Love in-spired ANN Widdecombe, former Oxford student and Shadow Home Secretary in the making (perhaps), is a virgin (definitely). Let us make this perfectly clear from the start, since Miss Widdecombe has threatened to sue anyone who expresses any doubts on the matter.

Ann Widdecombe's nickname is Doris Karloff. She read PPE at Oxford and has described herself as "Ugly, 50 and a spinster."

Other people have claimed that she looks like an assistant in an Albanian public library and Miss Widdecombe is on record as a pro-hanging, anti-abortion advocate of shackling female prisoners.

But we must not assume from all of this that Ann Widdecombe has no romance in her soul.

Indeed, she admits that during her time at Oxford, she was in love for three years with fellow student Colin Maltby.

And it seems that her chaste passion was gently fanned - if not furiously fuelled - by the ancient, honeyed stones and spires, the lush watermeadows and the winding, eternal river. Of Botley Road and Blackbird Leys, she has nothing to say. Dreaming Spires as opposed to Screaming Tyres. The picture may be less than complete, but Miss Widdecombe is in no doubt that the city remains a haven of romance.

"I think it's very difficult to go to Oxford and not fall in love," she said. "Most people do - it's such a dreamy place. Punts on the river, commemoration balls. There were a few gnomy types who stayed in their rooms and worked, but not many."

When Ann was up, the gnomes were wearing tank tops and flares. Well, the fashionable ones were, at any rate. Gnomes aside, though - is Oxford really the place of dreams and love and romance? Sarah Fitzpatrick doesn't think so, despite the fact that she met her boyfriend Greville here.

Sarah, captain of the Magdalen College team who emerged triumphant from the last series of University Challenge, said," I don't think Ann Widdecombe is right. In fact, I think that Oxford can be particularly bad for romance - but I don't know why. It's just my impression. I suppose that the setting works for some, though not for everybody - and for others, it doesn't work at all."

But Oxford University Women's Officer Donna Clarke disagreed. "We think that it's no more difficult to fall in love here than anywhere else," she said. "And it's a lot nicer than some places. Oxford is such a beautiful city."

Donna, who read English at Exeter College, continued, "I don't suppose there's much romance during the winter months when it's dreary, but when the sun is shining like it is today, that's different." Well, yes, up to a point, Lord Copper.

To gauge whether Oxford is the ideal idyll for those of a romantic disposition, who better to ask than impartial observers - foreigners, preferably.

Gillian Pachter is a 22-year old student who hails from Washington DC. "I don't think Oxford is the land of romance," she said. "There's a lot of loneliness because of the kind of style of the courses. It's independent and a lot of the time people are on their own in libraries or working hard in their rooms.

"It's easy to become very self-involved and you don't concentrate on socialisng. But punting in the summer and having picnics is beautiful. I had to go home to find my own boyfriend - but I love everyone here."

Missy Baroni hails from the same side of the Pond. Born in Canada and raised in Florida, she's something of an Oxford enthusiast - and thinks she could find romance here, if it wasn't for the fact that she already has. "If I didn't already have a boyfriend, I think I could sure find one here. For sure," she said.

A more pragmatic view was offered by sales rep Debbie Whilde. " Oxford romantic? Well I suppose so," she said. "Put it like this - I'd struggle somewhere like Swindon..."

In the end, perhaps romance comes down to Ann Widdecombe's favourite motto: Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

And the time, the place and opportunity, of course.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.