Jack Wills Summer 2012

Being in England, it is more than fitting that I should post my top picks from Jack Wills.  Visiting Jack Wills in downtown Oxford was similar to the boutiques I have seen in Newport and Westport--beautiful clothes in a beautiful space. Unfortunately, Jack Wills is just as expensive in the United States, so no shopping spree with Mr. Wills the Pheasant for me, but if you want to buy quality British clothing in honor of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, click the picture below:

I blogged about Jack Wills last fall, so click here to learn more about the British chain boutique.

Wittsmill Dress

Whitworth Bikini Top and Bikini Pant  in White Floral

Lanefox Dress

Rowanfield Tote

Adney Loafers in Mid Brown

Herrington Crew in Serise and White

Worlington iPhone Case

Oxford: The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

If you live outside of the United Kingdom, you are probably wondering why the Diamond Jubilee celebration is such a big deal. It is hard to fully appreciate the festivities as an American, but it is definitely a wonderful event to witness.

There are three types of jubilees--silver, gold, and diamond. Silver celebrates 25 years; gold celebrates 50 years (so Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2002); and diamond celebrates 60 years.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrates Queen Elizabeth II's 60th anniversary on the throne. It's been quite a while since the last Diamond Jubilee--Queen Victoria was the last British monarch to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee in 1897. 

To clarify, England is not a traditional monarchy--it is a constitutional monarchy, which means Parliament handles the important affairs of state and the royal court has all of the fun. That is not to say the monarchs do nothing of significance--many royals support charities and non-profit organizations in England. 

The key thing to understand about the Queen and the rest of the British monarchy is that they are powerful figureheads that represent elegance and propriety. As head of the court, the Queen is epitome of what it means to be British. 

I did not see the Diamond Jubilee Weekend events in London, but other cities in England have had plenty of their own events to celebrate Her Majesty. For the past few days, I have alluded to the jubilee celebrations in downtown Oxford, as well as Brighton. There have been many concerts at various Oxford universities (like Christ Church College), festivals, and parties--as well as decorations at restaurants, pubs, and shops-- in honor of the jubilee.

If you want to learn more about the Diamond Jubilee Weekend, check out the official website by clicking here.

The Jubilee-themed bulletin board at the university

The Turf

Oxford, Day 10: Visiting Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace is absolutely stunning. Despite the rain and overcast weather, the beauty of the grounds remained majestic. The grass and gardens were lush with color. My favorite part of Blenheim's grounds was the water gardens, the fountains shared a great view with the river in the background.

Buying one day ticket to Blenheim Palace allows you to obtain a year-pass for free. I plan on visiting the palace again on a sunny day and exploring the grounds further.

There were activities in honor of the Jubilee celebration, but because they were outdoors on a rainy day, not many people attended. It was also a little difficult leaving--the gates were closed, so the group had to walk back towards the palace, then walk down the path leading to the village nearby before reaching the bus station.

The village was very quaint and it had many cute souvenir shops and pubs, as well as a small set-up for a Jubilee party in the square.

Greeting card from the gift shop

Water Park Garden

The Italian Garden

The Village by Blenheim

Annual pass to Blenheim Palace 

Oxford, Day 9: Jubilee in Jericho

This afternoon, the grouped walked to Jericho, where Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure lived in Oxford. The story's protagonist, Jude, leads a difficult life filled with rejection and confusion. Young Jude, a true scholar, is not accepted to the universities in Oxford, because of his working class status.  After a series of disappointing events, Jude moves from the country to Oxford, but he realizes that he will never be able to step on the other side of the universities' stone walls. He is forever shut out.

Visiting Jericho today was certainly not depressing like Jude's world. Former working class homes have been renovated and boast little English rose gardens that gently spill onto the sidewalk. Many locals were out celebrating the Jubilee holiday at pubs and the street fair.

The group visited St. Sepulchre's graveyard to visit the grave of Oxford scholar Benjamin Jowett. Jowett served as the inspiration for the blue caterpillar in Alice and Wonderland and one of the university deans in Jude the Obscure. Afterwards, we went to St. Barnabas Church in the center of town by the Jubilee celebrations, and finally ended the day at a pub named Jude the Obscure.

St. Sepulchre's Cemetery

RIP Benjamin Jowett

Jericho Street Festival

St. Barnabas Church

Jude the Obscure Pub