The Old Curiosity (Shop) Museum

Advantages: Fascinating collection, creatively displayed
Disadvantages: Challenges your ideas of how a museum should display things

...The Pitt Rivers Museum is a treasure chest of the weird and wonderful and should be a compulsory must-see place for every tourist visiting Oxford but sadly, it rarely is. Consequently those of us who know and love this quirky little museum are sometimes torn between the desire to sell its joys to the world and to keep it as our own special little secret. But on this occasion I'll take the risk of the place filling up and tell you about it. The Pitt Rivers is a place you need to know exists in order to find it. It's not widely publicised and you won't see it from the street because it's tucked away at the back of its sister museum, the much grander and more blousy Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Take a look at the photo Ciao have used. That's the OUMNH and it's gorgeous. The Pitt Rivers is like an untidy cupboard hiding...

koshkha 04.11.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Pitt Rivers Museum (Oxford)

A Case for Glass Cases

Advantages: Eclectic. Interesting. Friendly staff. Free
Disadvantages: Dark, odd, information labels hard to read.

...Many museums, these days have bells and whistles. They have buttons to push, interactive displays with which to, well, interact and programmes galore to entice youngsters to learn. Other museums are resolutely Victorian, with dusty display cases and dusty displays. Tiny labels tell you the bare minimum about the exhibits (thus, handily, forcing you to buy the inevitable overpriced guide). However, a Victorian style museum needn't be musty or charmless. I'd seen this before with the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, and, more recently, at the Pitt Rivers (billed on their website as a museum of anthropology and world archaeology) in Oxford - an utterly charming, yet slightly odd and eccentric burst of Victoriana in the middle of one of England's most beautiful cities. The splendidly named Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers (I ask you, how many names...

mattygroves 29.12.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Pitt Rivers Museum (Oxford)

Holiday Inn, Oxford (Peartree Roundabout)

Advantages: Modern, great location, excellent facilities
Disadvantages: Can be expensive if not booked through a deal

...I have stayed at this hotel numerous times over the past few years, most recently for a long weekend in October 2009. The Hotel The hotel is just off the A34 approximately 15 minutes outside the City Centre of Oxford, and is easily accessible whether you are approaching from the north or the south. The hotel is large and modern. There is a large reception area as you enter the hotel. To the right of the reception is a sizeble bar area, and the restaurant sits just off the bar in a separate room. The staff are always extremely friendly and welcoming and work to ensure that you are checked in efficiently. Each time you pass reception they make a point of greeting you. There is a pool which is available to residents free of charge. Standard Rooms The rooms are a good size and are always clean. Each room includes an open...

anslomic 07.12.2008 (24.10.2009) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Holiday Inn, Oxford

Night at the Museum

Advantages: Great comedy and pure entertainment
Disadvantages: a little slow to begin.. but not for long though.

...Director: Shawn Levy Producers: Shawn Levy and Stephen Sommers. Writer: Milan Trenc, Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. Stars: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Jake Cherry, Charlie MurphyRami Malek, Pierfrancesco Favino,Ricky Gervais, Patrick Gallagher, Robin Williams and Kim Raver Released in Late 2006 this comedy, (I believe is based on a 1993 novel by Milan Trenc), revolved around a Museum and its mystical effects on a night watchman. **BRIEF PLOT** In New York city's Museum of Natural History Lawrence 'Larry' Daley, (played by Ben Stiller) begins a job as a night watchman, mainly to gain the respect of his son Nick, (played by Jake Cherry). Larry has had many dead end jobs in the passed, failing at all he tries, and is so terrified that Nick will prefer spending time with his...

blissman70 04.08.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Night At The Museum (DVD)

No mum it's not a petrol station, it's the Holiday Inn Oxford.

Advantages: Great Price. Good location for roads. Next to park and ride, cheaper than paying for parking!
Disadvantages: Another Holiday Inn, nothing that unique about it. Surly reception staff.

