to go) and they’re sure to be a new friend.
You’ll usually find this character hanging out at a club during university holidays, or at least only on weekends. This is the young person who everyone will assume must be at university here because it’s so unlikely that young people actually live in Oxford. Even though they were born and raised in Oxford, they probably couldn’t point out the Bodleian Library to you.
Probably the young wife of some rich Summertown businessman, the yummy mummy has little to do with her time except take the kids to school and plan the next W.I. meeting. While the cleaner keeps her house in order and the nanny takes care of the kids, she is free to have brunch with her girlfriends and do a spot of designer shopping. She’s probably the cog that keeps the charity fundraisers going, however, because her other home in the countryside is ideal for hosting events.
Usually the slightly older version of the yummy mummy, this is the woman whose kids have flown the nest. Often quite an eccentric character, the Artist dresses in bohemian style dress from a local designer and produces sculptures from her home gallery. She’ll host a show for Art Weeks and have the best home-made cake, and somehow knows everyone by name.
This kid always has the latest iPhone and designer clothing but will shop in Primark every Saturday and complain about how broke they are to their friends. True, their parents are the ones with money, but they really have nothing much to complain about. They probably go to private school or have a tutor, but they have an excuse “really”.
These kids grew up outside of the bus routes around Oxford, meaning that they had a much harder time getting to hang out with friends. They’ll turn up to every social gathering six hours early or six hours late, depending on when their parents could drive them in on the way to work, until they turn 17 and have to learn to drive to regain some independence. They’ll become the designated taxi because they’ll have to stay sober and drive everywhere anyway, so “I suppose I can drop you home too”.
This kid is probably one of the most overlooked characters you’ll find in Oxford. Due to the extortionate and extravagant living situations of many people in Oxford, poverty ends up being a huge issue. This is the person who many people don’t realise exists in such an affluent area of the world, and as a result often ends up being bullied by peers during their school years.
You’ll be walking to the shops and you’ll run into her, turning a 5-minute trip into an hour-long conversation about the rest of the family, that one kid you knew from school, their grandparents, and every other tenuous link. You won’t remember anyone’s names but seeing them will brighten your day as you rush off to find the milk… and run into your neighbour’s ex-boyfriend’s sister, who invites you for a coffee next week. Sure, why not?! It’ll be good to catch up!
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