Coming to England there are normally two obvious visits, London and Oxford. Oxford has the ancient university of course but it has two world class Museums with free access to visitors including coffee shops. So why the Ashmolean.

https://www.ashmolean.org/event/scen...wood-engraving

We visited the Ashmolean many years ago specifically to see their Hiroshige collection. But this piece stopped us in our tracks....

https://www.ashmolean.org/dish-composite-head-penises

I am a big fan of the Ashmolean as I spent many hours in the ‘old’ Ashmolean doing research for a course on medieval art. Although I still have fond memories of it before renovations, the new museum is a jewel. There is something for everyone’s interest and it is second only to the British Museum. Not to be missed.

They even have a song:

I wish they’d rename it the Tradescantian. Give credit where credit is due. https://www.strangescience.net/tradash.htm

I liked this site that shows what statues used to look like
https://davidoakes-images.com/2015/0...reasure-chest/

And let us not forget the immortal lines of G. K. Chesterton:

"It was not Napoleon
Who founded the Ashmolean.
He hardly had a chance
Living mostly in France”

To my shame I have to confess that I have never been to the Ashmolean nor spent more than a few hours in Oxford, and that when I was doing a case there. Looking back this seems extraordinary - I grew up in Coventry, only a hour's drive away, my family was very keen on educational days out, as was my school come to that, but we never went there. Looks as if I need to remedy that.

I lived for 3 years as a student and never went there. But I have friends who live there. One of the great pleasures of those visits is to go to other one, the Pitt Rivers which combines with Natural History I then go to the Ashmolean. The difference is dramatic, the displays at the Ash are luxurious but the range is less. The cake in the NH is better but the battle frisbees are better at the PR

<< The difference is dramatic, the displays at the Ash are luxurious but the range is less. The cake in the NH is better but the battle frisbees are better at the PR.>>

oh well if there's cake involved!

Museums =cake surely. Plus the Ashmolean restaurant is a sort of kids nightmare in the basement with blocks to sit but the NH cafe is a bit more adult. Both are free and 5 minutes apart.

<<Museums =cake surely. Plus the Ashmolean restaurant is a sort of kids nightmare in the basement with blocks to sit but the NH cafe is a bit more adult. Both are free and 5 minutes apart.>>

You'd already sold me on them but that surely must be the icing on the cake!

jam on the cream ;-)

noooo - jam first, then cream.