the bear who eats marmalade sandwiches with the queen ;-)

Lol, bilboburgler.

For future reference, go to https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ and just put London in as the origin, the system will tell you which stations have trains to your destination. It will also let you book.

For all the info you need on UK trains go here: https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-britain.htm

Only two stations have trains to Oxford -- Paddington and Marylebone. Takes between 51 and 68 minutes depending on the train. Almost all are direct but a few change at Reading so watch for that. There are trains approx every 15 or 20 minutes out of Paddington and every 20-30 minutes from Marylebone.

Depending upon where your hotel is, it is likely to be quicker to get to Marylebone than Paddington. Just jump on the Jubilee line at London Bridge and straight through to Marylebone.You would probably need to change tube or bus to Paddington but trains from Paddington tend to be quicker than those from Marylebone tend to take longer to Oxford. Swings and roundabouts! Avoid any that require changes - usually Reading or Didcot Parkway.

You can use https://www.nationalrail.co.uk for train timetables and booking and https://tfl.gov.uk to pick routes transport within London. Booking online is by far the best option. Download the NR app to your phone for electronic tickets.

Well, the Pissarro exhibit was a big draw for me for Oxford and it closes June 12th, several days prior to the Wednesday I was planning to go! Disappointing, but does that mean I just switch plans to Hampstead or is Oxford still worth the trek?

If I go to Hampstead, I would rather not walk through "the muck" to get up the hill (though I am sure it is beautiful) - there must be an easier way?

Kenwood House is a definite draw for me as I have never been there before and I am passionate about Vermeer!

Would love some recommendations for where I should go for lunch in Hampstead.

Finally, since Hampstead is an easier trip than Oxford, is it reasonable to also try to go to the Munch exhibit at Courtaulds that day, or am I trying to pack too much in?

Thank you in advance!

If you tell the TFL site your start and end points and the day and time you want to travel it will tell you your options. Google maps will do the same if you tell it you want to use public transport. As best I remember I used the tube and a bus to get to Kenwood House. Whether you can visit Courtaulds on the same day depends on how much you do in Hampstead.

If you want to visit both Kenwood House and things in Hampstead Village you need to do some walking for sure . . . The 210 bus which you can catch at Highgate, circles the north side of the Heath and near Kenwood. Afterwards take the 210 on around to the west side near Jack Straw's Castle and can walk from there to anywhere in Hampstead Village.

Not related to your original question, but if you are in London before June 15, go and see the Jubilee exhibition at Sotheby's Bond Street. It's free, no need to book, and has a fabulous collection of tiaras on display. Including the one Princess Diana wore on her wedding. Also some stunning royal portraits.

Great idea Tulips! We were wandering past Sothebys on Friday after had a few glasses of Champagne at the Mayfair street party and were persuaded by the Sothebys guy stating outside to pop in and have look . An incredible exhibition. I never appreciated how many tiaras (or diamonds) there were in the world! The Andy Warhol portrait of our Queen was an unexpected bonus.

I know, so beautiful, and the presentation of the tiaras is stunning!
Very nice place for a lunch too.
Did you go to the party on North Audley Street? That looked great.

The Munch exhibit is on the smaller side -- perhaps 20 paintings spread into two large rooms. I think it's possible to do both in a day but for me the newly reopened Courtauld merited more time.

I agree with the others about seeing the tiaras & the portraits at Sotheby's. It's a fabulous one-off opportunity associated with the Platinum Jubilee.

I came this close [ ] to making a special trip to London just for the Sotheby's exhibition but it just wasn't going to work out since I'll be there the first week of July I wish there was a guidebook or catalog of the exhibit but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Can you get the Tatler there? there's an article on it, though not many pictures. Also an article on the Queen's jewelry. The cover of the Tatler is a painting of the Queen, with the original shown at Sotheby's. I'm going to be in Bond Street tomorrow or Thursday, will pop in to see if they have a catalog.

Oh - thanks. I do hope there is a catalog -- they are missing out on probably a fair bit of revenue if they didn't publish one.