Bucks &amp; Oxon

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-see-an-exhibition">SEE AN EXHIBITION</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="650" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/jawad-2-1500-1000x650.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-141307" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/jawad-2-1500-1000x650.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/jawad-2-1500-800x520.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/jawad-2-1500-400x260.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/jawad-2-1500-808x525.jpeg 808w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/jawad-2-1500.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Need to get in from the cold? There are plenty of free art exhibitions to explore throughout the counties this month, including MK Gallery&#8216;s <a href="https://mkgallery.org/event/press-start/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Press Start</a> from 13 Jan &#8211; 5 Feb, which features a selection of art, games, and interactive experiences from the students at the University of Northampton. The teens will love it. Over at Oxford&#8217;s Ashmolean: Manisha Gera Baswani’s <a href="https://www.ashmolean.org/event/postcards-from-home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Postcards from Home</a> is a nostalgic collection of postcards remembering the history of India and Pakistan’s partition that&#8217;s running until March, and <a href="https://www.ashmolean.org/exhibition/dia-al-azzawi-painting-poetry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Painting Poetry</a> (pictured above), an exhibition of works from renowned Iraqi painter and sculptor, Dia al-Azzawi that&#8217;s open until June. 



Elsewhere in Oxford, The North Wall is home to <a href="https://www.thenorthwall.com/whats-on/philippa-james-girlhood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIRLHOOD</a>, a work-in-progress exhibition by artist Philippa James that focuses on teen girls born at the start of the smartphone era and now transitioning into womanhood &#8211; definitely one to take your daughter to. At Modern Art Oxford, Johanna Hedva&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/whats-on/johanna-hedva-who-listens-learns" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Who Listens and Learns</a> explores the philosophical, political and religious implications of artificial intelligence &#8211; and includes a story story read by an AI vocal clone &#8211; not every day you hear that! Over at the Old Fire Station, <a href="https://oldfirestation.org.uk/exhibitions/human-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Animals</a> is artist Donna Mann&#8217;s first exhibition since 2020, and includes everything from drawings made with smoke to her signature moth swarms. Visit between 14 Jan &#8211; 18 Feb. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Lyras-World-1000x667.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-141182" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Lyras-World-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Lyras-World-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Lyras-World-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Lyras-World-788x525.jpeg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Lyras-World.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



If you recently watched and loved the final season of BBC HBO&#8217;s His Dark Materials, then you&#8217;ll want to check out <a href="https://www.hsm.ox.ac.uk/lyras-worlds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lyra&#8217;s Worlds</a> at the History of Science Museum in Oxford, which has an exhibition of costumes and props used in the show.







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hit-up-a-tap-room">HIT UP A TAP ROOM</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-141185" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Hook-Norton-Brewery-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Dry January who? Hook Norton Brewery is hosting a <a href="https://www.hooky.co.uk/hooky_events/free-beer-open-tap-tasting-evening/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free beer tasting evening</a> on 11 Jan, where you can try&nbsp;three thirds of brewery fresh ale on the house. After that, the kitchen and bar will be open into the evening so you can buy a full pint of your fave. 



Over at The Tap Social Taproom on the Curtis Industrial Estate in Oxford, you can catch <a href="https://www.tapsocialtaproom.com/events/count-skylarkin-rugby-6-nations-mama-ds-pizza-t6lez-mfkwd-y7k47-jmybr-ewb6y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DJ Count Skylarkin</a> on 14 Jan from 7.30pm with free entry. Reggae, ska, and soul are the backdrop to Tap Social&#8217;s drinks (not free, sadly). 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-catch-the-last-of-the-lights">CATCH THE LAST OF THE LIGHTS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="999" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Glitter-Ball-Light-Trail-©-Waddesdon-Manor-National-Trust.-Photo-Hugh-Mothersole-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-141186" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Glitter-Ball-Light-Trail-©-Waddesdon-Manor-National-Trust.-Photo-Hugh-Mothersole-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Glitter-Ball-Light-Trail-©-Waddesdon-Manor-National-Trust.-Photo-Hugh-Mothersole-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Glitter-Ball-Light-Trail-©-Waddesdon-Manor-National-Trust.-Photo-Hugh-Mothersole-1-1000x666.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Glitter-Ball-Light-Trail-©-Waddesdon-Manor-National-Trust.-Photo-Hugh-Mothersole-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Glitter-Ball-Light-Trail-©-Waddesdon-Manor-National-Trust.-Photo-Hugh-Mothersole-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>Image credit: Hugh Mothersole</figcaption></figure>



