A private club, so be prepared to find a member to gain entry…read more The Union is an icon in British culture. A center of debate and public discourse, you should really try to catch a debate if you are in Oxford during term. The member's bar is an excellent perk and serves a sparse, but nice lunch during weekdays. I'm writing this review from the free wireless service, which is another nice feature (though it works better from the libraries than the bar.) Snooker tables upstairs add a nice bonus to the typical bar scene in Oxford. The Union has become my haven when I am in the busy streets of downtown Oxford. The leather seats in the bar and the relatively quiet atmosphere during the day make it a great place to relax and get work done, or bring others for a discussion or meeting. You will find yourself surrounded mostly by undergraduates, followed by a healthy mix of post-grads and faculty. The debates are similar demographics, and tend to feature diametrically opposed parties. These are not always the best debates as they often pitch opposing ideologies and simply bash assumptions against each other rather than focus on the logical systems each side is using. The student debates before the formal debates tend to hold more fine points of discussion and a bit of humor. Both are worth going to, however, and some are more compelling than others. All in all, I think the Oxford Union deserves its iconic status, and if you can, you really should make an effort to experience it. Members can bring guests for a £3 entry fee. If you are affiliated with the university, and eligible for membership, you can only be a guest 3 times before you are asked to buy your own membership.

The world-famous Oxford Union is rightly proud of its library. Of course, Oxford is full of…read morelibraries crammed with rare copies, beautiful interiors and terrifyingly intelligent academics. This fits the mould, but is a healthy mixtures of generally artsy books. In keeping with the general theme of the union, it's well-loved by law and politics students, although there's something for most subjects. It's one of the biggest libraries where you can borrow books (as opposed to sit in there and read them) in Oxford, but its use is limited to members of the Union, for which it is necessary to pay over £100. There's also a decent collection of fiction, which can be a bit lacking in college libraries. It's got books written in the past few years. The travel guides are particularly useful, although quickly outdated, as are the magazines and newspapers. They're generally quite serious magazines (although FHM has been known to make an appearancE) - more the Economist and New Scientist than Heat or Hello, and much cheaper than buying one which you'll read once. If you're not a member of the Union or the Union Society, you can still visit the library for £1.50 and it's well worth doing so to see the Pre-Raphaelite murals (1857-9) painted by Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. They're all quite dramatic and mostly related to the legends of King Arthur. Don't forget to look up at the ceiling!

Plenty of events in Alton are here, the bar is a mecca for the alternative crowd and the cafe is…read moreopen for events with some fine burgers! The wrestling was a mad night but usually it is a mix of loud music, dance of all kinds and plenty of classes, They say you make your own entertainment, well it seems that the crowd here need no encouragement. fantastic!

Whilst I'm not a church goer by any means, we do on occasion go up to the church of St Marys at…read moretimes like Christmas, and the spring/summer fayres. It is a very old church, the entrance being just round on the left of the photo that I took.

We did the inner circle tour and it was worth every penny! There is an option for a sunrise tour…read moreand sunset before and after the place closes to the public. We opted for the sunset tour and were still able to spend our money in the gift shop, as it remained open. But there were no food options open at this time. We then took the bus to the site and were allowed to go inside the circle. Normally, you must stand about 10 yards away but being inside was unreal! There were so many unique photo ops from this vantage point and the fewer people was priceless. There were about 30 people total and they split you into 2 groups to take turns being inside. The guide and information presented was great as well!

As a history lover, Stonehenge has been on my bucket list. My visit yesterday did not disappoint…read more In fact, Stonehenge is an amazing wonder. My heart skipped some beats as I got my first glimpse of the great rocks. My husband and I took a small group tour to visit the site. We arrived early in the morning before crowds of tourists. I had downloaded the audio tour on my phone, which was fabulous. We bought tickets at the site. Tickets allow access to the museum/discovery center, a bus ride to the site and access to the walking path around the stones. Fees collected support the site. Paid admission is totally worth the visit. Stonehenge is a Neolithic site that was built over a 1000 year time period 3000 B.C. The site was a burial site, ceremonial site with astrological importance to these early people. The construction of the site is a prehistoric wonder. Two different types of huge rocks were gathered and moved across many miles to the site. The stones were carved to shape and secure them in place. Thousands of people must have participated in construction. Burial mounds surround the rock formation. Artifacts discovered at the site suggest that people were highly sophisticated. Some of the artifacts are displayed and replicas of there homes can be explored at the Center. Stonehenge is a World Heritage UNESCO site. Parking is available but there is a fee. Restrooms are nice. There is a cafe that is quite good at the center and a gift shop with reasonably priced visitor guidebooks. The site is accessible for wheel chairs and strollers, but the path is not paved. Worth a visit....I highly recommend.

