I hadn’t thought this one through very well had I! What was meant to be a belated 21st birthday treat for my son Ed (once a Star Wars fan, always a Star Wars fan), could have turned into a very expensive day out. However, I’d managed to book this unbelievable experience on one of only two days in the year when the shops were all shut…Easter Sunday! Genius!

Seriously, what an incredible way to spend a Sunday morning. The VOID is a full sensory, immersive experience which you and three friends or family can enjoy by walking into real-time hyper-reality that combines interactive sets, real-time effects and amazing technology.

Ed has always had a fascination with the Star Wars stormtroopers, ever since he was 6 and I think all of us have a soft spot for the white suited troops of the Galactic Empire. So once you’ve signed up to visit the molten planet of Mustafar to recover Imperial intelligence, one of the many friendly VOID staff on hand get you strapped in to your battle gear, complete with the all important helmet which makes all the magic happen.

You then step into the chamber ready to head to the frontline, put your helmet visor down and your family are all stormtroopers! It’s incredible….especially as everyone is to scale! Ed was huge and Abi was, well, not so huge. It was brilliant and great fun and Ed was in his element. They’d all been in before me with Ed’s girlfriend Beth, and I knew how much they had enjoyed it from the screams of joy that rose from the VOID structure and filled half of Westfield. But to experience it yourself is something else.

We were soon walking a plank and being transported to face the real stormtroopers – we were simply going to fight disguised as stormtroopers. Before we could engage we had to grab our guns – real, as in we were actually carrying them, not part of the virtual reality – and then it was a case of opening fire! It was so realistic…you even feel a buzz when you’re hit!

But don’t worry…there’s no real pain or skill required. Just bags of fun for everyone.

The VOID and ILMxLAB certainly deliver on their promise to bring the Star Wars universe to life.

Book now at https://www.thevoid.com/dimensions/starwars/secretsoftheempire

What does that mean? Well, completely new bathrooms, brand-new carpets throughout, and an overhaul of the breakfast area. What remains unchanged is the hotel’s excellent location – right opposite the Said Business school, and within a 5-minute walk of the new Westgate…but still very close to the railway station for those who still prefer to do their shopping at Bicester Village!

As always, the welcome at the front desk is warm and heartfelt. Need to check-in early? Not a problem, they’ll either store bags or allocate a room if one is available. Car parking (a huge bug bear in Oxford!)? Allocated covered parking is £10 per night, just across the road at a nearby retail outlet. Advice on where to go in Oxford? Yes, the receptionists can actually tell you where to go and what you might like to do, providing maps and citing personal experience.

The rooms are spacious with all the usual tea and coffee-making facilities, as well as modern essentials such as fans (not usually necessary in January) and hairdryers (most important for ladies…and for those men who blow dry their hair!) Moreover, the beds are extremely comfortable, so much so that there is a real danger you might chose to lie-in and not explore everything that Oxford has to offer on your doorstep!

Henry James once said, “Oxford lends sweetness to labour and dignity to leisure.” In which case, The Royal Oxford Hotel must rank as the most dignified of stays.

As soon as we walked into the very welcoming and relaxing restaurant, modern yet warm and friendly, we were given our choice of seating and seated very promptly. Menus were brought out and the variety of delicious sounding modern Italian dishes was vast! We didn’t have to wait long until our orders were taken – Really efficient, friendly and attentive service.

To start, I decided on a portion of calamari and Isobel went for bruschetta. Within about 10 minutes our starters arrived. There is certainly no complaint about the size of portions! Both starters were generously sized, and my calamari was piping hot and clearly freshly cooked. Isobel’s bruschetta was a thick slice of toasted focaccia bread, covered in delicious chopped tomatoes and black olives and served with a small amount of salad (which seemed to find its way onto my plate, mostly!). Both starters went down a treat and left us excited for the main course! For mains, we were sorely tempted by the seasonal daily specials on the board ( updated throughout the day) but stuck with our gut instincts: Isobel went for Pizza frutti di mare, and I decided on Tagliata di manzo. The waitress made sure that Isobel realised that her pizza was served without cheese, and she was happy with that, a nice attentive touch, and I was asked how I wanted my steak cooked too. When the plates came out the aroma was drool-worthy, and my steak was cooked to perfection! The tagliata was served with a side order of polenta chips, and a generous salad of rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes and garnished with parmesan and balsamic vinegar. Isobel’s pizza looked delicious – huge, freshly cooked and covered with calamari, prawns and mussels, and garnished with fresh basil leaves. She managed about two thirds of it before admitting a thoroughly enjoyable defeat.

