Local dog-walkers are thrilled that their pooches are now welcome in the bar at The Fox, after the new management team lifted the canine ban. It’s one of many changes afoot at the local boozer in Boars Hill, a pretty village six miles from Oxford. There are new chefs and front-of-house staff, a new influx of gin options (make mine a rhubarb, thanks), and a sprawling new menu, offering everything from stone-baked pizza to plaice with buttered kale.

There are plenty of nooks and crannies to hide away in (useful if you’re having dinner with someone you shouldn’t be, ahem) with 100 covers scattered through a series of interconnected, beamed rooms. It’s all very cosy and intimate, and you’re highly likely to find me there this autumn ensconced by a roaring fire with a glass of Merlot to hand.