It's just 10 pounds to cowork on the top floor of Hamilton House, which you're never quite sure is…read moregoing to make it another day, based on what the developers want. The coworkers are friendly and on Wednesdays they have a tea and cake at 3pm, which will give you an opportunity to meet some of the lovely people who work here.

Coexist have transformed a derelict building in Stokes Croft into an energetic cultural centre,…read morehousing workspaces, community classes (such as art, dance, fitness, wellbeing, environment, community cohesion), and venue space for hire. Downstairs the Canteen / bar offers decent food and drink, and it also hosts music/club nights. I'd reccommend popping into the foyer in person to check out the events blackboard to get a proper feel for the place and to see the bredth of stuff going on there!

A great space in the middle of Brighton, Very reasonable rates for room hire and lots of…read moreinteresting groups and classes going on all week including Yoga, Tai-Chi, Ninjitsu, kids dance classes, various support groups, pattern cutting classes, a Spanish families group and lots more. Email or phone to hire rooms or get details of classes/groups.

The position of this arts centre, although central and on a main road, is angled in such a way that…read moreyou would be forgiven for driving past olivious to what hides behind the doors. Offering a variety of theatre and arts to the culturally deprived new forest area (there are lots of open spaces but not many theatres!). Forest Arts has really taken off in the local community, offering professional productions for reasonable ticket prices. They also offer a series of workshops to get people interested in theatre and the arts, these are led by experts and the cost is nominal to cover i assume insurance and the experts fee. It is well worth a visit, i was reluctant at first, looking at the building from the outside I was unimpressed, however the money has been better spent on the interior and productions.

This centre always seems to be busy. We have seen several jazz acts and comedy acts. It is an…read moreintimate venue and you are very near the artists. When you get there their car park is generally full but there is parking nearby on the road. It is about a mile from the railway station. When you enter through the door there is a display of paintings before you go through the door to the bar. A few tables and chairs here. It used to be a rush to get a good seat when the theatre doors open but you can book your actual seat now which is good. Have noticed that there are several spectators in wheelchairs. Sometimes show films.

Opened in 2000, this is a trendy Arts-centre/cafe/restaurant with ample parking and workshop…read morefacilities on-site, with around 2,500 visitors a week. There is a gallery and public areas displaying handcrafted jewellery made by students, which is also for sale. The theatre puts on special live performances and films along with a programme of seasonal workshops for children and adults. Norden's restaurant is situated in the Long Barn and provides a set-price menu and waited service. They also cater for children. The cafe/bar area offers a more relaxed atmosphere and a choice of bar meals and snacks.

This is a great alternative to the Odeon cinema in Maidenhead - at least they show good films - the…read morefilms that are not usually on for the masss market - these are the ones that are usually better! The prices are good too. I haven't tried the restaurant but it does look good and they seem to do some good pre theatre deals

St Georges is a beautiful venue just off Park Street on the way up to Brandon Hill. Its…read moremagnificent palladian facade will prepare you well for a night of classical music. Their usual line up is classical, but they also have a really eclectic mix of Jazz and World Artists perfoming. The latter, especially, are often the type of acts who do tours of rarer artistic and cultural venues around the country. This means the acts are extremely unique, but in my experience so far, they're always utterly phenomenal and very worth knowing about and seeing. This is a venue Bristol should really be proud of - it's lesser well known than the more major music venues in the town, which is perhaps why they still have a massive degree of quality with regards to the acts they invite to perform. I strongly advise getting involved with St Georges, keeping track of the programme, and experiencing a night of music in this phenomenal venue.

A concert hall just off Park Street that puts on a lot of classical performacnes, as well as some…read morejazz and other genres. Run by the council, it offers cheap access to a bit of culture. It's quite an experience climbing the stairs and entering under the thick sandstone pillars, the building is very imposing. Opened in 1999 the interiors stayed smart since then, and they're currently celebrating their tenth birthday. If you enjoy classical music, or just want to sample it, the lunchtime concert series is a good opportunity and at only £7 (£4 for students, children and job seekers) an absolute steal. They have relaxing gardens as well, so you can bring a picnic and make a day of it. As a classical music venue it is excellent, with good accoustics and a grand open space. I've been told that St. Georges is one of the countries, as well as one of Bristol's, finest music venues.