Lectures and Marchionesses!

I'm in the mood for Lectures! So off to Oxford yesterday for the Marchioness of Winchester's annual Lecture in the Examination Schools!

Bizarre as this may sound I was in Oxford to see one of my nephews Alexander and he suggested I go with him; there was a champagne reception following after all ( this is Oxford naturally ) !

The lecture was being given by Marilynne Robinson, the theologian and author. She was lecturing on Christology. Her masterpiece is the award winning Gilead ( worth reading; I had in fact done so ! ).

And the connection with a archioness? This was in fact Bapsy Parvi, the daughter of a Parsi from Bombay who married the Marquis who was then 90. Not a success and he ran off with someone else and became father ( ! ) to Ian Fleming. In the meantime Bapsy gave herself to good works and was a generous benefactor ( pre gift aid! ) to Oxford. Never suggest my Blog is anything but educating...

An erudite lecture though I have to admit at times somewhat difficult to follow. Lots of incidental arcane info like the fact that the word soul in Latin has the female gender! The audience full of assorted clerics and theologians : not to mention the Bishop of Oxford , who all clearly enjoyed the after lecture drinks!

I had a fun chat with Marillyne about " charity "in the States and the use of respective terms for the sector. She said they don't like to use the term charity as it appears condescending; hence " non profit" though as I said we like the idea of charities making a profit here!

But now its off to Birmingham for another of the ACEVO silver jubilee lunches.