My Oxford

March 10, 2008

My Oxford

Vibrant singer-songwriter Maria Ilett has performed all over the UK, from the renowned 100 Club and Betsy Trotwoods in London, to the Radio 1 stage at Glastonbury. But she’s an Oxford girl at heart, and was all too happy to give us the lowdown on what’s so special about her home town.


My first memory of Oxford...

I remember mis-hearing the Covered Market as the cupboard market when I was a little girl and being quite disappointed….I thought we were going to see a little tiny fairy market in a cupboard!  

My favourite restaurant...

I’m a girl who definitely loves her food it has to be said, there are loads of brilliant places to eat in Oxford so I’m going to have to answer by telling you the last place where I had a really good meal and that was Quod Restaurant (www.quod.co.uk Tel: 01865 202 505), on the High Street. Their pork belly is highly recommended! And with some beautiful paintings on the walls it’s like eating in a little art gallery. Marvellous!  

My favourite bar...

This one is near impossible to answer!! There are some great little places down St Clements and in Jericho . I had my first gig at The Bullingdon Arms (Tel: 01865 244516) on Cowley Road, so that’s high on the list! I could say The Eagle and Child (Tel: 01865 302925), where one of my favourite authors, CS Lewis, used to drink or The White Horse (Tel: 01865 728318) but I suppose, deep down, I’d have to say The Hobgoblin (Tel: 01865 439496 on Cowley Road. It’s loud and brash and never ever go there on a Wednesday night if you’re of a nervous disposition…..(Fuzzy Ducks student night pre drinks!) It has acoustic music there every Tuesday that is sometimes drowned out by the chants of the local rugby club….oh I shouldn’t love it so much but I do! And the bar staff are bloody gorgeous too!  

My favourite music venue...

You’ve got to love The Carling Academy (www.oxford-academy.co.uk Tel: 01865 813 500) - we get some fantastic bands playing there. I also like The Cellar (www.cellarmusic.co.uk Tel: 07769 690177), they have a great mix of bands, club nights and comedy nights and it’s a cool bar to hang out in.  

Where I like to shop...

You can’t go wrong with The Covered Market (www.oxford-covered-market.co.uk), full up with lots of little trinkets! And great shoe shops- I’m a sucker for boots….my Uggs came from there and I’ve got my eye on a pair of cowboy boots….

I also love a stroll around the high street shops TopShop, Zara and dare I say it Primark! The charity shops and flea market at Gloucester Green on Wednesday/Thursday are always worth a look - fashion to me is all about mixing and matching.  

Where I like to chill out...

If it’s a nice sunny day the Kazbar (Tel: 01865 202920) is a great place to have a beer and they do some nice food there too. If I feel like a walk and need to clear my mind I’ll jump in my car and go to Wittenham Clumps or The Harcourt Arboretum in Nuneham Courtenay (www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk Tel: 01865 343501) - they’re a few miles outside the City but worth the journey.   

How Oxford inspires my music...

The people of Oxford inspire my music just as much as the place, a ten minute conversation in a grotty pub, the dreaming spires or just a glance on a bus... Hmmmm I can make a story out of anything!  

Tips for visitors...

Try and visit at least one of these places……Modern Art Oxford (www.modernartoxford.org.uk Tel: 01865 722733), The Ashmolean (www.ashmolean.org Tel: 01865 278000) and Pitt Rivers museum (www.prm.ox.ac.uk Tel: 01865 270927) There’s everything you can think of from fine art to shrunken heads! I love to drop in if I’ve got an hour or two. Also, this is going to sound really cheesy….but do go on one of the open top tourist buses, it sounds obvious but it’s so nice to see the Oxford architecture from high up.

Oxford in 3 words...

Beautiful. Vivacious. Home.


For more information on Maria, log on to her website (www.mariailett.com or www.myspace.com/mariailett)


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