Oxford today

ANDREW CROWLEY/TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP
66 Regulars
My Oxford
Nell Gifford – New College 1993
The Giffords Circus impresario, talking to
Lindsey Harrad, reveals bittersweet memories
of her Oxford years
Why did you apply to Oxford?
I grew up in Oxford and my father went to University
College. I just always expected to go. My father came
from a large family in the East End of London and
he met my mum in Oxford and his experiences there
opened up his whole life.
What did you study?
I read English, it was my passion. I loved everything
– drama, fiction, poetry; the whole world of words.
What was your experience of Oxford?
While I was at Oxford my mum had a serious horse
riding accident, resulting in a major brain injury that
left her in a coma. She remains in a complete vegetative
state today. It’s hard to remember much about those
years, apart from spending a lot of time sitting in the
intensive care ward at Frenchay Hospital. I didn’t have
the dream student experience because it was such
a traumatic time, but Oxford did become something
of an escape and a sanctuary.
NEW COLLEGE
Nell in her
New College
matriculation
photo, 1992
www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk | oxford.today@admin.ox.ac.uk | @oxtoday
What was your social life like?
I loved mixing with students reading other subjects.
I had lots of friends who were scientists and my
boyfriend at the time was a microbiologist.
Did you get involved in drama at Oxford?
I did do a bit of theatre design while I was there,
although in some ways it was a lesson in how not to do
theatre design. But there’s a sense that Oxford isn’t
‘real life’ so you can try things out and take a few risks.
What eventually led you to a career in the circus?
I fell in love with the circus life before I came up to
Oxford, when I spent my gap year working at David
Balding’s circus in America. After I graduated I did
all kinds of jobs in the circus, from washing elephants
to being a ringmaster, but my lifelong passion for
riding led me to explore the possibilities of performing
on horses. In 2000, my husband Toti and I set up
Giffords Circus.
Has what you learnt at Oxford helped your career?
It helps my work every day. From knowing how to do
research to articulating an argument, these skills have
an impact on your life. It’s common to underestimate
how accomplished circus people are, but I work with
very talented performers who have all reached a high
standard in something, whether that is music, dance or
horse training – but when I have days when I feel I’m
not particularly skilled at anything, I remind myself
that I am trained in words and I can write great copy
for a new programme or contract.
What do you treasure most about your student
experiences?
Some students find Oxford a culture shock, but for me
it was so familiar that I was haunted by memories of
growing up in the city and happier times with mum.
It was quite painful just to walk the streets at times.
I did love my years at the university though, and am
hugely proud of having been there.
If you could go back and do it all again, would you?
Yes. It’s not the college or my tutors’ fault but I didn’t
get as much out of my course as I had expected, mainly
because of our family tragedy and feeling completely
adrift while I was there. I really enjoyed the 20th-
century American literature course, and I would love
to go back and study English again, but this time with
much more emphasis on theatre.
What does Oxford mean to you now?
I would be very happy to live in Oxford, but my
husband isn’t an urban person and our work means we
have to be based in the countryside. I’m also thrilled
that we’re bringing the circus to the University Parks
this summer; it’s a fantastic opportunity for us and it’s
wonderful that the University has said yes.
www.giffordscircus.com
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