conversations.from: human
conversations.value: a description for a book titled The Oxford Book of Days about History, Oxfordshire, Local with the genre: History, Europe
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: the author is a well-known local writer and historian. She took a Master of Studies degree in English Local History at Oriel and has written more than twenty books on Local and Family History. She lives in Abingdon.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Add another sentence about Oxfordshire, History, Press, Working.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: the author is a well-known local writer and historian. She took a Master of Studies degree in English Local History at Oriel and has written more than twenty books on Local and Family History. Her previous titles for the History Press include Working Oxfordshire , Oxford in the 50s and 60s , Street Names of Oxfordshire , and Oxfordshire Graves and Gravestones. She lives in Abingdon.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the first paragraph for this book
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Oxford Book of Days
  EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE AT OXFORD. Between eleven and twelve o'clock, Mr Sheard, one of the most respected traders in the High Street, Oxford, threw himself from the top of his house on the pavement. He was immediately carried into the house and almost instantly attended by a medical man but life was extinct. His skull was found to be fractured above the ear and his neck broken. A coroner's inquest was shortly after summoned and from the evidence of several witnesses it appeared that the deceased had shown decided proofs of insanity for several days but had that morning appeared so much recovered that it was not thought necessary to watch him so strictly. The deceased was greatly respected by all who knew him. He was a member of the Town Council, had served the office of sheriff and was treasurer to a charitable institution. He has left a widow and six children.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: four more paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Great Fire of London broke out on 2 September and caused clouds of smoke to be blown through a gap in the Chiltern Hills as far as Oxford. The sunshine was darkened and at night the moon was covered by clouds of smoke and took on a reddish appearance. Wood writes of the citizens that 'every one being soe suspicious that noe sorry fellow or woman could pass but they examined him, noe gun or squib could goe off but they thought it was the fatal blow. On this fast day, three days afterwards, a butcher was driving some oxen over the cross-roads at Carfax. As he passed under the window of St Martin's church, he called out to the beasts 'Hi-up! Hi-up!' The members of the congregation were so on edge that some of them heard the cry as 'Fire! Fire!' and ran out of the church, closely followed by the rest of the worshippers 'with the semblance of death in their faces', some saying that [they] could smell smoke, others swore that it was pitch, and none of them could be persuaded that they had made such a mistake for a very long time afterwards.
  From New Sadler's Wells, Cheltenham, Bath, Bristol &c A commodious Theatre will be fitted up opposite the Lamb Inn, St Giles', where every attention will be paid to the comfort and convenience of those who will honour him with their company.
  The Performance will consist of the astonishing AUTOMATON ROPE-DANCING FIGURE actuated by Clock-work Machinery contained in the trunk of the body, and the sole invention of Mr Seward; a most eccentric ITALIAN SCARAMOUCH; a wonderful LITTLE POLANDER, who exhibits various feats with a Spontoon; also a most correct likeness of MOTHER SHIPTON who will, very naturally, take a candle, light her pipe, and smoke it, to the utter astonishment of her beholders. Another truly wonderful Figure will be shown, called the ENCHANTED TURK who will, without any assistance, metamorphose himself into six different Figures, namely the arms will become figures, the legs the same, the head also, and lastly the body will transform itself into a dwarf; this Figure alone is well worthy of the notice of the curious.
  Being then Saturday, open proclamation was made in Oxford market by the Mayor's appointment that Wednesday following, on which the King had appointed to see Oxon, the corne carts and other sellers of wares that cumbered the street should stand in Bocardo and new Yn hall lane, and that the butchers also should stand in the old Bocherew [Butchers' Row] but within a few hours after, the vice-chancellor sent the University bellman to contradict the Mayor's command and proclaimed that the market should be on Tuesday in the usuall places where it was kept.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Great Fire of London broke out on 2 September and caused clouds of smoke to be blown through a gap in the Chiltern Hills as far as Oxford. The sunshine was darkened and at night the moon was covered by clouds of smoke and took on a reddish appearance. Wood writes of the citizens that 'every one being soe suspicious that noe sorry fellow or woman could pass but they examined him, noe gun or squib could goe off but they thought it was the fatal blow. On this fast day, three days afterwards, a butcher was driving some oxen over the cross-roads at Carfax. As he passed under the window of St Martin's church, he called out to the beasts 'Hi-up! Hi-up!' The members of the congregation were so on edge that some of them heard the cry as 'Fire! Fire!' and ran out of the church, closely followed by the rest of the worshippers 'with the semblance of death in their faces', some saying that [they] could smell smoke, others swore that it was pitch, and none of them could be persuaded that they had made such a mistake for a very long time afterwards.
