From the city of aquatint 34

These extracts indicate what I now acknowledge was far too much attention to the Oxford Union. It notes my father’s continuing concern to support others educationally, in this case my brother’s schoolfriend Kumarasinghe who along with Palitha Kohona was the brightest in his year at S. Thomas’.

The pictures are of Univ which I so much enjoyed, for its social life but also as these letters make clear for the sheer beauty of the premises: the Fellows Garden and the entrance to the Beer Cellar, stained glass in the Chapel, the magnificent roof of the main entrance, and two pictures of the Library, including the statues of Lords Eldon and Stowell, moved now upstairs from the entrance, so they loom over the main study area.

7^th January 1974

As usual Oxford gave me a very good Christmas, though not enough of it was here as I had 5 days before in Gloucestershire as I felt a need to convalesce and quite a bit of last week at the Gooneratnes’ due to a party, and 2 days out in London, at rather bad plays, except for Maggie Smith in ‘Peter Pan’ & ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’. I also had a 3^rd afternoon with one of my school friends, in the course of which at last I saw a Piccadilly Club – the Liberal one – where we met Tony Fernando holding court; and I just got back today from a weekend with the family I was in France with, in the course of which Union intrigue was not forgotten. It’s astonishing how closely even schoolmasters follow  their ex-pupils’ careers – we spent all yesterday evening being instructed in winning at politics by a rather eccentric English master who’s planning coachloads of voters for March the 8^th – and I thought we were mad!

As you can see, I only had one clear week in Oxford and now people have begun to come back, which is a bit annoying because it’s lovely when hardly anyone’s here. There were a few more than last year, and we did have two ludicrous sessions of Monopoly, in addition to the usual pantomime with the Dean, and the Staff party, and a reasonable amount of work. The power crisis hasn’t affected me too badly yet, in fact the rooms I’ve been moved to are like a furnace, and I hope to return to my usual set tomorrow. Love cake arrived from home from Aach, and lots of cards. I also got more than the Dean from Undergrads which was very satisfactory. I hope shortages weren’t too annoying there – I can’t help feeling love cake is much nicer than Christmas cake. Snow hasn’t fallen here yet, except for drips in November, but the College still looks magnificent when silent. 

17^th January 1974

A quick attempt to reply before term rolls on. The last few days have been full enough, principally with Union lunacies. I inquired in Univ about Kumar – there aren’t any places at Univ and a general shortage for medicine through the University – any hope of success would be through applying via the Ceylon University, and even then something else would probably be better – London? I have thought about the bar though not very deeply – two years of research in America, if I could get some sort of scholarship, might be fun, but I shall give myself another 6 months to decide.

Collections are tomorrow and tutorials have already begun to be arranged, though I did finish my 1^st week essay in the Vac, which gives a bit of free time – essential due to a bit of bother coming up on Standing Committee next week. The President, a bad thing, has been caught out lying, which is most interesting – he’s also attempting to bar the Presidency for next term of Michael, the chap I was in France with.

Milan and Helga sent a card and another invitation, also the Devarajans, and Milan’s sister from Yugoslavia sent me a delightful book with pictures of the mountains I staggered up the summer before last.

My term of office as JCR President ends in 3^rd week, and college duties cease, though it is quite fun watching the succession stakes.