...August sees the birthday of my mother, an annual event that our family comes together to celebrate in one way or another. We have had a rather turbulent year so my brother and I felt it was necessary to take my mother and father away for a birthday celebration as a family. After a good trawl of the internet we decided to visit Oxford. As my brother has two young children it was necessary to consider a family room, ideally with some facilities to keep the children entertained, so we found ourselves at Holiday Inn Oxford. Booking I booked the hotel at www.holidayinn.co.uk as part of their summer promotion. The rate was half price at £49 a night including breakfast which for Oxford in the heart of summer was cheap. The credit crunch certainly has provided us with LOTS of bargains! Once booked I received an e-mail confirmation...

atlantis140 30.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Holiday Inn, Oxford

A Chump at Oxford

Advantages: Timeless Humour
Disadvantages: Nothing

...Laurel & Hardy Volume 1 - A Chump at Oxford This is a single DVD containing 3 wonderful films; A chump at oxford From soup to nuts Another fine mess The films are in their original black and white format and also ?colourised? version. The main feature is ?A Chump at oxford? This is a superb comedy made when Laurel and Hardy where at their best. By pure accident it seems Stan is related to one of Oxfords finest ?Fellow? and is given a place there with Ollie as his butler. When Stan gets a knock on the head he wiggles those ears and starts fighting everyone in sight, he also thinks that he is a lord until another bang brings him back to normal. Simply brilliant, a fighting Stan is something to behold and worth the money for this movie alone. Second Movie; ?From...

MaldivesHoliday 19.03.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Laurel And Hardy - No. 1 - A Chump At Oxford And Related Shorts (DVD)

OXFORD TUBE - SIMPLY AND EASY TO USE

Advantages: stressfree, quick, easy to use
Disadvantages: may be separated if bus is full up

...1am. Full times are available on the website. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Yes I would, most definitely. The bus was easy to catch, stress free and made a trip into London most enjoyable. The drop off point is central, right on the edge of Oxford Street for the Marble Arch one. We have already decided that next time we want to go to London we will do the same again. Living in North Devon, it costs a fortune to catch a train to London, so it will be easier and cheaper for us to stay near Oxford and catch the Oxford Tube in. I want to do some more sight seeing in London, so can't wait to do this again. (So far my experience of London involves 2 trips to Harrods, a visit to Windsor Castle, Madame Tussauds, Phantom of The Opera and also, 2 museums when I was a child!). I want to go and do the full...

kismet 30.05.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Oxford Tube

The Booth Museum, Brighton

Advantages: Free admission, lots to see
Disadvantages: None for me

...The Booth Museum is located on Brighton's suburban back streets well away from the town centre but having said that it is on Dyke Road (the A2010) which is one of the major routes through the town and so it is relatively easy to find. The museum is named after the Victorian natural historian Edward Thomas Booth who spent much of his life in Brighton. Primarily it houses his personal collection of stuffed birds but there are also animals, insects, fossils and skeletons. These collections were amassed during his lifetime and contain over half a million different specimens. He lived between 1840 and 1890. Like most Victorian naturalists of the time he was an avid collector. It seems odd nowadays to think that someone that was considered to be such a lover of these creatures should hunt them down and shoot them. However we need to...

micksheff 11.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Booth Museum of Natural History (Brighton)

Experience Thaiand in Oxford

Advantages: Great food, great service, A little piece of thailand
Disadvantages: I havent found any

...Having just returned from my around the world trip, I was happy to re-visit this gem of a restaurant in Oxford. Bangkok house is my favourite Thai restaurant and only a few places in Thailand delivered food as good as this. We decided to go to the restaurant for lunch today. The reason we did this was simple - the restaurant has for the past 2 years offered a one plate lunch meal menu for £5. However, having not been here since been back in the UK I decided to go for the set menu of a starter and main for £9.95. So here is my experience. Location ------------ The restaurant is located in the historic university city of Oxford. The restaurant is located slightly out of the hustle and bustle of the city centre, just next to the canal and within a couple of minute walk to the castle site and the Universities. Immediately across the road...

mtpatton 19.04.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Bangkok House, Oxford

Ponterfact Museum, West Yorkshire

Advantages: Free entry, plenty to see and do
Disadvantages: Not everyones idea of a fun day out

...Pontefract's museum is located within an impressive art nouveau building that dates from 1904. This building was originally the Carnegie Free Library and even today it still has the feel of a library about it, although in other places it also reminded me of an old school building. It is located right in the heart of the town centre, adjacent to the parish church and close to the market and is therefore very easy to find. I usually try and make a point of visiting museums when I am in area as they are an excellent way of finding out about an area and they are usually free to visit. Pontefract's museum is no exception to this rule as it is both free and a great place to discover all about the towns rich history. The building that houses the museum is set out on two different floors but most of the exhibits are on the lower floor. As...

micksheff 31.10.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Pontefract Museum