  From New Sadler's Wells, Cheltenham, Bath, Bristol &c A commodious Theatre will be fitted up opposite the Lamb Inn, St Giles', where every attention will be paid to the comfort and convenience of those who will honour him with their company.
  The Performance will consist of the astonishing AUTOMATON ROPE-DANCING FIGURE actuated by Clock-work Machinery contained in the trunk of the body, and the sole invention of Mr Seward; a most eccentric ITALIAN SCARAMOUCH; a wonderful LITTLE POLANDER, who exhibits various feats with a Spontoon; also a most correct likeness of MOTHER SHIPTON who will, very naturally, take a candle, light her pipe, and smoke it, to the utter astonishment of her beholders. Another truly wonderful Figure will be shown, called the ENCHANTED TURK who will, without any assistance, metamorphose himself into six different Figures, namely the arms will become figures, the legs the same, the head also, and lastly the body will transform itself into a dwarf; this Figure alone is well worthy of the notice of the curious.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the last five paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Thousands have been relieved by this miraculous remedy and thereby saved trouble, illness and expense. Perfectly harmless and astonishingly effective as testified to by hundreds of married and single females, PILLS ALONE ARE USELESS and only bring disappointment. Stamped addressed envelope for price list. The only effective remedy on earth. Try and judge for yourselves.
  We have this week the painful duty of recording an atrocious murder committed on the body of an unfortunate woman of the town named Ann Priest (but known by the name of Ann Crotchley), twenty-four years of age who was discovered about quarter past twelve on Thursday night in Blue Boar Lane in a state of intoxication and totally insensible. She was removed into a passage adjoining and in little more than an hour afterwards the watch found her in the same place, bleeding most profusely and apparently in a dying state. She was conveyed to her lodging in St Thomas's parish where she died early on Saturday morning. Previous to her death, she told her landlady that she had been ill used by some man whom she did not know. Two surgeons who examined her person stated on the inquest that her death was occasioned by a wound inflicted with a sharp instrument on her body. The nature of the case will not admit to stating the particulars but our readers will learn from the evidence of the witnesses examined that the crime was of the most inhuman and diabolical description.
  So there are two ways of playing the game of Christmas. We can treat the whole concern as an insufferable bore or rush into ecstasies of delight over the return of the festive season. The former growls at the carol singers, grumbles at the Christmas bells, grudges Christmas presents and resents the offer of plum-pudding as an insult. The latter lives on mince pies for some weeks in anticipation of the event, arranges the snapdragon, is on the top round of the ladder decorating the Christmas tree, probably joins the waits or the mummers on the lawn, is stage manager for the Christmas play, carves the turkey and gives the handsomest Christmas presents. The typical Christmas and the typical 'Christmaser', if we may coin such a word, have been for all times enshrined in the pages of DICKENS and WASHINGTON IRVING. We feel that both are terribly out of fashion today, and the rush from the country to the town, especially to London, is to a great extent responsible for the change. One associates the idea of Christmas with the country house.
