Summer Camp 2025: Bicester Village, Tesco & Historic Oxford... Part 7!

Another full day out on the road had me feeling dangerous, would both Bicester and Oxford test me? Yes! Bicester was like an old friend but I for one didn't like the boutique shopping village, I was game for a bit of British food shopping! Oxford had given me nightmares, it was not the easiest place to plan for young children, here was the trade off for Windsor's day of kiddie fun!  

Bicester Village had those dads scared, their credit cards were about to be terrorised because their wives were about to burn some serious plastic! That would be the case for two out of the three families in my care, their wives were very much in change! I had really dreaded parking in this upmarket shopping village because the planning stages had been a straight up nightmare, I would never look at a travel plan in the same way ever again! Boarding the bus at the same time as the previous morning was fun, soon after I had made the head count, we were on the road. After a 90 minute drive, our private coach pulled into Bicester Village with strict instructions laid out by the driver regarding the pick up time. There was a no waiting policy at Bicester Village, that really was a lot of fun to navigate through but timings and policies must be adhered to. I once again had my responsible head on my shoulders, I needed to keep tabs of the time and peoples whereabouts. I knew that Bicester and Oxford would be completely fine, I just knew it! 

It felt like magic to be on the final 'Out of London' day, my energy was fading but I knew the next day would signify the end of the programme. The week itself had been full on but I once again loved the fact we had our own coach, you already knew that I had spoken in front of our families with that travel career moment brought to life. Oh, Bicester Village! As mentioned before, this out of town day had caused me a massive headache because I was doing the most with life doing the most at the same time! I waved two families away as the moms were about to shop until they dropped, I had read that high end brands in the UK were cheaper than in China? Apparently 35% cheaper at their highest point, that was a fact I knew but never the figure! Please tell me that at least one of the families didn't appreciate those expensive brands? That was a question! My flight family had itchy feet! Let's leave this joint for a Tesco? Yes, it was now or never! Go!

My flight family weren't about those brands, they wanted to find a supermarket to make some strategic purchases at! That was a plan I could get behind because without any chance to go home, I wanted to get some food shopping done of my own! Our schedule had worked for us to leave behind Bicester Village for a little bit, the location of a retail park and supermarket made sense. Seeing the Tesco sign was amazing, I wanted to buy everything! Keeping my purchases reasonable was difficult because I was grappling with buying an extra suitcase to fill with cheese alone! This is why I knew that I had limited space in my suitcase! The flight family had me at their disposal, I directed them to products that they didn't really know the name of. Was I living my 'Supermarket Sweep' fantasy in Bicester? Yes, I was! I remembered how that Tesco 'Meal Deal' levelled me after that 22 hour journey from Ningbo, China to London, England! This British supermarket giant had become my Summer Camp 2025 love sensation! Milky Bar, who?

The flight family later told me that they wanted to check the electrical goods for sale because they produced such items in their factory! Sneaky business, I respected their grind though! Oh, it made sense because I had clocked their factory on the way to Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Marks & Spencer in supermarket form? Now, I knew of M&S Food but my budget before returning to China would've not stretched to such pricing! I had grafted enough that week, I deserved a treat! We certainly had time to look around M&S Food, it was amazing to buy some Percy Pigs and some Madeira cake. We then made our way back to the meeting point as the negotiated pick up time neared. Purchases acquired, we made our way back to the pick up point, it was nearing the time we had agreed. Pulling away from Bicester Village felt correct, I was ready to get Oxford done and dusted! Those supermarket purchases had given me life but applying for a Clubcard was not on my list! Oxford wasn't faraway, it took us all of 28 minutes. 

There are somethings we just don't need to elaborate on, in the end everybody's version of Oxford had been full-bodied. Our point of reference was 'Ashmolean Museum', that pick up/drop off point had not been what the internet had told me. Pivoting once more, we headed towards Oxford's historic centre with many key points for the families to see for themselves. I had visited Oxford as an adult once before for a sightseeing day but that had been back in 2014, I equally relied on maps and memory. Walking along Broad Street jogged my memory a lot, I knew that I had mentioned about the 'Bridge of Sighs' to parents and that is why we passed it. For every wrong, the weather became the right as the sun shone down with beautiful blue skies all around! I looked the part with my flag but had no shame, I looked like a prize fool but loved every moment of it! Oxford hadn't been the easiest place to plan activities for small children but like I said, the parents wanted to see history and their kids had been to Legoland. Let's move on! 

A familiar haunt from my first visit to Oxford was 'Bodleian Library' but booking tours within the library walls had been a trifle difficult. I wanted to at least take the parents to the outside and they took as many photos as they wished. The mom from the flight family exclaimed how expensive the pencils were her sons had requested, a pretty penny they were! It felt really strange but correct to be standing outside that Oxford icon, I was back but in a very different capacity! At this point, the day was looking like a wild goose chase with sights seen from every angle. I had originally booked tickets to access the Oxford Botanical Gardens but we also had a time from the driver, our passage to London would be kept over the gardens. Oxford was looking less intimidating in person after that break, looking at it through the computer during the planning stages had been terrifying! The day was nearly over? Not quite, the pick-up time back to London drew nearer though! Oxford, this will be my last call to you! 牛津, let's get this done! 

Radcliffe Camera, she better don't! It was another site in Oxford that made me immensely proud to the British ambassador of that trip! I had actually never clocked this unstoppably gorgeous period 1749 spot, there was time for everything during this Summer Camp visit. Would we make it to the Botanical Gardens? The time was what? I needed to check! Tick tock, babes! The Botanic Gardens weren't faraway from that spot but for some reason I thought it was a bright idea to take the two families on a whole different adventure to Christ Church Meadow. Please, tell me why the sun had completely taken over my senses? It was getting very hot! We had about 45 minutes until the pick-up time was planned and it made more sense in that moment to keep it moving with a complete loop of the city making more sense. Oxford's historic nature was never intended for modern buggies and children. We made it through a very small alley and onto the main drag with Christ Church in sight. Rain was needed, it was absolutely boiling! Come on, O! 

Exiting that graduation situation through 'Broad Walk', I knew the end was in sight with 'Ashmolean Museum' up the way! The moms in those travelling families looked at the English language storybooks as we passed those tourist appropriate stops. Oxford was making her tourist coins, she knew how to hustle and she did that well! I darted inside 'Boots' to buy everyone a bottle of ice cold water, I sensed that the heat of the day had beaten my travelling families. The sense of relief I felt when we were all onboard that coach back to Southgate, London was palpable, it felt amazing to be finished with those two full days outside of London. Bicester and Oxford, in one day, it had been an almighty adventure with such a fast paced, we saw a lot! Bidding a fond farewell to the families at the end of that day was magic, I literally ate and then crawled onto the London Underground! I really wanted to try one of the Albanian cafes but I was exhausted! The final day beckoned, I longed to see my mom and end the week! Sleep! 

Tesco... You Gave Me Life! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure