PHOTOS- Oxford Parks I

Like the furry little chap up above, I have been hoarding these photographs. They were taken in autumn when the cold and wet was yet to arrive, and form a memory of those good times when I didn't have to worry about frostbite.

The groundskeepers here are just as protective of their grounds as at the ANU, in that they will chase you off with a pitchfork and/or release the hounds on you. Except here they actually take care of the pitches, and so if one Oval gets mucked up on Saturday, they will work tooth and nail to make sure it is right for the Tuesday match.

I met one of the groundsman yesterday. With Bertie, an Australian, I went to the Balliol cricket nets for a hit and the groundsman came bounding over saying, 'Oi, oi, oi. What's all this then guv?' At least that is how it played out in my mind. He explained that he didn't want people tearing up the run-ups to the nets before the season, which was fair enough. We asked if we could stand inside the nets and have 'throw-downs' to each other and he said.... "Well... no, no you can't." He then talked on an on about when he used to play cricket, workplace health and safety, football scores for the past 18 years and how he used to tie an onion to his belt, which was the style at the time.