Since 1st December rolled around, the ProspectSoft team have been embracing the merriment of our advent countdown by assembling the office Christmas tree and rummaging through our wardrobes in search of the most garish Christmas jumper we can find. From Christmas dinners and post-dinner drinks to placement socials at Christmas markets, spending the festive season in Oxford has been nothing short of a magical experience and one that I won’t forget. 

Spending Christmas away from home in a new city and restricted to the four walls of an office, it can be easy for your spirits to dwindle. So, this year we took it upon ourselves as placements to make the only Christmas we spend in this beautiful city one that we’ll cherish for years to come. Living only a short coach ride away, we arranged a placement social to visit Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland where we overindulged in festive food and drink, and did some thrill seeking on the soul-stirring fairground attractions. As the night unfolded, we made our way over to the Bavarian Village where we ordered some mulled wine to keep us warm during the live music performances al fresco. Here we finally had an opportunity to rest our feet in the cosy chalet bar until the night drew to a close.

Our festive trip to London left us in high Christmas spirits, so we decided to visit some of the other nearby Christmas markets like Bicester Village. Nothing screams Yuletide Felicitations quite like an aggressively overpriced tote bag and a hot chocolate that demands we take out a mortgage! All jokes aside, despite being out of our budget, Bicester Village was a magical destination to spend a cold winter’s evening wrapped up in our fluffy coats and boots, window shopping and admiring the endless string of fairy lights that cascade atop the Franconian-style buildings. 

The ensuing week was dedicated to embellishing the office with festive décor and, although it wasn’t quite the Christmas utopia we imagined after our trip to Winter Wonderland, it certainly prepared us to continue the festivities at our work Christmas party the following weekend. 

Before driving home for Christmas in true Chris Rea fashion, the social committee had arranged one final gathering before the new year. The ProspectSoft Christmas party was hosted by Branca, who served the ultimate three course meal including a deli platter, venison steak, and a sticky toffee pudding to satisfy the sweet tooth, and everyone came dressed in their finest Christmas attire. After satisfying our stomachs, we popped open a bottle of prosecco (and then some) and headed down to the Freud Café Bar where we spent the rest of the evening with a cocktail in hand. The following day was spent at our placement house binge-watching Christmas films and packing for the journey home.

I think it’s fair to say that we really did make the most of Christmastime in Oxford, and spending the festive season away from home has been full of memories that will last a lifetime!