For a piece of fiction I'm writing set at Oxford, I just need to verify the setup of the pigeon post in the porters' lodges, or more specifically, at Hertford
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I've never seen locked pidges; it's normally just a wall of rectangular shelves, each labelled with the surname of the student above or below. Sometimes you have to share your pidge with someone, if the college is short of space. Each pidge might be big enough for a normal-sized hardback to stand up in it, or lie lengthwise on its longest edge. Not wide enough for the book to lie flat, however. Hope you can picture what I mean!
The pidge post is like a mini postal system in its functioning. There are deliverymen/women who work for the university who visit each college's lodge twice (or maybe more) a day, on bikes. They would also do the rounds of the departments and admin offices. They pick up the internal mail, and it presumably goes to a central sorting location before being redirected. It might take a day or two for the mail to reach its destination.
First off, yes, I can picture exactly what you mean! And your description has given me a very precise picture of what they look like.
And thank you for such a complete explanation of how the whole pigeon post system actually functions. I really was curious-- had this very silly mental image of the porters scurrying around from lodge to lodge!
Hertford-specific question, if you can answer it: I assume that all students in the college get their letters and messages in the porter's lodge? Does that include students living in the graduate centre at Folly Bridge? (not a question for my story-- this one's more personal, as my daughter has just arrived at Hertford for a study-abroad program for the next two terms.)
I can't speak for Hertford, but perhaps someone else can.
I would imagine that all mail would go to Hertford itself, and that any students living in the graduate centre or 'living out' (flatting / renting privately) would have to go in to collect their mail. That's how my college works anyway.
If you addressed mail to her at the Folly Bridge building directly, however, then it might possibly get delivered there by the normal postal service. You'd need the street number and postcode, but she could get that from the porters I would think.
I spent an enjoyable evening/early morning at that building one May Morning: people stay up all night to then go see a choir sing at the top of Magdalen Tower at 6am on the 1st of May. It's a real experience - one of Oxford's wacky traditions!
Thank you for this! I'll definitely tell her about this tradition, which-- wackiness aside!-- sounds absolutely wonderful. Such traditions are what make a university what it is, and it seems Oxford has no shortage of them!
If she can simply get her mail at the porter's lodge, then there's no need to make complications, I don't think. I'd rather leave things as they are. But thank you for the suggestion. :-)
Hertford may have got bigger since my day.... but yeah it could also be all your friends had bad luck. The people who had shared pridges also always seemed to be forgein students, but that was also apparently coincidence.
Also doubt you've seen me in an OULES play. Never been in one, only CULES/TSOB plays.
You know, actually, that is rather a snarky answer. The fact that I would want to be as accurate as I possibly can in all details is, I think, something laudable. It doesn't matter that it's fanfic. I take writing in whatever forum I do it very seriously indeed. And there happen to be quite a large number of very fine, talented people writing fan fiction. I care about getting it right. Should I have made a general announcement that I'm writing something of lesser value, so whoever doesn't want to be bothered taking a minute to answer a question should be forewarned? Nobody's arm is being twisted to respond, in any case.
The dons' pidges at Hertford, however, are behind the desk at the porter's lodge, so that people wishing to drop off things for them have to give them to the porter, rather than just shoving them in the pidge.
If Hertford is like my college, then parcels or registered letters will be put in a locked cupboard, and a note left for the student to tell them to pick it up. This is partly for reasons of space, and partly for reasons of security.
Have just been reading your fic, and saw the reference to the Oxonians community; I thought I remembered a post about something like this! Your level of attention to detail is very impressive, and I'm enjoying the story.
One comment, which I just have to point out... at the start of chapter 24, you mention that "Mortarboards were to be carried, but not worn." It's unsurprising that Hermione might think this - it's one of the most persistent Oxford myths, to the extent that a number of fellows believe it - but is utterly untrue. There may or may not be some college traditions about wearing mortarboards, but the idea that undergraduates can't wear them has no factual basis. In fact, there are certain situations where they must be worn; when going before the proctors, the mortarboard must be worn, so that it can be doffed to them.
Anyway, again, thanks for writing the fic - I should stop reading now, since I have an exam tomorrow (to which I shall, of course, be wearing my mortarboard!)
First off, thank you for reading the fic and for your very kind comments! Much appreciated! I'm delighted you're enjoying it, and of course, such praise coming from somebody who's actually at Oxford... well...no higher compliment could be had. :-)
And I'm grateful for any small Britpick/Oxfordpick (or would that be "Oxonpick"?); it's knowing these very tiny details that helps me write more authentically. I seem to remember either hearing the thing about the mortarboards or possibly reading it somewhere, but now I'm not sure anymore. However, I will totally take your word on this.
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The pidge post is like a mini postal system in its functioning. There are deliverymen/women who work for the university who visit each college's lodge twice (or maybe more) a day, on bikes. They would also do the rounds of the departments and admin offices. They pick up the internal mail, and it presumably goes to a central sorting location before being redirected. It might take a day or two for the mail to reach its destination.
Hope that helps!
Reply
And thank you for such a complete explanation of how the whole pigeon post system actually functions. I really was curious-- had this very silly mental image of the porters scurrying around from lodge to lodge!
Hertford-specific question, if you can answer it: I assume that all students in the college get their letters and messages in the porter's lodge? Does that include students living in the graduate centre at Folly Bridge? (not a question for my story-- this one's more personal, as my daughter has just arrived at Hertford for a study-abroad program for the next two terms.)
Thanks once again!
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I would imagine that all mail would go to Hertford itself, and that any students living in the graduate centre or 'living out' (flatting / renting privately) would have to go in to collect their mail. That's how my college works anyway.
If you addressed mail to her at the Folly Bridge building directly, however, then it might possibly get delivered there by the normal postal service. You'd need the street number and postcode, but she could get that from the porters I would think.
I spent an enjoyable evening/early morning at that building one May Morning: people stay up all night to then go see a choir sing at the top of Magdalen Tower at 6am on the 1st of May. It's a real experience - one of Oxford's wacky traditions!
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If she can simply get her mail at the porter's lodge, then there's no need to make complications, I don't think. I'd rather leave things as they are. But thank you for the suggestion. :-)
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IIRC the Pigeon post box in hertford was outside the lodge, but I never used it.
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Also doubt you've seen me in an OULES play. Never been in one, only CULES/TSOB plays.
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I find such an attitude insufferable, frankly.
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If Hertford is like my college, then parcels or registered letters will be put in a locked cupboard, and a note left for the student to tell them to pick it up. This is partly for reasons of space, and partly for reasons of security.
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One comment, which I just have to point out... at the start of chapter 24, you mention that "Mortarboards were to be carried, but not worn." It's unsurprising that Hermione might think this - it's one of the most persistent Oxford myths, to the extent that a number of fellows believe it - but is utterly untrue. There may or may not be some college traditions about wearing mortarboards, but the idea that undergraduates can't wear them has no factual basis. In fact, there are certain situations where they must be worn; when going before the proctors, the mortarboard must be worn, so that it can be doffed to them.
Anyway, again, thanks for writing the fic - I should stop reading now, since I have an exam tomorrow (to which I shall, of course, be wearing my mortarboard!)
:-)
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And I'm grateful for any small Britpick/Oxfordpick (or would that be "Oxonpick"?); it's knowing these very tiny details that helps me write more authentically. I seem to remember either hearing the thing about the mortarboards or possibly reading it somewhere, but now I'm not sure anymore. However, I will totally take your word on this.
Luck on your exam! :-)
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