For two days in early September, after the summer tourists have gone home and before the students…read moreget back, the people of Oxford celebrate. I'm not quite sure what we celebrate but it is great fun. I no longer go on rides that swing you high in the air or turn you upside down but if you are young enough to enjoy that sort of thing then there is something special about catching glimpses of secret court-yards, quadrangles and lawns behind the yellow walls of the colleges just before you are flung upside down again or hurled towards the ground. For the more sedentary of us there are more traditional rides such as the wonderful merry-go-round and helter skelter. Or you can just wander around enjoying the sights, sounds (and it can be very noisy), smells and tastes (sugar cane as well as candy floss last year) Rumour has it that the rides are longer in the afternoon before it gets busy. If you aren't going to the fair then be warned that all the buses that normally go along St Giles are diverted for 2 days and the road is closed to traffic.

Evolved from a 17th-century parish wake, St Giles fair is a yearly spectacle in the centre of…read moreOxford. Every September excitement grows as bigger and better rides are added to the substantial collection of fairground attractions. Our Oxford teams love this annual event.

This is an annual event. We went yesterday and it was a lovely atmosphere. It is held on actual…read moreallotments. Very reminiscent of country fetes that used to be held in someone's (huge) village garden. Was worth being stuck in traffic forever on our 1 1/2 hour journey there. Huw Lloyd-Langton (formerly of Hawkwind) kindly donated his time again, and this was who we went to see really. The Assassins of Science also did a 40 min set with Huw joining them in some numbers. The Elder Stubbs Festival is a highlight of the Cowley calendar, bringing together allotment holders, members of the Elder Stubbs Garden Group, artists, musicians craftspeople and the public at large from all over the local area in a celebration of work and talents. Two stages allow for musical and poetic expression, and many stalls throughout the site represent local organisations involved in social and environmental work. Fresh vegetables, plants and homemade jams and pickles are available if you get there fast enough, and refreshments are also sold on site. Book stalls, plants, face painting, organic produce amongst others. Hot veggie food and meat stuff. Families. Twisted tree sculptures. Arts, crafts, poetry. The Elder Stubbs Festival began as a small event (2000+ visitors each year now) thirteen years ago as a joint venture between Elder Stubbs and RESTORE as an attempt to generate community support for projects. This proved a great success, and the large amounts of publicity generated have meant it has become a fixture in local life, raising money for RESTORE and the profile of both organisations. There is now strong competition to play on both stages! One of a funniest highlights was the fly past by The RED BARROWS! Team members running round the site in a line pushing red wheelbarrows. Elder Stubbs Festival is special: animals for petting, magicians, belly dancers, bagpipers, weavers, martial artists, poets and rock stars standing shoulder to shoulder amongst flowers, sculptures and vegetables. Set on the Elder Stubbs allotment site, there was a diverse array of attractions from performing arts and workshops to stalls, speakers, children's activities and the vegetable show, as well as a wide choice of foods. Around 50 different stallholders use the festival as a forum to share information about local groups and organisations, sell home-made goods, run an activity or vend an assortment of world cuisines. All proceeds are to charity (£1 entrance fee. Bit of info/history: Elder Stubbs Charity is the proud owner and manager of Elder Stubbs Allotments, at Rymers Lane in Cowley, Oxford. The site is a leading example of the successful reinvention of allotment management, and provides a working model for the involvement of disparate members of the local community in city land use. It provides over 100 allotments for local residents. In addition it has diversified by letting tenancies to other charities with similar aims to itself. Notable amongst these are The Porch Steppin' Stone project which cultivates an area of land to grow the organic vegetables used at its day-centre to provide meals for the long-term unemployed, and the Elder Stubbs Garden Group, part of RESTORE, which cultivates 2 acres as an organic market-garden and orchard run as an horticultural therapy project for people recovering from mental illness. Elder Stubbs Allotments were an award to the poor of Cowley under the Inclosure Act of 1852 in compensation for the enclosure and subsequent loss of their Common on Shotover. 150 years later the charity still provides over 100 allotments for local residents. In addition it has diversified by letting tenancies to other charities with similar aims to itself. Really worth a look next year for something different.

I wish Id known about this earlier definately would have gone,will check it out for next year,thanxread more

Ohhh, the Thirsty Meeples!…read more An absolutely OUTSTANDING board game cafe. My experience may be colored by the fact that it's the first one I ever went to and I was super enchanted by the idea...but nevertheless, we had an absolutely incredible time on all our visits. Their cocktails are amazing (try the Brazilian Monk for a decadent dessert drink) and they have snacks and coffee, too. Really impressive collection of board games for all skills, ages, and interests. Staff are fun and friendly and make great recommendations. If you're looking for a great way to spend the night with pals in Oxford, look no further. I miss this place.

We love boardgames, so Thirsty Meeples seemed a natural choice for myself and a couple of…read moreboard-gaming friends. Proper treasure for geeks, the place offers a vast selection of games to choose from! Moreover, the staff is extremely helpful and offers you games to play depending on your preferences. It's especially cool that they are happy to explain the rules! Lovely food and drinks and relaxed atmosphere. Make sure you book - the place is always busy!

While I've yet to buy anything here, I've shopped in here an awful lot! Probably once a month I…read morefind myself in this shop going through the fascinating array of cool gifts, glass, and art they have along with the usual expected giftware. I like this shop because it isn't a chain and so you can get some of the coolest stuff which no one else has. Perfect when you're looking for something unique or different for a gift!

