Welcome to the most beautiful college in Oxford, apart from the college colours.... hmmm.....

ROSE LANE -
where I have spent way too much time living recently for my liking.
AND - to prove that Merton is a truly self-sustainable college of the Naughties -
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN -
where the gardeners spend way too much time growing courgettes for anyone's liking

FELLOWS QUAD-
home of my tutor, Dr. Finch, and the Merton Time Ceremony, which takes place once a year when the clocks go back. It involves walking backwards round the quad dressed in subfusc drinking port. The idea behind this is completely potty, but explained in more detail on Merton's webpage. If you really, really care all that much.

FELLOWS GARDEN -
and this is a rather gorgeous place to sit out in the summer, to play bowls (the only sport permitted by the warden here) and to host drinks parties and champagne breakfasts. It is so nice that I will include a copy of the May Morning picture, of which I am rather proud, for the third time in the history of this webpage.

FAMOUS GEEZERS -

T.S. Eliot and Tolkien were fellows of Merton, y'know. They lived in the room beneath Phil's old room in Merton Street. They probably still do.

A REAL LIVE OXFORD STUDENT (?!) -

This is me outside hall on matriculation day, and since my chances of graduating seem to becoming increasingly unlikely, it's probably one of the few little-miss-perfect-butter-wouldn't-melt-in-her-mouth photos the world will ever see of me. I'm wearing subfusc, which is the formal dress worn to ceremonies and exams in Oxford, and makes everyone look about 12.

NB - it was taken at 6.30 in the morning, so please don't be too harsh