Getty

WHETHER you are visiting Oxford with your family, heading there with friends or going for a couple’s weekend, there is plenty to do.

The city is steeped in history and filled with lots of interesting and fun places to visit. Here we take a look through eight attractions that might take your fancy.

Getty

Oxford University tour

Step inside Oxford University and explore its historic grounds on a walking tour with a student guide.

Visitors will get to take in the iconic architecture as well as get a glimpse of university life.

The tour includes stopping off at one of oldest colleges and the prestigious Bodleian Library.

The guide will talk about the history of the university colleges, including All Souls College, Trinity College, Oriel College, Hertford College, Merton College, the Radcliffe Camera, and the University Church of St. Mary.

Cost: £19 per person – tickets can be bought here.

Ashmolean Museum

Discover half a million years of art and archaeology at the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum.

Opened in 1683, it is the oldest public museum in the UK. 

Step inside and see for yourself an array of collections from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time.

Cost: Entry is free.

River boat cruise

Why not take in the sights of Oxford on an idyllic river cruise.

The boat ride goes along the University Regatta course, and passes the ancient Folly Bridge, Christchurch College and Meadows, and the University rowing houses

Punters are taken on this slow paced tour on small electric boats that can be booked individually or as a group.

Cost: £19 per person – tickets can be bought here.

Getty

Harry Potter tour

This spellbinding tour takes visitors around the locations used in the shooting of the Harry Potter films. 

This day out explores Oxford’s streets and colleges that were the inspiration behind Hogwarts’s Great Hall and Knockturn Alley.

Visitors also get to see the real life Divinity School which was used as a backdrop for the classroom scenes.

Price: £37.50 per person – tickets can be bought here.

The ghost trail

If you’re in the mood to be spooked, why not try Oxford’s theatrical ghost trail.

Led by costumed actors, the tour takes visitors through the city’s gruesome past and brutal murders.

Tourists will get to hear about fallen cavalry and how Dead Man’s Walk REALLY got its name.

Cost: £16.99 per person – tickets can be bought here.

Getty

Oxford Castle and Prison

Another location that is full of dark history is Oxford Castle and Prison.

Built 1,000 years ago, visitors will be told stories of murder, romance, escape and execution.

There is also a place to stop off and have a drink in the former visitor’s room, which is now Malmaison hotel.

Cost: £20 per person – tickets can be bought here.

Getty

Getty

The Story Museum

The Story Museum celebrates storytelling from around the world, as well as Oxford’s literary history.

Visitors get to walk through Narnia’s wardrobe, rediscover their favourite books and explore the enormous library.

Cost: £14 per person – tickets can be bought here.

Inspector Morse tour

If you’re an Inspector Morse fan, this tour is for you.

The trail takes tourists to all the Oxford pubs, colleges and streets that were used for filming.

It also shows you locations used for Morse spin-off shows Endeavour and Lewis.

Cost: £39.99 per person – tickets can be bought here.

Natural History Museum

Oxford University Museum of Natural History is a must for those who have interest in earth, science and nature.

Once inside, visitors are greeted with wonderful displays from the natural world – from impressive fossils to rare gemstones.

The museum also contains the lecture theatre which is used by the university’s chemistry, zoology and mathematics departments. 

Cost: Entry is free.

MICHAEL Underwood has officially turned his back on fame and is now loving life away from the spotlight in a totally different career.

The star rose to fame on CBBC in the late 90s as a kids TV host and was one of the most recognisable stars on the channel.

BBC

Getty

He even found love with his co-star Angellica Bell as they turned their on-screen presenting work for the channel into a real-life off-screen love story.

But whilst his wife Angellica is still enjoying her time on TV – he has swapped the TV studio for the classroom and couldn’t be happier.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Angellica opened up on how her husband was finding new fulfilment as a teacher after being left out of TV work when the Covid pandemic hit.

She told us: “It’s funny. He couldn’t get any work. He had a teaching degree. He was like, ‘I can’t sit around’ so he started teaching.

“It’s been amazing. It was hard at first because he really wanted to do TV and had no control over that.

“But he loves it now. His students are like his extended children. They are blessed to have him. He thinks of creative ways to teach, to keep them engaged.

“He’s even got some parents now going, ‘Oh my gosh, I used to watch you on Jungle Run’.

“He’s now teaching their children. He’s like, ‘oh my gosh, this is great’.”

The star admitted that at the beginning of her romance, it was her hubby Michael who was more excited by the prospect of TV jobs whilst she took a more backseat approach.