If you missed out on booking a slot for Waddesdon&#8216;s <a href="https://waddesdon.org.uk/whats-on/winter-light/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Winter Light trail</a> before the New Year, you can now visit for free &#8211; if you&#8217;re a National Trust member, that is. NT members get free entry into Waddesdon&#8217;s grounds, where the lights will be twinkling away until 22 Jan. A brilliant way to make the most of these dark evenings. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-take-a-dip">TAKE A DIP</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1124" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Queenford-Lake.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-141187" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Queenford-Lake.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Queenford-Lake-800x599.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Queenford-Lake-1000x749.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Queenford-Lake-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Queenford-Lake-701x525.jpg 701w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



The water temperature at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100055420514565" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queenford Lake</a>&nbsp;at Berinsfield, Oxon, is a cool 3 degrees right now, but that’s doing nothing to quell the enthusiasm of a Dryrobe-clad army of cold water swimmers who swear by the day-long invigoration of freezing your bits off. It&#8217;s open for wild swimmers every Sunday morning from 8 until 9 for the winter season &#8211; errr, I&#8217;ll be in my jim jams, thanks. 



Looking for an outdoor dip in your neck of the woods? Check out our guide to&nbsp;<a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wellbeing/fitness/outdoor-swimming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outdoor swimming spots</a>&nbsp;in Oxon and Bucks to see which are open in Jan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nab-some-free-history-lessons">NAB SOME FREE HISTORY LESSONS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-141188" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Oxford-Natural-History-Museum-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>The Museum of Natural History</figcaption></figure>



If you’re with the kids and the sarcophagi and mummies in the Ancient Egyptian gallery don’t get them excited, try the animal skeleton parade at Oxford&#8217;s <a href="https://www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Museum of Natural History</a> or the shrunken heads at <a href="https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pitt Rivers Museum</a>, round the back, which are all free but invite donations on entry. More free museums to take your pick from: <a href="https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/leisure-and-culture/museums/oxfordshire-museum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Oxfordshire Museum</a> in Woodstock covers the history of the county and has an amazing interactive dinosaur exhibit; <a href="https://www.banburymuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Banbury Museum</a> has permanent exhibits telling the story of the Civil War, life in a Victorian market town, and more; <a href="https://www.bate.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Bate Collection</a> in Oxford is a treasure trove of over 2,000 musical instruments, including Handel&#8217;s harpsichord (I&#8217;ve played it!) ; the<a href="https://wycombemuseum.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Wycombe Museum</a> details the town’s social history and stint as the UK’s chair-making capital. The <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/tring.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National History Museum’s outpost in Tring</a> is also a fascinating, at times macabre and deliciously free way to spend an hour amongst the taxidermy. That should just about do it!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stretch-those-legs">STRETCH THOSE LEGS</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/3/2022/12/runner.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-140856" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/runner.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/runner-800x534.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/runner-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/12/runner-787x525.jpeg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Aiming for a new PB in 2023? <a href="https://www.parkrun.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parkrun</a> organises totally free 5k timed runs in 775 locations (and counting) around the world open to all ages and abilities. All you need to do is search your hometown to find your nearest run, sling on your trainers and go! Parkrun also organises junior races for any younger budding athletes.



Organised by Great Ormond Street Hospital, <a href="https://janurun.gosh.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JanuRun</a> is a sponsored new year challenge to run (or walk or wheel) as far a you can in January. The idea is to run 31 miles in the month, wherever and whenever you want, whether you run a mile a day or run a few times a week it’s the perfect goal to get your fitness on track for 2023.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="659" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-10-at-14.46.04.png" alt="" class="wp-image-141290" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-10-at-14.46.04.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-10-at-14.46.04-800x527.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-10-at-14.46.04-400x264.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-10-at-14.46.04-797x525.png 797w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Coombe Hill, National Trust </figcaption></figure>



Prefer to walk? Chiltern Society is holding <a href="https://chilternsociety.org.uk/event/organised-event-checkendon-oxon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an organised 6-miler</a> on 29 Jan &nbsp;from Checkendon passing through Hammond’s Wood, Bottom Farm, Yewtree Brow, Scot’s Farm and Ipsden Wood. It&#8217;s free to join but you&#8217;ll need to sign up. 



If you&#8217;re striking out on your own, we have a walk that fits the bill. Try our <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/walks-near-me/stunning-walks-chilterns-oxfordshire-buckinghamshire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seven picturesque Chilterns walks</a>, or good <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/walks-near-me/best-winter-walks-buckinghamshire-oxfordshire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">winter wanders in Bucks and Oxon</a>. Don&#8217;t forget to get the gear, too &#8211; take a look at our Muddy edit of the <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion/best-fitness-clothes-equipment-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">best new fitness &#8216;fits here</a>.

24 FREE things to do locally this month

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