Friday brought with it the British sunshine and the prospect of a fun-filled first weekend for our third cohort of students at Yarnton. Saturday promises to be a busy one with the inception of the ORA Olympics in the city centre. On Sunday our students are sure to get their daily dose of intellect thanks to our fantastic Great Debates, held in the magnificent Sheldonian Theatre.

Lessons started with a bang on Friday morning as everyone looked forward to their first weekend in Oxford. The group was also eager to enjoy some time outside in the sun, with students taking time between classes to play a few games of badminton and table tennis.

Once lessons were over, there was some free time to enjoy socialising. Dinner was then held outside, with a delicious selection of barbecue dishes on offer which everyone enjoyed on the lawn behind the manor. Once everyone had finished their meal, it was time for the Vintage Mad Hatter’s Tea Party which caused great excitement!

The city of Oxford is well-known for its connection to Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Many of the scenes in the book are said to be based on Caroll’s experiences of Christ Church College, and so it seemed very fitting to have this as a theme for the party.

The students enjoyed Yarnton’s version of wonderland with an array of activities in the back garden, including water gun fighting, spacehopper races, croquet and scones and tea in the marquee. The whole group thoroughly enjoyed themselves, although students and staff alike got a little wet!