Bucks &amp; Oxon


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1920" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Lizzie-art-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-194846" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Lizzie-art-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Lizzie-art-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Lizzie-art-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Lizzie-art-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Lizzie-art-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Lizzie-art-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<p></p>



<p>We&#8217;re obsessed with Oxfordshire-based Lizzie Shannon-Little&#8217;s new children&#8217;s book <em>The Tale of the Propeller Man and Other Stories</em>. Inspired by the dark tradition of Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann’s Victorian <em>Struwwelpeter</em> (which terrified and thrilled me as a child) and Hilaire Belloc’s <em>Cautionary Tales</em>, the novel is a darkly comedic, wickedly macabre rhyming collection of cautionary tales with wonderfully evocative illustrations.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="642" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-1-642x1000.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-194916" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-1-642x1000.jpeg 642w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-1-514x800.jpeg 514w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-1-257x400.jpeg 257w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-1-987x1536.jpeg 987w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-1-1316x2048.jpeg 1316w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-1.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Child Who Wee&#8217;d In The Swimming Pool </figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="647" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-3-1000x647.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-194915" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-3-1000x647.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-3-800x518.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-3-400x259.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Tale-of-the-Propeller-Man-3.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Child Who Swam Too Far </figcaption></figure>



<p>Author Lizzie lives near Faringdon so we&#8217;ve caught up with her to get the lowdown on her favourite hang outs including &#8211; a Muddy first &#8211; a famous graveyard.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lamb-tavern-buckland"><a href="https://www.lambtavernbuckland.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lamb Tavern, Buckland</a></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1757" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Lamb-Tavern-Buckland-from-its-IG-.png" alt="" class="wp-image-194902" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Lamb-Tavern-Buckland-from-its-IG-.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Lamb-Tavern-Buckland-from-its-IG--683x800.png 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Lamb-Tavern-Buckland-from-its-IG--854x1000.png 854w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Lamb-Tavern-Buckland-from-its-IG--341x400.png 341w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/The-Lamb-Tavern-Buckland-from-its-IG--1311x1536.png 1311w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The Lamb Tavern in Buckland is my local, and when I take my two basset hounds out for a walk, of course we often end up at the pub. The place was taken over by a new manager and chef Nathan a few years back, and as a veggie (as well as my partner), they do some amazing dishes. It&#8217;s got a really big, lovely outdoor space with some little wooden wendy houses which my six-year-old daughter loves. She can run feral in a safe space while I kick back with a pint. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tribe-zero-waste-faringdon">Tribe Zero-Waste, Faringdon</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/tribe.jpg" alt="Tribe Zero-Waste, Faringdon" class="wp-image-194781" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/tribe.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/tribe-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/tribe-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/tribe-400x300.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>In Farringdon, which is about seven minutes from me, there is a brilliant organic refill shop called Tribe Zero-Waste which is run by a lady called Katie. She set it up completely independently and it sells all sorts of refill bits like nuts, grains, and detergents, plus lots of other nice things like local honey, eggs, milk, etc. I love going in there and they do refill sweets and chocolate which my daughter loves too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-fire-station-x-damascus-rose-kitchen-oxford">Old Fire Station x Damascus Rose Kitchen, Oxford</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/old-fire.png" alt="Old Fire Station x Damascus Rose Kitchen, Oxford" class="wp-image-194784" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/old-fire.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/old-fire-800x534.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/old-fire-400x267.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Damascus Rose Kitchen at the Old Fire Station is just brilliant. It supports women refugees from the Middle East, and is associated with the homeless charity Crisis too. They do amazing Middle Eastern food, Lebanese basically, but on a Monday they always shut to the public for local artists and creatives to book a slot and work there. It can be quite lonely being a writer, so it&#8217;s a great place to chat to other creatives, while also supporting two great organisations. It&#8217;s right in the centre of Oxford, not very expensive, and just really lovely.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-west-ox-arts-bampton">West Ox Arts, Bampton</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="725" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/west-ox-arts.jpg" alt="West Ox Arts, Bampton" class="wp-image-194783" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/west-ox-arts.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/west-ox-arts-800x580.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/west-ox-arts-400x290.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I&#8217;m a sucker for an art gallery shop of any kind. There&#8217;s a fabulous little art shop near us in Bampton which is also where <em>Downton Abbey</em> is filmed, so it&#8217;s quite a popular tourist spot actually. The gallery there is upstairs above the post office and it&#8217;s got a lovely mix of local artist&#8217;s work, jewellery, and lots of little bits. It&#8217;s my favourite place to go to.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pizzeria-trattoria-mario-oxford">Pizzeria Trattoria Mario, Oxford</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1326" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/marios.jpg" alt="Pizzeria Trattoria Mario, Oxford" class="wp-image-194777" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/marios.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/marios-603x800.jpg 603w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/marios-754x1000.jpg 754w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/marios-302x400.jpg 302w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I lived in Oxford for quite a long time before we moved out this way, and Mario&#8217;s was where me and my partner had our first ever date. If it&#8217;s just me and him in Oxford, we always have to go. It&#8217;s been there such a long time and it&#8217;s like an icon. I love the Cowley Road anyway because it has so many independent shops and restaurants. But I always have to get the garlic mushroom starter every single time without fail.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxford-natural-history-museum-oxford">Oxford Natural History Museum, Oxford</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/oxford-natural-history.jpeg" alt="Oxford Natural History Museum, Oxford" class="wp-image-194778" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/oxford-natural-history.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/oxford-natural-history-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/oxford-natural-history-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/oxford-natural-history-400x267.jpeg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>You can&#8217;t beat a family day out in Oxford! My daughter is finally at an age where she&#8217;s interested in museums, and there are so many free ones. We went over the summer to the National History Museum. I actually don&#8217;t think a lot of people realise it&#8217;s there. It&#8217;s like a mini version of the London one with dinosaurs and stuffed animals. Then you can have a wander over to the Ashmolean and Modern Art Oxford (the café and creative arts area there is great), so there&#8217;s quite a lot of free stuff in the centre to keep kids entertained. They often have free exhibitions in some of the smaller art spaces like Ovada and the Old Fire Station too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-white-horse-hill-uffington">White Horse Hill, Uffington</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="844" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/the-chalk-horse-at-white-horse-hill-1449483.jpg" alt="White Horse Hill, Uffington" class="wp-image-194779" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/the-chalk-horse-at-white-horse-hill-1449483.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/the-chalk-horse-at-white-horse-hill-1449483-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/the-chalk-horse-at-white-horse-hill-1449483-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/the-chalk-horse-at-white-horse-hill-1449483-400x225.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: National Trust Images/Mike Calnan/James Dobson</figcaption></figure>



