Sara Bailey says Oxford has everything and nothing for teens

Undoubtedly, being the cultural monument that Oxford is, at Christmas the city is awash with soaring choral notes and pantomime banners galore.

This is all very well; I’m a huge supporter of Christmas festivities, but there comes a point, usually around the 11-year-old mark, where the novelty of “He’s behind you” doesn’t quite cut it.

As for the choirs, perhaps I should take my dad’s relentless advice of “you should listen to some real music” and succumb to the hours of long choral performances.

But the reality is, I have yet to meet a vast teenage choral fan base. The issue seems to be: at Oxford, there is a very limited middle ground between awe-struck children, and the exhausted ‘mature’ generation.

There is entertainment for the youngsters: no matter how many Santa’s grottos there seem to be, Father Christmas never disappoints, laden with presents and in an aura of wonderment.

As for their parents, Oxford is brimming with musical commotion, not to mention the main gratification of bringing your grandchildren and children to these events.

There may be nothing more satisfactory then the enjoying the gaiety of young children at Christmas time.

Now for the teenagers: we’re stuck in a void of commercialism. Is our only option really to fritter money away on materialistic items?

Not only is this an extraordinary expense, but I feel a pang of nostalgia when I see a small child at Christmas fairs.

They’re blissfully unaware of the ‘convincing’ elastic around Father Christmas’s jaw and realise that although Oxford has a reasonable shop selection, it’s not how I intend to bide my time throughout this Christmas season, as a way of ‘getting into the Christmas spirit’.

Perhaps Christmas in Oxford would do well to offer more activities?

A few years ago Oxford Castle held an outdoor ice rink, a great success I felt. Accommodating an entire spectrum of ages and skills: from the figure skater-esque gliders, to the gripping-on-to-the-side-for-dear-life squealers. Not to mention a welcome change from the typical mundane shopping trudge.

There’s nothing like a glazed death-trap to add to the merriment! It really was a brilliant addition though; this ice rink needs to be resurrected, or at least a similar commodity needs to be provided.

Oxford did manage a Christmas fair, but it, sadly, fell short. The generic stench of fairgrounds may satisfy families, but a more chic, continental atmosphere wouldn’t go amiss.

This said, do there need to be any events tailored for teenagers at Christmas?

Personally, wandering around Oxford, in all of its architectural glory, spruced up with Christmas lights, decorations etc. is sufficient for me. Perhaps we don’t pull out quite the decorative stops as London does, but for a considerably smaller city, it’ll do.

Despite my mum’s contrary opinion, on the whole, teenagers are fairly self-sufficient. So meeting up with friends, rekindling friendships, perhaps grabbing a bite to eat for me, is the very essence of this time of year.

The unique cafes tucked away in the city, really are an ode to Oxford’s wonderful eccentricity; defrosting limbs in the warmth of these, hot chocolate clutched in hands, restoring life, is one of the joys of the season.

Oxford, you may not have quite the selection of entertainment as London, but you have that certain festive charm satisfying any age and Christmas spirit alike.

Sara Bailey is 16 years old and will soon be starting a weekly column in our sister paper, the Oxford Mail.