St. Michael's Church, Oxford

You need to be really careful in pursuit of Shakespeare. Never assume anything, don't take anything for granted.

The font in St. Michael's Church, in the centre of Oxford, is 'advertised' on the strength of the fact that Shakespeare stood by it 'as godparent to the child of a Cornmarket innkeeper.' That's fine, Jane Davenant lived just across the road and was mother to William Davenant, and some of us think that godparent was the very least that Shakespeare was to him. So, one goes and dutifully stands next to the font so that one has stood where Shakespeare stood.

But then you read the notice that says that the font wasn't always in this part of the church but was moved to make room for more pews and that it would have been near the main entrance on the west side of the church. So you have to decide where that might have been. In order to get it right, I asked the nice, helpful man in the souvenir shop. Luckily, he knows about the church as well as the price of his calendars and church-themed memorabilia.

'Ah,' he says, 'it is a bit misleading.' In fact, when Shakespeare stood next to the font, it wasn't even in this church but was moved from an entirely different one. So it is best to check.