An Innocent at Oxford: Keble & Me

By Deryck J. Solomon

"An Innocent at Oxford : Keble & Me" follows the earlier memoir "An Innocent Abroad" which covers Deryck's childhood in Hampshire, Malta, Australia and then back in Birmingham, where he took the 11 plus and went to grammar school. This volume picks up the story in final months at the County High School in Redditch and then three years at Keble College, Oxford. It details the social and political events and music of the years of change between 1972 to 1975 when discontented Britain suffered a three-day week, power cuts, terrorism, Bloody Sunday and the Birmingham Pub Bombings. The world saw war in Vietnam , Nixon in China and burglars in the Watergate in Washington To a soundtrack of Bowie and Velvet Underground, Oxford at this time oscillated between the occupation of the venerable Examination Schools by radicals who shocked Lady Dacre by wearing "dirty jerseys" and traditional business continuing as usual with punting from Cherwell Boathouse to May Balls. The memoir tries to portray student life and work from the perspective of a working class provincial: from living in and out of college, friends, dons, the rituals from dinner in Hall and subfusc at Matriculation in the Sheldonian Theatre to the round of lectures, tutorials, reading and essays beneath the dreaming spires. As work-load and pressure mounts and focus is always on the next assignment, college collection, Prelim, moderations or ultimate Finals examinations. Social life, pubs, parties and letters from home are explored with the demands home and college plus the trials of following Birmingham City during its first seasons back in the old first division. It is describes the pressure to balance life in college and at home and includes letters from home, holiday jobs and follows the fortunes of Birmingham City on reentering the First Division in the golden age of Francis, Latchford and Hatton. It is illustrated by some grainy photographs and impressionistic sketches. and tries to present life trying to move between two worlds. The book is dedicated with love to Deryck's mother Mary and is as much about her as her son.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F5NY8ZFK
• ISBN13: 9798315976066
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 426 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"