Looking back on the start of their careers, she added: “It’s funny. Michael loved TV. We met on CBBC. I was a bit more laissez-faire about TV.

“He really wanted to do it. He had a teaching degree before. He did lots of CBBC. Then he went to do CITV, Jungle Run. He loved it.

“Then he did shows on ITV and Good Morning Britain. He was the Entertainment Reporter.”

Tellingly, Angellica went on to add that we may see Michael back on screens soon, as she teased: “He’s had a few offers and stuff. And we have been approached to do some bits.”

Michael has been teaching for over five years at Surbiton High Boy’s Prep School in south-west London, teaching Year 4, who are eight and nine years old.

Luckily he was already a trained teacher as he did a four-year BEd teaching degree before landing his big break on television – on the advice of his mum.

Michael previously explained: “It was my mum who actually said: ‘Why don’t you think of doing drama as a teaching degree, specialise in that and you’ve got something to fall back on if the acting doesn’t work out.'”

Angellica was speaking to The Sun as part of Currys‘ campaign to save Black Friday by committing to their new minimum standard where no deal has been cheaper in the last six months, encouraging other retails to follow suit.

Rex

Rex

Alamy

RENEE SLEGERS described Arsenal reaching the Women’s Champions League’ last eight as the “ultimate end to an intense” block of games. 

It took her Gunners 89 minutes to break Juventus’s resistance with Lina Hurtig’s strike securing their sixth win in seven matches across all competitions.

Getty

Alamy

While their performance last night at the Emirates was less goal-laden than their 4-0 demolition of the Serie A side last week, the result maintained their unbeaten run under Slegers. 

The stand-in boss has impressed since taking charge of the side in mid-October following Jonas Eidevall resigning from his role as head coach. 

Following a mixed start to the season, Arsenal have looked more fluid in attack in three of their last four games with 12 goals scored. 

During their 5-0 defeat of Brighton on November 8 one fan was spotted holding a placard with the words “In Renee we trust” daubed across it. 

The team’s fourth win on the bounce since then has strengthened the case for the Netherlands-born stand-in Arsenal boss to continue in her role. 

Although the result gave the Gunners what she describes as “breathing space”, she sees the situation as surreal. 

Of their seven-game unbeaten run, Slegers said: “It’s the ultimate end to a very busy and intense block we have had here. 

“It is the perfect ending for this block. It means a lot.

“All of the players totally deserve it because of the work they put in. It gives us some breathing space in the last two games as well.

“We wouldn’t give ourselves a ten out of ten but we will give ourselves a big fat ‘enough’. 

“We will never play the perfect game so it won’t be a ten, but we are very happy with what we have done so far. 

“I never felt we would get into this situation.

“We have done really well but I was part of Jonas (Eidevall’s) staff and there was so much that was built during his time. I don’t want to separate that. 

“There is so much we are still building on. It’s surreal in so many ways but we are very happy. “

Compared to last term with Chelsea the only WSL side in the contest’s knockout phase, all three English clubs competing this season have fared well in the group stage. 

Gareth Taylor’s Manchester City currently sit top of group D above Barcelona with four wins from four matches including their 2-0 win against the LaLiga Women’s leaders in October.  

An efficient 2-1 defeat of Hammarby last night, with City also entering the tournament’s last eight, came courtesy of two goals netted by Khadija Shaw.

Getty

The Jamaica striker has been in fine form in Europe for City so far this term netting three times in four Champions League appearances. 

Meanwhile Chelsea also maintained a hundred per cent win record in the group stages so far

The team claimed a quarter-final place by beating Celtic 3-0 on Wednesday ahead of duels with FC Twente and Real Madrid next month. 

A CONSUMER expert has shared the easiest way to get laundry dry and save you money.

With the cold weather here to stay, laundry is taking days to dry properly and often leaves a musty smell around the home.

Getty

Thankfully, Which? experts have revealed how to solve the problem once and for all without putting your tumble dryer on.

Plenty of people have now invested in dehumidifiers to see them through winter.

the nifty gadget can help your laundry dry quickly and cost less than running the tumble dryer as well as put a stop to condensation and mould in the home.

But the consumer experts have revealed there’s a certain position you should put it if you want clothes to dry in no time.

Taking to social media, they said: “Hang up your wet washing inside and put the dehumidifier underneath or next to it.

We tried this on two identical loads of washing with and without a dehumidifier, and the verdict using a dehumidifier cut drying time by nearly half.”

