BRITISH ESPERANTO CONFERENCE

Somerville College and St Anne's College, Oxford University, Oxford, 3–5 May 2024

Banquet

Enjoy a splendid meal in Somerville College's dining hall on the opening night. There's an option to purchase wine for those who fancy treating themselves. We'll spend some time in an anteroom beforehand where there will be juice and Prosecco available. A perfect way to spend time with new friends in a convivial environment.

After the conference

Marjorie Boulton was born on 7 May 1924, and so on the Tuesday we will be holding a small ceremony at Somerville College on what would have been her 100^th birthday. You are very welcome to join us.

Monday 6 May is a bank holiday in the UK so why not stop on and enjoy Oxford? The ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace, is well worth a visit, as is the town where you'll find it, Woodstock. The bus journey lasts about 35 minutes.

And let's not forget that a day in Oxford itself is one worth passing: a local Esperantist will be walking the streets of Oxford on the Monday and would be delighted to have some company if you wanted to join him. This will be an informal, non-organised walk through the streets of the city to take in some of the most beautiful views, buildings, meadows and the odd museum or two!

(Besides the Memorial Ceremony for Marjorie Boulton, EAB isn't organising activities after the end of the conference. We're just providing you here with some ideas of what you could do on Monday if you were staying.)

Locations

Somerville College and St Anne's College, both on Woodstock Road, are centrally located in Oxford, and within walking distance of the railway station and Oxford Bus Station.

There are plenty of options for food and sleeping in the vicinity but Oxford is a very expensive town in which to overnight. For this reason we recommend a hotel three miles away, the Travelodge Oxford Peartree because the prices are very reasonable and it is located next to the Peartree Park and Ride service, which travels regularly to Oxford. The nearest stop is Radcliffe Observatory Quarter (the third on the route, after around ten minutes), which drops off a two-minute walk from Somerville College.

Warning: There doesn't appear to be a restaurant or bar in this hotel, and it's only possible to order a very simple breakfast there. The nearby Holiday Inn Oxford (Peartree Roundabout) does offer these things: you can buy breakfast on the day (£16.95), the restaurant is open until 21:45, and alcohol can be bought by non-residents until 23:00. It's more expensive, so staying at the Travelodge but eating at the Holiday Inn could be a good solution. There are other eating options within walking distance but it's best to check for yourselves to be sure that they're workable for you.

Alternatively, the Travelodge Oxford Abingdon Road, is about three miles away from Somerville College (1.7 miles from the city centre) and does have its own restaurant.