Oxford… ’til we meet again.

You enter parenthood with big ideas of travelling the world with your well presented, cosmopolitan children sampling the delights of local cuisine and then reality hits. You find yourself a single parent….outnumbered, one of your children is nicknamed ‘the runner’……… if you saw a red-faced woman running through any supermarket frantically looking for their child anytime over the last 8 years that was probably me and they will only eat food that is breaded.

So here we are, they have reached that ‘golden’ age of 10 and 11, the little bit of time before they paint everything in their bedroom’s black and tell me constantly how embarrassing I am (I am). Where would you go on your first ever city break with kids……..Oxford of course.

1. It is exceptionally beautiful.
2. There is soooo much to do and see.
3. Everything is walkable.
4. If you don’t want to walk there is a hop on/hop off open top bus that gives an excellent guided tour.
5. The people of Oxford are fairly laid back (why wouldn’t you be) kind and helpful

We drove to Oxford and parked in the Pear Tree Park and Ride, £12.00 for 72hrs, more than enough. There are so many hotels and B&B’s in Oxford, I wanted to stay right in the centre and by the time I booked there was very little choice but we managed to get a room in The Bocardo ,a small, clean, excellently located hotel.

Our first stop on our epic tour was The Ashmoleum ,the 11-year-old loves all things art and relished her first ever viewing of Manet’s, Monet’s and Van Gogh’s.

Next was the fantastic Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museums, set in a building that rivals its London brother but so much more manageable, we made it through every floor and saw every exhibit.

We spotted the Anthony Gormley and visited New College where not only did we get to see the Harry Potter sites but attended the breathtakingly beautiful Evensong.

We spent a blissful morning in the Botanic Gardens followed by a couple of hours messing around on the river……………..

And then the highlight of the children’s trip Bill Spectre’s (not sure its his real name) Ghost Trail ,named on trip catcher as one of the top 10 ghost tours in the world, not to be missed.

We barely scratched the surface of our to do list and left Oxford a little bit sad but we will be back and who knows by then maybe they will appreciate to Chartwell or eerrrr Biscester Village?