This is always an interesting little shop to visit if you need a gift. So many unusual things;…read morejewellery, ornaments, artworks etc etc. Also has a really good range of quality and unusual birthday cards. Good place to get special, commemorative type gift (eg. for christening or golden wedding anniversary). Upstairs has art - including some original watercolours from local artists.

We had a great time exploring the Pitt Rivers Museum! There is SO much on display it's almost hard…read moreto take it all in. If you're an anthropology buff, this is your place. So many neat things to see and everything you can imagine, too many to list. From clothing to masks to weapons to toys all from different cultures and different times. We even saw a Totem Pole! Overall a fascinating place to visit, just wish we'd had more time to explore!

What you think of Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum likely depends on how you like your museums. With…read moremore than 500,000 objects on display, Pitt Rivers is ripe for exploration. There's multi-level display cases everywhere, each seemingly containing more than the last. And don't get me started on the drawers; they're everywhere too, and when you pull them out you'll find hundreds more items in each. So if you like your museums with a few paintings on each wall this might not be your jam but you'll still probably be happy you went. You've likely never seen anything like this. A young woman in a shop mentioned, several days before my visit, that she particularly liked this museum and the way she described the entrance intrigued me. As it should: the entrance to this museum is found when you're already inside another museum (The Museum of Natural History; both are free of charge). Officially, the Pitt Rivers Museum displays both the archeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford. But unofficially, it's like entering someone's giant garage, very well organized but also packed to the rafters. One could spend months in here and only skim the surface.

I came here for evensong and was not disappointed. The chapel is beautiful inside and despite being…read moreornate, it manages to avoid the rather flamboyant decorations that many have. The wall in front of you as you walk in is breathtaking and if you go in during the day, the stained glass windows really give light to the room. The seats are pretty uncomfortable, so elderly visitors may find it helpful to bring a cushion. They face each other, so the choir is on the same level, just nearer to the altar. This creates a fantastic effect with the two parts of the choir singing at each other and the sound echoing from the walls. The men stand at the back providing the tenor and bass, whilst the boys stand at the front looking rather angelic. The choir is world-famous and specialises in Renaissance and Baroque music. Service sheets and books are provided and the services are Anglican. The lighting is subtle lamps which give the place a wonderful, peaceful glow. It's all very welcoming to guests, whether you're used to this sort of thing or not.

Review for the restaurant. Mexican food, oh how I've missed you. Fat Lils does a decent job of…read morehelping me curb my mexican cravings while I live across the pond. Place has a really nice atmosphere, it's small, but really cute inside. The menu has a HUGE variety - Pizza, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and Tex Mex. I've really missed Tex Mex so knew what I was going to get ahead of time. Service was great and everyone was friendly! Had the (small) Nachos to start - actual melted cheese on it! Although the cucumbers threw me off :) and got the Prawn Fajitas - yum! My dining partner had the Chicken Chili Burrito it was huge! Portions are big and price isn't bad. I will definitely return!

One of our Witney team's top 5 cultural venues, Fat Lil's claims to be THE venue in Oxfordshire for…read morelive entertainment, featuring the best of local, national and international music and comedy. There is something for everyone in the friendly atmosphere and cool surroundings.

Was able to stop in here as part of a tour to visit Highclere Castle and loved every minute of the…read morestop. They have a wonderful coffee shop with yummy treats and sandwiches. The coffee and tea were flavorful and hot. the Manor was a great walk back into history. The grounds were well groomed and had cute lambs to pet.

We took our two young children here a couple of years ago, & spent a most enjoyable afternoon…read moretaking it all in. The most memorable features were the lady baking cookies in the old-style kitchen letting the children get involved, the smelly pigs, & the kids dressing up in victorian clothing & playing with old time toys. Great value, thoroughly enjoyable & a great 1/2 day out.

My favorite bar / place to party in Oxford!…read more This is a super spacious, BEAUTIFUL building. It was originally an old church that's since been refurbished. You can still admire the beautiful stained glass windows, though. There's a ton of space to mingle with friends or strangers. When we came at night it tended to be dimly lit with loud music playing, definitely a club type atmosphere, so you could get lost in the crowd pretty easily. Of course, they may have since changed that vibe since it's been a few years since I visited...but I loved it at the time. The friendly bar staff also fixed me the best White Russian I've ever had, too, so that definitely helps with the nostalgia factor. :)

A church converted into a pizza and beer and wine spot, this spot made a tasty thin crust pizza…read more There's come cool, hopefully, local art adorning the walls. At 7 p.m., the place was empty. Man, if this was the states, everybody and their mother would be waiting for a table. One pizza is about medium size and just enough for one person. My only small complaint was that it was extra oily but take a napkin and sop it up. Indoor and outdoor seating available.

One of our Abingdon team's favourite venues, the Cornerstone has an auditorium for theatre, shows,…read moregigs and performances; a visual art gallery; a welcoming cafe, bar and restaurant; a dance studio; a visual arts studio, and various multi-purpose spaces for meetings and workshops.

We decided to give the Cornerstone a go and were very pleasantly surprised. We went to one of the…read morebottle rocket comedy nights and it was absolutely fantasic just such a shame that there were so few people in the audience although those that were there participated admirably! The system for interval drinks was a little strange and relied on the honesty of those there but seemed to work. Looking around the art exhibition (drink in hand) during the interval was so much better than being crammed into a tiny theatre bar.