Parson's Pleasure is now only a scene for tales from the folklore of the university. One anecdote goes that a number of dons were sunbathing nude at Parson's Pleasure when a female student floated by in a punt. All but one of the startled dons covered their genitals — Maurice Bowra placed a flannel over his head instead. When asked why he had done that, he replied haughtily, "I don’t know about you, gentlemen, but in Oxford, I, at least, am known by my face