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Oxford was first occupied in Saxon times, and was initially known as "Oxenaforda". It began with the foundations of St Frideswide's nunnery in the 8th century, and was first mentioned in written records in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 912. In the 10th century Oxford became an important military frontier town between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and was on several occasions raided by Danes. St Frideswide is the patron saint of both the city and university. The University of Oxford is first mentioned in 12th century records. Oxford's earliest colleges were University College (1249), Balliol (1263) and Merton (1264). These colleges were established at a time when Europeans were starting to translate the writings of Greek philosophers. These writings challenged European ideology - inspiring scientific discoveries and advancements in the arts - as society began seeing itself in a new way.

St John's College is one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, and his heart is buried in the chapel. It is the most wealthy college at Oxford with an estimated financial endowment of £220m (2003).

Although primarily a producer of Anglican clergymen in the earlier periods of its history, St John's also gained a reputation for both law and medicine. Fellows and alumni have included Archbishop Laud, Jane Austen's father and brothers, the early Fabian intellectual Sidney Ball, who was very influential in the creation of the Workers' Educational Association (WEA), Abdul Rasul, one of the first Bengalis to gain the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford, and more recently, Tony Blair. The site was formerly the Cistercian monastery of St Bernard. Fairly large, it comprises approximately 400 undergraduates and 250 postgraduates and academic staff. The college stands on St Giles', and is close to the Martyrs' Memorial. The college's Sir Thomas White Quadrangle is an early work by Ove Arup which won the 1976 Concrete Society Award, but is considered a monstrosity by some members of the college.

The college comprises seven quadrangles (quads): Front Quad (the buildings of the former St Bernard's monastery), Canterbury Quad (the first example of Italian Renaissance architecture in Oxford), Dolphin Quad (built on the site of the old Dolphin Inn), North Quad (containing the famous "Beehive", made up of hexagonal rooms in which each internal wall is a different length), Sir Thomas White Quad (affectionately known as "Tommy White"), Garden Quad, and Rural Economy Quad. Plans are underway to convert Queen Elizabeth House into what the College is calling "the last great quad in the city centre". This will mean the college will extend for almost the entire length of the east side of St Giles, as well as owning parts of the opposite side. This includes the recent purchase of the "Eagle and Child" pub (where the well-known writers J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis often met their literary friends) to complement the "Lamb and Flag" opposite it on the college side of the road.

The conference dinner will be held at the Hall of Balliol College, next door to St. John's College.

From overseas: If you fly into London Heathrow or Gatwick airport, you can take the bus to Oxford (day and night). This is the most comfortable way of travelling, as it puts you right in the centre of Oxford, five minutes walking from St. John's College. The price of a return ticket is about £20. If you fly in from any of the other London airports, you have to travel to Oxford by train via London Paddington train station. We strongly advise against this, as it is more expensive and very inconvenient. If you fly into Birmingham International Airport, you can take a direct train to Oxford. This is also convenient.

From Oxford bus station: If you arrive at Oxford bus station, it is a short walk to St. John's College, and it is not worth to take a taxi except in the worst weather conditions.

From Oxford train station: If you arrive at Oxford train station, it is only a modest (and pleasant - weather permitting) walk to St. John's College. Alternatively, a taxi will take you to St. John's College for about £6.

By car: Oxford is notoriously car-unfriendly. Parking is nigh impossible. Your best option is to use the park-and-ride facilities, where you park your car just outside Oxford and take the bus to the city centre. This is quite convenient.