What’s more is that the Which? experts found that the dehumidifier sucked up around two litres of water from the air.

Placing the dehumidifier directly near the clothes horse means it will pick up any excess moisture in them.

You also need to be wary about which room you put laundry to dry in as it can cause mould.

Laundry experts at In The Wash said: “Keeping moisture-filled laundry in your living spaces doesn’t just encourage mould and dampness, it can also lead to respiratory issues, and wet laundry can be a bit smelly too.

“The bedroom is one of the rooms you spend the most time in.

“Given the fact that wet laundry encourages mould growth, dampness and potential health issues it would be better to keep it out of a room you spend a lot of time in.”

One person wrote: “We use one to help dry out washing. It works great!”

Another commented: “I absolutely 100% recommend a dehumidifier going forward to anyone looking.”

“I hate drying washing indoors but this reduces the time the clothes are hanging around,” penned a third.

Meanwhile a fourth said: “I have a big Ikea wardrobe unit with rails in, I put my wet clothes in bang on the dehumidifier, push the doors too and leave for a couple of hours. So much better than having airers and clothes hung up all over the house.

Someone else added: “It’s laborious sharing your home with wet washing all winter, the dehumidifier is a game changer, the physical heat in the room improves with the dampness from the clothes being removed, I love mine.”

Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.

SAM Prendergast has been given the nod by Andy Farrell to steer Ireland from the start against Fiji.

Saturday’s test comes only a week after he earned his first cap during the 22-19 win over Argentina.

@samprendergast1

@samprendergast1

@samprendergast1

The starting XV as a whole is a more experimental one than the previous two November Internationals as two other newcomers in Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu will make their debuts.

Excitement around the 21-year-old fly-half is already very high despite his limited appearances for Leinster, never mind Ireland.

But he has been earmarked as the most likely long-term successor to Johnny Sexton for both club and country.

Here’s everything you need to know about him:

How old is Sam Prendergast?

The Kildare native will turn 22 early in the new year. His birthday is February 12.

Having attended Newbridge College for his Leaving Cert he went on to study at Trinity College.

He lined out for Lansdowne RFC in the AIL before making the grade at Leinster.

He’s been on the radar of even casual rugby fans as a huge prospect ever since his instrumental role in the Ireland U20s’ Six Nations grand slams of 2022 and 2023.

Who is his brother Cian?

24-year-old Cian is also likely to become a fulcrum player for the national team over the next few years.

He’s a flanker and outweighs Sam by about 20kg.

Between that, their contrasting hairstyles and the fact they play for different provinces you could be forgiven for not realising they are in fact brothers.

Incredibly, May’s inter-pro was the first time they’d ever been on a rugby pitch for an official match together.

Sam revealed to Leinster TV after their 33-7 RDS win: “Yeah it was class, the game around Christmas I was devastated to be left out cause I knew all my family were going and Cian was playing.

“But it was great when I knew I was playing, there’s a good bit of family in the crowd.

“I never played with him or against him in rugby, only in football for our football club so it was great to play against him and yeah I tried to run away from him!”

Sexton’s role in his development:

Prendergast looks to be the future for Leinster albeit Ciaran Frawley and the Byrne brothers Ross and Harry will have something to say about that.

Jack Crowley is currently the incumbent for Ireland too and is only three years older at 24 so they could be set to battle for the 10 jersey for the next decade.

With Sexton onboard as a fly-half consultant for the national side, both men will benefit from being able to consult his wealth of knowledge on the position.

Earlier this week Farrell rebuffed the notion that they should en masse try and step out of Sexton’s shadow with some fans worrying if bringing the 39-year-old is the right move.

But Farrell insisted: “I’ve heard that said by a few. That couldn’t be any further from the truth.

“Honestly, these guys love sharing their thoughts and even more importantly Johnny sharing his thoughts on them.

“All that he’s trying to do, and they 100 per cent know this, is that he’s there to help them and they appreciate that.”

Asked to clarify his role, he said: “It’s defined at the minute. Obviously place-kicking is one.

“He’s taken hold of the high-ball stuff and the mentoring of players that you would expect him to.

“Johnny wouldn’t want to come in all screaming, ‘look at me, I’m here’. He’s come in softly and he’s certainly building through it now and we see a lot of improvement in the areas that he’s coaching.

“It’s just for this campaign. Obviously we’ll keep on talking but all the signs are good.”

The post Sonali Bendre At Barkha Dutt’s Flagship Event We The Women – Gallery appeared first on Social News XYZ.