There is a large and reasonably priced wine list to choose from and the staff are happy to help you pair the best drink to your meal choice. I opted for a small glass of merlot, and a very nice well served glass appeared in a second along with Isobel’s glass of fresh apple juice. Neither of us could manage a dessert which was a shame as they sounded delicious, such as Torta della Nonna, a Limonello Baba or classic Tiramisu. When we return, and we will, the belts are getting loosened and we’re going all out!

A lovely evening for both of us, in a friendly and warm environment with fresh, home-cooked Italian treats right on your doorstop! And La Cucina even have a take-away service, so you really have no excuse not to experience this wonderful restaurant.

5 Things I Loved:

1. Really efficient, friendly and attentive service
2. Variety of the menu – modern Italian
3. Tagliata – cooked just as I asked and a very generous portion
4. The ambiance – modern but warm and friendly
5. Reasonable wine list, not expensive: my glass of Merlot £5.45

We decided to go for Soup of the Day as our starter, which was much needed with the cold weather setting in. For main course Sammy opted for the Oxfordshire Rib Eye Steak and I chose the Chestnut, Leek and Mushroom Tart. The food was mouthwateringly delicious and you could tell the produce had been sourced locally and all home made in the Three Pigeons Kitchen.

During this late winter evening you could not quite grasp the enchanting statuary and fountains of the gardens, we plan to return during the summer to experience this exquisite ambience.

Fabulous Live jazz began around 8pm, which is a Thursday night tradition at the Three Pigeons. The great jazz vibes and wonderful food, all in the quirky cool setting of the Three Pigeons was a wonderful fusion and I would highly recommend visiting soon.

To counter the traditional Indian restaurant, Cinnamon Kitchen is a relaxed, all-day dining concept. Based on the long established Cinnamon Club in London, set in the historic Grade II listed former Westminster Library, the restaurant specialises in modern-Indian cuisine with British influences, all prepared in an impressive open view engine room in the centre of this beautifully appointed addition to Oxford’s restaurant scene.

The restaurant is open every day for brunch, lunch and dinner as well as cocktails and light bites.

We arrived just after 8pm on a Wednesday and the restaurant was practically full with a wide range of guests including couples, larger parties and families. The atmosphere is very relaxed yet refined and every member of staff greets you with a smile. We were particularly impressed with the GM, Leon, who was engaging, attentive and charming throughout. Tina felt relaxed enough to ask Leon to choose for her, and he evidently made some great choices.

Tina chose the vegetarian Bombay street food to start, including vada pao, tapioca cake and chilli paneer. I went for the less adventurous grilled chicken skewer, labna, rose petals, pomegranate & toasted buckwheat – a stunning start!

For our main courses, Tina plumped for the coriander & garlic crusted wild African prawn – I never knew prawns could get so big! According to Leon, both my starter and main choices were the most popular to date and the Old Delhi style butter chicken with pilau rice that I had for my mains certainly hit the mark. From the presentation to the taste, full marks for each dish but la pièce de résistance was the dessert…. a quintet of carrot halwa treacle tart with thandai sorbet, sticky ginger toffee pudding with garam masala ice cream, dark chocolate mousse, white chocolate crumble, milk chocolate ice cream, lassi panna cotta, orange & mint, finished off with a shot of raspberry sorbet!

Incredible! 10/10 throughout. Service, food, atmosphere, welcome, knowledge…faultless.

Whatever the occasion, reward yourself with a trip to Cinnamon Kitchen and let the excellent team do the rest…I know you’ll be impressed.

