Daniel's reviews
Review of Turf Tavern
06 Nov 07, 14:07
Infamous Oxford pub 
I think the Turf Tavern is famous for two things: firstly it's where Inspector Morse went to drink, and secondly, it is where Bill Clinton'did not inhale' during his time in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. It is a tiny, history pub, which is frequented by students and tourists alike. The main body of the pub is absolutely tiny, and has expanded over the years to accommodate more people. As such it has lost its character somewhat, and is just another olde Oxford pub, which is why it gets 3 stars from me. It does have a decent range of beers, and a good outdoor area for the summer, but so do plenty of other pubs in the area. Please note that it is very difficult to find, so please check the website before you attempt to look for it!
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Review of Blackwell's
06 Nov 07, 14:02
A labyrinth of books. 
It probably sounds a little strange to be reviewing an academic bookstore that you find on the high street of most university towns in the UK. But Blackwells in Oxford is very unusual. Despite it's appearance outside - which makes it look like a tiny bookshop - it reportedly contains 200,000 titles, mainly housed in the huge Norrington Room, a vast subterranean chamber of over 10,000 square feet with over three miles of shelving. Such is its scale that it has a place in the Guinness Book of Records for having the largest display of books for sale in one room in the world, so as you can imagine it's quite a sight. A great place to go to browse.
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Review of Pitt Rivers Museum
06 Nov 07, 13:54
The most unusual/spooky/intriguing musuem in the UK?
General Pitt Rivers was an English British Army officer born in 1827, who also dabbled in archeology and ethnography. During postings overseas he became a noted scientist and amassed a huge collection of items from all over the world. This museum is the result of his donation to Oxford University, and is the most extraordinary place I have been to. The museum is situated behind the city's Natural History Museum (which in itself, while not to the scale of London's, is stunning). You enter a dark room, which is filled to brim with glass cases. Each glass case contains hundreds of objects of similar types, arranged by region, period, or any other of the many thousands of categories of items. It's difficult to describe the sheer range of curiosities on display, but the website tries: "a magnificent Tahitian mourner's costume, collected during Captain Cook's Second Voyage in 1773-74... a fine group of early masks worn by actors in Japanese Noh dramas... magic objects including amulets and charms... jewellery and body decoration... musical instruments..." - you get the idea. Each item has been tagged and described in painstaking detail on tiny little labels, useful for some of the - often quite creepy - items that are impossible to identify. The museum is free, and well worth a visit if you're in the area.
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Review of Red Star
15 Oct 07, 17:03
Nice Wagamama alternative in Cowley Road
Red Star is a noodle bar in the heart of Cowley Road, and given its clientele of mainly students the prices are pretty decent. The layout is similar to that of Wagamama's canteen style, but feels independent and more intimate. Service is rapid and food is excellent. Highly recommended.
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