This was one of the most exciting trips we have had the opportunity to take. Not only did we have the chance to explore Oxford but we were guided around Christ Church and their library by a very personable Librarian named Steven. He seemed to be excited to have us and even gave us the opportunity to see the Harry Potter stairs and the Hall where the students still eat today. Many of us were really excited to be there and see, in real life, the stages for the harry potter movies unfolding before out eyes.
However, one of the best parts was when Steven took us up into one of their archival rooms. This room was smaller and lined with books, some of which he had on display to talk about with us. We got to see little bibles that would have been carried around by the priests, Queen Elizabeth I personal bible. Beautifully decorated, this bible had two version and a notes section comparing both versions in an unbiased manor. At this time there was a lot of controversy about the two versions of the bible and which one was the correct one. When Steven move us over to the Queen's bible and told us the significance of the book laying in front of us, you could see the excited twinkle that shown in all of my classmates eyes.
Oxford was an adventure that I will never forget and the materials we saw made me feel so fortunate to have been there and experiencing these treasures with new friends.
To learn more about Christ Church Library and Archives, check out this link: https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/library