  The walls of the above urgently needed School are now rapidly rising. To get the work done I have been obliged to make myself solely responsible for the £808 still needed. I entreat your readers to help a veteran Rector in his seventy-fourth year who has laboured for thirty-four years in this poor Oxford parish. Prompt help will be most brotherly. Pray cross your cheque or postal order kind reader thus –
  I got up at half past seven, and Edward read the prayers. After breakfast I learnt my German lesson. Mr Mechelin came and did not leave until after an hour and a half. My father had lunch at home and spent the evening with my mother in her bedroom. The ladies J. & J. Bricknell had tea with us. We had music, and then Miss Roberts and I played whist with them. We had supper. Because it was Christmas Eve, all choristers of the church came to sing hymns. A robin came into the room through the window, and I kept him until morning and then let him go. The Misses Bricknell left at a quarter to midnight, and then at midnight the bells started to ring for an hour. A mistake happened yesterday. We went to All Souls Chapel to attend an ordination ceremony. The Bishop of Oxford (Dr Legge) and his chaplain, Mr Levett, first read the liturgy but, in the end, they omitted the liturgy itself. Then Mr Dolby, Exeter College, preached a long and excellent sermon. Afterwards they began to ordain the young man. We stayed there for a long time, but not until the very end of the ceremony.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Swap the first and the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: We stayed there for a long time, but not until the very end of the ceremony. Perfectly harmless and astonishingly effective as testified to by hundreds of married and single females, PILLS ALONE ARE USELESS and only bring disappointment. Stamped addressed envelope for price list. The only effective remedy on earth. Try and judge for yourselves.
  We have this week the painful duty of recording an atrocious murder committed on the body of an unfortunate woman of the town named Ann Priest (but known by the name of Ann Crotchley), twenty-four years of age who was discovered about quarter past twelve on Thursday night in Blue Boar Lane in a state of intoxication and totally insensible. She was removed into a passage adjoining and in little more than an hour afterwards the watch found her in the same place, bleeding most profusely and apparently in a dying state. She was conveyed to her lodging in St Thomas's parish where she died early on Saturday morning. Previous to her death, she told her landlady that she had been ill used by some man whom she did not know. Two surgeons who examined her person stated on the inquest that her death was occasioned by a wound inflicted with a sharp instrument on her body. The nature of the case will not admit to stating the particulars but our readers will learn from the evidence of the witnesses examined that the crime was of the most inhuman and diabolical description.
  So there are two ways of playing the game of Christmas. We can treat the whole concern as an insufferable bore or rush into ecstasies of delight over the return of the festive season. The former growls at the carol singers, grumbles at the Christmas bells, grudges Christmas presents and resents the offer of plum-pudding as an insult. The latter lives on mince pies for some weeks in anticipation of the event, arranges the snapdragon, is on the top round of the ladder decorating the Christmas tree, probably joins the waits or the mummers on the lawn, is stage manager for the Christmas play, carves the turkey and gives the handsomest Christmas presents. The typical Christmas and the typical 'Christmaser', if we may coin such a word, have been for all times enshrined in the pages of DICKENS and WASHINGTON IRVING. We feel that both are terribly out of fashion today, and the rush from the country to the town, especially to London, is to a great extent responsible for the change. One associates the idea of Christmas with the country house.
  The walls of the above urgently needed School are now rapidly rising. To get the work done I have been obliged to make myself solely responsible for the £808 still needed. I entreat your readers to help a veteran Rector in his seventy-fourth year who has laboured for thirty-four years in this poor Oxford parish. Prompt help will be most brotherly. Pray cross your cheque or postal order kind reader thus –
  I got up at half past seven, and Edward read the prayers. After breakfast I learnt my German lesson. Mr Mechelin came and did not leave until after an hour and a half. My father had lunch at home and spent the evening with my mother in her bedroom. The ladies J. & J. Bricknell had tea with us. We had music, and then Miss Roberts and I played whist with them. We had supper. Because it was Christmas Eve, all choristers of the church came to sing hymns. A robin came into the room through the window, and I kept him until morning and then let him go. The Misses Bricknell left at a quarter to midnight, and then at midnight the bells started to ring for an hour. A mistake happened yesterday. We went to All Souls Chapel to attend an ordination ceremony. The Bishop of Oxford (Dr Legge) and his chaplain, Mr Levett, first read the liturgy but, in the end, they omitted the liturgy itself. Then Mr Dolby, Exeter College, preached a long and excellent sermon. Afterwards they began to ordain the young man.Thousands have been relieved by this miraculous remedy and thereby saved trouble, illness and expense.