Stratford and Oxford are not, in fact, the same place, but I can see how the Ye Olde England feel could cause confusion. Here’s my handy guide to the two.
You might be in Stratford-upon-Avon if…
- The population of the town appears to be 25,000.
- Everything seems to revolve around Shakespeare.
- Seriously, Shakespeare puns everywhere.
- Also, Shakespeare museums.
- There are cool little food boats on the river.
- It looks like the kind of place where Maureen could be klutzy and maim herself accidentally.
You might be in Oxford if…
- The population of the city appears to be 150,000.
- Everything seems to revolve around the university
- Or books. Books are big.
- Also, museums about old things. Especially if “old things” means the university or the city itself.
- There are bicycles everywhere.
- It looks like I could actually survive an entire day without injury. (We are not counting how I hit my head on the bus.)
In all seriousness, I actually expected Oxford to be much smaller than it was. (I blame Phillip Pullman.) My experiences of the UK having been mainly limited to the tourist areas of various towns and cities (Edinburgh. St Andrews, Stratford, and now Oxford), I find it interesting to see how different cities treat tourism.
In Edinburgh, it’s all about the Scottish. Kilts, flags, pins, kilts, haggis, beer, and kilts are everywhere, if we limit everywhere to the few main streets downtown. At St Andrews, in contrast, the tourism is limited mainly to the edge of town where golf resides, but the university itself does receive some attention. They both give the impression that a local couldn’t really show you around, but that the tourists are welcome regardless.*
Stratford is definitely putting on a show, and not just at the RST and the Swan. It knows its industry, and it seems to revolve around Shakespeare. The city itself becomes an expert in Shakespeare, but I’m not tempted to explore the town on my own.
Oxford, however, surpasses St Andrews in its cloistered nature. It knows that it is a tourist attraction, but it seems a little perturbed by that fact. It wants to be a college town, even if it is pretentious and showy at the same time, and the schools accommodate visitors reluctantly. I think that’s why I liked it more than Stratford.
Also, books. We’re not going to talk about how much time and money I spent in Blackwells.