“A crucial aspect of Ruskin’s initiative involved his engagement with the labouring class through a practical, hands-on approach. Concerned by the dilapidated state of roads connecting Upper and North Hinksey, Ruskin famously organized a group of Oxford students—often unaccustomed to manual labour—to participate in road repairs. He intended for this project to serve as a form of experiential learning, urging these young men, whom he referred to as “diggers,” to gain a direct understanding of the working class by immersing themselves in physical, meaningful labour. By repairing the road with their own hands, these students were encouraged to confront the dignity and difficulty of manual work, fostering empathy and an awareness of the inequalities faced by labourers whose efforts were often overlooked or undervalued. Ruskin saw this undertaking not merely as a civic improvement, but as an exercise in social consciousness, aimed at bridging class divides and challenging perceptions of labour within the rigid hierarchies of Victorian society. The Hinksey diggers, under John Ruskin's guidance, worked to repair the road between North and South Hinksey over several weeks in the autumn of 1874. Ruskin began organizing the project in early October, with actual digging commencing on October 15, 1874. The project continued intermittently through November, though weather and other factors affected the consistency of the work.”

Frank Wasser

Read across Special Category Status and What did I do to deserve this? in virtual reality whilst standing in an ionic footbath holding a halved bitter melon in each hand.