<p>I wrote my new book during lockdown while also having a 10 month old baby, so walks were pretty much the only other thing you could do to stop you tearing your hair out! Locally to us there&#8217;s Besselsleigh Wood near Appleton Village which has amazing bluebells in spring. But I also love to drive to White Horse Hill and see the huge chalk horse which is super cool. There&#8217;s a little paid car park to pull up in too which is useful.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-c-s-lewis-s-grave-headington">C.S. Lewis&#8217;s Grave, Headington</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1499" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/C._S._Lewis_grave-1.jpg" alt="C.S. Lewis's Grave, Headington" class="wp-image-194788" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/C._S._Lewis_grave-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/C._S._Lewis_grave-1-534x800.jpg 534w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/C._S._Lewis_grave-1-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/C._S._Lewis_grave-1-267x400.jpg 267w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: jschroe from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA,&nbsp;CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption></figure>



<p>This is going to sound weird, but because me and my partner both wrote the book together, one of the things we like doing when we go to a new place is seeing if there&#8217;s a cemetery with anyone famous in it. We went to Rome and saw where John Keats and Shelley were buried, and there&#8217;s this really creepy graveyard in Glasgow called the Necropolis. A few years ago I made my friend come with me in Paris to find Oscar Wilde&#8217;s grave. But there&#8217;s also stuff in Oxfordshire as C.S. Lewis is buried in Headington in Oxford. So, yes, I know it&#8217;s a strange place to go, but it&#8217;s a great place for me to get inspiration. </p>



<p><strong><em>Lizzie&#8217;s book The Tale of the Propeller Man and Other Stories is out now. Grab your copy <a href="https://troubador.co.uk/bookshop/young-children/the-tale-of-the-propeller-man-and-other-stories" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em></strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1167" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/PropellerManfrontcover.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-194912" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/PropellerManfrontcover.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/PropellerManfrontcover-800x622.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/PropellerManfrontcover-1000x778.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/PropellerManfrontcover-400x311.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>


My Favourite Places: local author Lizzie Shannon-Little

You may also like