Personal service. That’s always welcome too, and Nadeem (our waiter) was ever-obliging, even taking our order over the phone as we sat stuck in traffic and hence in danger of missing the 9:30pm last order deadline. As it was, the steaks (rump and sirloin respectively) were cooked exactly to order and along with a robust Argentinian Malbec, eased our stress levels nicely. A trio of desserts on a sharing board (interesting concept – you try sharing a delectable cheesecake, chocolate brownie, and tiramisu!) relaxed us even more. By now, the traffic had cleared, but we chose to linger over an espresso on the upholstered banquettes, savouring the crisp moonlight reflecting from the honeyed-stone walls beyond.

I live in Oxfordshire and work for an International company, I frequently travel in and around the UK for business which involves overnight stays, on this occasion this trip was thankfully for pleasure! On arriving at the Hotel we parked up in the well-lit and generously sized car park, extracted our luggage from the car and made our way to reception, which was light airy and nicely decorated. Maria greeted us with a warm smile and checked us in seamlessly, explained all of the amenities at the hotel from the restaurant to the large and well equipped on site gym which boasts swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. We chose to have a quick drink before heading off to our room, off to the bar we went which is very nicely stocked with a good selection of beers, wines and spirits from popular to unique. On sitting we noticed an extensive bar menu whilst reading started to make my tummy rumble, we had a while to go as our table at the restaurant was booked for 8pm, so some dry roasted peanuts would need to satisfy until then! After a short time we gathered our bags and made our way to our room which was on the 3rd floor at the back of the hotel, although a standard double guest room it was well equipped with the usual bathroom amenities, large tv, comfy bed, tea & coffee making and an added bonus of a cooler which would come in handy in the summer, not on a cold November evening! The air conditioning was duly turned up to take any hint of chill out of the room, I had an hour to kill and by chance had my gym gear with me, so off to the gym I went whilst the other half got to grips with unpacking and mastering the tv remote. The gym was a good size and had the latest cardiovascular equipment and resistance machines, with a selection of free weights and moveable benches oh and before I forget the lockers in the changing area you will need to bring an old pound coin if you don’t have one the gym staff will be happy to provide for you. Time had passed quickly and I never managed to try the wet area of the gym, there is a large glass wall viewing area where you can see the whole pool area everything looked clean tidy and would be worth a visit.

We arrived at the restaurant bang on 8pm and were welcomed by Annetta who offered us a table of our choice, we were seated and provided with some menus, on perusing the menu we decided to opt for the great deal on offer at the hotel “two dine for £39.99” this includes a starter and main course plus 175ml glass of wine or a soft drink per person, when added up from the normal menu we worked out quite a big saving. The offer has been run for some time and the menu choice changes regularly. I had ordered the Herb crusted Portobello mushroom fries that came with a blue cheese dressing on the side with leaves and the good lady had chef’s soup of the day which was piping hot potato and leek it came with warm rustic bread, both starters were fresh full of flavour and quickly devoured. For the mains we had ordered Grilled rump steak which came cooked as requested, with garlic roasted mushroom, grilled tomato, skin on chips & rocket salad, the steak does come with a £2.00 supplement however this is still great value for money as the overall dine for two deal was inexpensive.

Finishing off our wine we thanked Annetta and Sean and departed the restaurant and went for a wander around the hotel, we noticed behind reception there are a number of meeting rooms which are part of a dedicated conference centre which can be booked with the hotel for private or business use and can accommodate 2 to 160 people, packages are available that include food, beverages and accommodation.

After a restful night’s sleep in our very clean, warm and comfortable room we awoke early to go down for breakfast at junctions restaurant, which included the usual cereals and pastries, cooked items and self-service hot beverages, breakfast was freshly cooked including my made to order poached eggs what a great way to start the morning!. After our breakfast we packed up and closed to the door to our room, Maria checked us out with a warm and friendly smile, the time went so quickly.

We had a lovely stay, I was very impressed by all of the staff and would recommend a visit it is in a great location close to lots of attractions and shopping and with the festive period fast approaching the hotel has a number of great offers for Christmas party nights and festive lunches, you will not be disappointed.

Mamma Mia is energetic, fun and entertaining!

What a fabulous night my granddaughter and I had at The New Theatre Oxford watching the brilliant Mamma Mia. The show is funny, fast paced and incredibly entertaining. All the wonderful ABBA songs, so familiar its a glorious trip down memory lane. The cast were so energetic and clearly enjoying themselves.

