Oxford

TONIGHT!!! Experience some A-grade Magic, Oxford style.

Nina Brown — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:28:03 +0000

Head to the Cape of Good Hope tonight from 9pm to witness magic from Keiron the Mighty!

The Cape pub is a popular student haunt and has some really great deals on food and drink almost every night of the week. The pub is in an atmospheric location at the start of the Cowley Rd, a street packed with bars, clubs and restaurants, and is always buzzing.

I would get there early because Keiron the Mighty has a solid following in Oxford and the pub will probably be busy.

Pissarro Exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum

Nina Brown — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:18:57 +0000

Lucien Pissarro, founder of the Eragny Press, was a painter, engraver and printmaker in the early 20th century. The Ashmolean presents a collection of his books and sketches that he worked on with his wife at their London home.

The beautiful museum, the first public museum in Britain founded in 1683, is situated right in the heart of Oxford and is well worth a visit even if you only have time for its extensive permanent collection. It’s temporary exhibitions are always original and interesting and can be followed with a delicious lunch or dinner at the rooftop restaurant, The Ashmolean Dining Room. The museum also has a cafe if you fancy a quick coffee, and it has a shop that is packed with really good quality souvenirs, gifts and postcards.

The Pissarro exhibition is free and is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm.
Click here for more information.

Oxford is Alive with The Sound of Music!

Nina Brown — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:44:24 +0000

‘The Sound of Music’ comes to The New Theatre! This much-loved musical has had a huge success in London’s West End and is now in Oxford as part of its National tour with its original lead actress Connie Fisher in the role of Maria the governess. The beautiful music will warm you up after a cold day of Oxford sightseeing and is the perfect fuel to fire up your Christmas cheer.

The New Theatre is very centrally located and offers discounts for students. As a suggestion for an evening’s entertainment, you could go to Jamie’s Italian for supper before the show and indulge in some serious sensory satisfaction.

Tickets are from £18 to £39 and the show runs until 2nd January. You can explore backstage with the Stage Manager with organised tours being held on 11th and 18th December. Book early!

Click Here for a review from the Birmingham Mail. The show was in Birmingham over the Summer 2010.

Click Here for a review from The Guardian newspaper from the show’s 2006 London opening.

Big Band and A Capella Jazz Night at Magdalen College..TONIGHT!!

Nina Brown — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:29:15 +0000

Magdalen College, one of the biggest and most beautiful of the 38 Oxford University colleges, will host an evening of Swing music and Jazz tonight from 7.30pm. The Oxford University Big Band is a 21-piece band made up of saxes, trumpets, trombones, singers and percussion. Comprised entirely of Oxford students, it plays throughout England and tours abroad whilst also recording. The OUBB’s concerts are always exciting and original and the music will get you swinging into a great Friday night.

The event will take place in the Auditorium- ask the College Porter where this is on arrival at the College.

TOP TIP: Arrive early and have a moonlit stroll around the grounds. The deer park is magical at night time and the buildings and general grounds are well-lit.

Tickets £10/ £5 for students. Get there early to avoid disappointment as a big turn out is expected.

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, lights up for Christmas..

Nina Brown — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:15:00 +0000

Spend a day walking around the Palace grounds, have a cream tea, and then watch as the lights flicker on all around the Palace in a display that nightly depicts differing themes from Jonathan Swift’s book, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’.

It runs only until 12 December so check it out now!

Creation Theatre Company’s Christmas Show

Nina Brown — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:10:30 +0000

The Mirror Tent at the BMW Factory in Cowley is an awesome place for a night out with the family. Not only is the tent itself very beautiful, Creation puts on great shows AND Michel will be there making delicious crepes.

The show this Christmas is ‘Rapunzel or The Magic Pig’…

Oxford Christmas Market Open Friday!

Nina Brown — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:07:04 +0000

Running for a second year due to its huge success last year, the Oxford Christmas Market brings the best of the German Christmas Market culture to Oxford, with stalls ranging from gluwhein (mulled wine) to Syrian soaps to pashminas. There will also be entertainment on certain evenings so it is well worth a visit to get you in the festive mood.

Check out the stalls at- http://www.oxfordchristmasmarket.co.uk/

Catch striking photos of the burial of Haile Salassie at Pitt Rivers

Nina Brown — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:09:23 +0000

Until 21st Nov the Pitt Rivers is showing rare photos by Peter Marlow of the burial of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Salassie.

Check it out here..

http://bit.ly/sQMWs

GUNPOWDER PLOTTING..

Nina Brown — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 10:15:03 +0000

Fireworks!

Come to Southparks tonight for some serious firework action..Check it out at

http://bit.ly/9CyQjS

For just 5 quid you can see a massive bonfire, gawp at loads of pretty coloured fireworks, listen to music and have a general laugh.

OXFORD LOOS (TOILETS)- THE LOWDOWN…ENJOY

Nina Brown — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:24:51 +0000

So you’re stuck on a sightseeing tour of Oxford and you find yourself desperate to pee (that is, to micturate if we’re speaking Oxford English).

NEVER FEAR!! Oxford is awash (mmm) with lovely loos (deriving from the term lavatory- a very proper, British term).

Oxford loos are fairly bog-standard (excuse the pun). Nothing fancy here I’m afraid, but one blessing is that you will not generally be expected to pay for public loos.

When asking where the loo is, feel free to go wild and experiment with any one (or more!) different English words for loo from the list below…

John, Can, Privy, Toilet, Lav, Loo, Bathroom, Water Closet (WC), Commode, Crapper (From Mr Thomas Crapper, a London plumber who did much to publicise the Water Closet), Potty, Throne, Pot, Bog, Little Boy’s/Girl’s Room, Gents, Ladies.

Eg. Excuse me kind Sir, where might I find a Commode…?

OR… Oi, mate, where’s the nearest Privy?

OR SIMPLY..Excuse me, do you know where the nearest loo is?

This incredibly helpful website below gives you a map of all the Public Loos in Oxford. What is more, if you click on the map it actually gives a brief resume of what you can expect from any given loo! This could be most helpful if you were a Toilet Spotter ( Like a Train Spotter but for toilets…yes, they do exist).

http://www.tourinaday.com/oxford/toilet-map.php

If I was to pick my favourite restaurant loo in Oxford, it would have to be the Kazbar on the Cowley Rd. The sinks are so huge they have to be seen to be believed!

Probably the best Public Loo would be the Covered Market loos- very central and usually always clean with loo paper available.

One thing I would advise is that you take some tissues with you on a day out. Oxford gets incredibly busy, particularly in Summer when its streets are almost full to bursting with students and tourists. Loo paper therefore is usually guzzled before the loos have a chance to be restocked.

ENJOY OXFORD WITH NO LOO HASSLE!