Small Breakfast Nooks

Delightful surprises at the Oxford campus

Oxford! The very name conjures images of the spires of university colleges and black toga-clad students rushing around in their bikes, the hems of their robes flying in the air. And because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II had just been released, speaking of Oxford too, brings to mind the dining hall of Hogwart’s Castle, where the students sit together: for their meals, for the choosing of their assignments by the magic sorting cap, or the screeching of the owl-messengers flying around. It was in one of the colleges of Oxford that these scenes were shot. My husband Alex and I arrived in Oxford one early summer afternoon by train from London, lugging our trolleys to the red bus stop about 100 meters from the train station. The bus driver was kind enough to deposit us right in front of the Brenal Guest House, our bed & breakfast along Iffley Road. Our host, Mr. Brenal, an ethnic Indian, warmly welcomed us to his home, with its shiny wooden panels, pink floral wallpaper, Victorian flower prints for the living room sofa sets and large mirrors all around. He wanted us to feel at home, he said, and even asked what time we wanted breakfast, how we wanted our eggs done, and to please come down to the breakfast nook on time so that the food will be hot. Charmed by our second floor bedroom with its soft pink coverlet, wooden etageres in the bathroom that contained large bottles of herbal shampoos and organic soaps, we took note of a small hand-drawn map attached to the door showing us several ways to get to town. One was a roundabout route that would take us through a river path, a winding promenade following the path of a Thames tributary which looked promising for avid walkers like us. After freshening up we took advantage of the long summer light and started out for the suggested walk. A short 20-minute stroll from the Brenal Guest House brought us to a clearing that opened out into a quiet walkway, with tall wooden boat houses by the riverside. Close inspection showed that the houses were “owned" by the different colleges of the Oxford University, like Christ Church College, Magdalen (pronounced “maudlin"), All Soul’s, Somerville, Trinity, etc. Some of the boat houses were open, and in front were students lounging and laughing among themselves, enjoying the afternoon. From time to time a punter would push out a boat, and row vigorously; at times there were two or three rowers.

Popular Mechanics

3 could be lowered to make the sturdy breakfast nook shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is just the thing for the small home or apartment, and it can be made ...

Popular Science

QUICKLY CONSTRUCTED BOAT TRAILER Compact Breakfast Nook Folds into ... way of setting the knives of a small jointer to cut a shaving of definite thickness. ...

Farm journal

Handy Kitchen Helps Breakfast-Nook MANY practical farm women are beginning to realize that a small breakfast-nook in one corner of the kitchen saves ...

Country Living Cottage Style

Today we use the term breakfast nook more loosely to describe any dining area in a ... If space permits, you might even consider building a small pantry in ...

The Touchstone

The two French doors from the corner pergola-porch lead into the small breakfast nook and into the kitchen. From one corner of the living room a hall ...