Kay Milbourne who played Donna is very much the star of the show, she has a superb singing voice and her two co-stars Emma Clifford and Gillian Hardie who play Donna’s old friends Rosie and Tanya both give great comic performances. These three woman dominate the show… they are brilliant!

The choreography by Anthony Van Laast was thrilling so right for the era as was the comedy. A great production as the audience fully appreciated singing and dancing to the magnificent finale of Mamma Mia a great feel-good evening.

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/mamma-mia/new-theatre-oxford

The Lady Nuffield Home is situated in Summertown with easy access to Oxford and with good transport links to nearby towns. A range of local amenities are within walking distance, including shops, restaurants and doctors’ surgeries.

The Home is Victorian in origin with modern purpose built extensions added over recent years giving an air of light, spacious accommodation. Rooms are comfortable and furnished to a high standard. Communal areas have a warm welcoming feel generating a sense that an older person wishing to live at the Home would be in an environment where they feel safe and well cared for.

We provide care for 30 older people, and we place the rights, wellbeing and health of our residents at the forefront of our philosophy of care, treating each resident as a valued individual. We are supported in doing so by the local GP Practices and District Nursing Team.

Social interaction is encouraged through a full and varied programme of activities to enable residents to realise their full potential and enhance their quality of life in older age. A typical week of activities may consist of exercise, art, craft, poetry, crossword and entertainers. A regular church service is taken by the local clergy twice a month. Trips and outings are arranged according to residents’ preferences.

We consider every resident’s life history, interests, likes and dislikes when planning an activity programme. It is important to us that wellbeing is maintained through an active and healthy lifestyle.

Person-centered care through activities in a dignified manner is part of the Home’s ethos. Our Activity Coordinator creates a suitable activity plan for each resident.

We encourage our residents to maintain their independence, whilst experienced care assistants provide assistance with daily living activities in accordance with their needs.

Rated 9.6/10 by CareHome.co.uk

‘The House’ does actually feel like home, only a cooler, more designer-clad variation. Cosy banquettes and small mood-lit tables line the long room which leads through to a black granite-topped altar (I mean bar!) – impressive but not overly obtrusive. It feels like a chef’s counter, where you can sit and watch the bartenders knock up one of the 50 or so cocktails from the menu (staff receive up to 4 weeks of training and have to prove to the managers that they know any cocktail off by heart) whilst nibbling on bar snacks such as nachos or hummus.

The drinks are definitely the main event here though. Being four-strong, we were able to mix and match from across the menu which is helpfully broken down into categories: ‘Sparkling’ (all the fizzy cocktails, such as the Bellini), ‘Long’ (Raspado), ‘Short ‘(Bloody Mary), ‘Straight up’ (Cosmpolitan), and ‘Non-Alcoholic’ (Beach House). There is also a category named ‘Top Shelf’, containing classics such as the Mojito, Martini and Margharita (no, not just the cocktails beginning with ‘M’!) which unfortunately do not receive the ‘Happy Hour’ treatment but, rest assured, there’s still plenty to choose from!
We started off outside. It was a chill October evening, but the heat lamps burned brightly on the attractively canopied terrace, attracting us like thirsty fire-flies. What better than a spot of people watching along the busy Blue Boar Passage whilst enjoying table cocktail service? Alan (the oh-so-helpful Spanish manager) came out to talk us through the list and advised us of his favourites (a Manhattan…ah yes, that was in the ‘Top Shelf’ category as well come to think of it!). Over the course of the evening, and much deliberation, we narrowed down our favourites – the Breakfast Martini (Gin, triple sec and Oxford marmalade), the Gran Bretagna (a special apricot liquor-based cocktail from the board behind the bar) and the Strawberry Colada for the non-drinkers amongst us (Strawberry, coconut and lime).

Happy hour runs up until 9pm Sunday-Thursday (8pm on Friday and Saturday), and there is an upstairs room which can hold 70 people, complete with pool table and fantastic views, all available for a reasonable minimum spend. However, if you’re a student it’s even better news – cocktails are discounted all evening Sunday-Thursday…..it’s almost worth going back to studying again!