Things Look Up

Now I'll admit when I wrote my blog post on Thursday I was feeling pretty anxious. The main reason for this is, I think, that nothing was really happening. The house wasn't selling, I hadn't heard anything from Cuddesdon since sending my acceptance letter. I thought the BAP results would mean a flurry of activity, but everything was carrying on as normal...

Things have really looked up in the last 24 hours.

When I got home from work yesterday I had a sizable envelope waiting for me from Cuddesdon. It contained;

• A letter from the Principal to tell me term begins at 3.30pm on 22nd September and I should report to the common room at that time for tea and cake (how Anglican!)
• A letter from the President of the Common Room to say hello and to point out that even if we arrive before 3.30pm on the 22nd September we are very welcome to involve ourselves in the college community immediately and join in with any activities.
• A very thoughtful A-Z handbook of all the services I might need in the local area (shops, banks, doctors, vets, primary schools, takeaways, theatres...) including a summary of what is to be found in all of the local towns/villages and a list of helpful phone numbers (my favourite bit is where it points out you can phone 999 if you need the police!)
• An information sheet detailing information about the college including its rules and policies (e.g. "no cycling on the croquet lawn.")
• A list of what I will need to bring with me: black cassock and surplice, cassock alb (what is this?), black shoes, Bible, Common Worship.
• A reading list. I had a quick scan to see whether I had read any of it during my degree, sadly not!
• A booklet introducing the college's counselling service.
• Numerous forms as follows: library membership application form, 'training in listening skills' application form, internal directory registration form, placement preference list.

Reading through this literature has made it a lot more real for me; in 16-and-a-half weeks time, on Thursday 22nd September at 3.30pm I will be in the Common Room in Cuddesdon, Oxford eating cake and drinking tea as a student and an ordinand!!!

But the information did not stop there. Upon turning on the computer I found not one, not two, but three emails from Cuddesdon! One from the Principal, Martyn Percy. I had emailed him on Thursday to ask about the potential theological educator funding and what this might mean for study at Cuddesdon. He had passed my email to the Vice-Principal Mark Chapman, who had sent me the links to Oxford's MPhil courses and said that it would be fine to start on one and apply for funding later. I am going to phone him next week and discuss my options. Looks like I'm training for 3 years then!

The third email was from the Bursar who has sent me an accommodation form to fill in. I know colleges have to allocate accommodation at the bare minimum of your needs, so we are expecting a one-bedroom flat. We are hoping for ground floor and on a quiet road for the cats, but other than that we're not too fussy.

So it's forms, forms, forms for the next few days. Good job I like forms!

Oh, and the viewers. Well, that's looking hopeful. Paul and I left the house at about 9.25. I don't like being around when people are viewing, because it makes them feel awkward. We went for a little walk over the fields and, when we got back, the young couple were at the front of the house saying goodbye to Wendy, who does the agents' Saturday viewings and also happens to work with me. Wendy just managed to whisper a "they're very keen" before introducing them. They were an absolutely lovely young couple - by chance, a URC Minister's son and a Reader's daughter. They asked us lots of questions, and told us they were coming back to view with their parents (who are coming down from Somerset especially) on Tuesday. I don't want to get my hopes up too much, but I've a feeling an offer may be on the cards...