ABOUT ME

The Weekend Tourist is a blog written by Jess Friend Bartlett. Sometimes we only do touristy things on holiday - 25 days annual leave a year. That’s a shame, as we’ve 104 weekend days for exploring. This blog is all about discovering your local neighbourhood, attractions, historic places, local eateries and independents, which for me is in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the wider Cotswolds, UK. And when annual leave adds up, you'll find the occasional far flung adventure.

Afternoon tea at The Manor at Weston on the Green

Afternoon tea at The Manor at Weston on the Green

Last weekend we had another little bit of summer just creeping into September. Mum and I were invited to try out the afternoon tea at the Manor at Weston on the Green near Bicester, which…

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Afternoon tea at The Manor at Weston on the Green

Last weekend we had another little bit of summer just creeping into September. Mum and I were invited to try out the afternoon tea at the Manor at Weston on the Green near Bicester, which…

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Trying out the Cotswold Pizza Co Shack

Trying out the Cotswold Pizza Co Shack

Abby Owen is the proud owner of the Cotswold Pizza Company and opened The Shack at Red Lion Pub in Chipping Norton in May. Since it crept onto my Instagram radar some months ago, I’ve…

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Whichford Pottery & The Straw Kitchen

Whichford Pottery & The Straw Kitchen

Whichford Pottery, based in Warwickshire, is a stalwart of the Cotswolds. I’ve been visiting the potters since my parents moved to Sibford Ferris 25 years ago and have been taking out-of-town friends and family to…

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Whichford Pottery & The Straw Kitchen

Whichford Pottery, based in Warwickshire, is a stalwart of the Cotswolds. I’ve been visiting the potters since my parents moved to Sibford Ferris 25 years ago and have been taking out-of-town friends and family to…

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Our stay at Qunci Villas, Lombok

Our stay at Qunci Villas, Lombok

We spent one glorious week at Qunci Villas, a boutique resort, which hugs the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. It was so brilliant that we only left the resort for one morning, which in the history…

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Our stay at Qunci Villas, Lombok
A first timer’s guide to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

A first timer’s guide to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Tom and I are definitely covering the gardens this year, perhaps I should get a seperate section on the blog – ‘Gardens of the Cotswolds’. Anyway, last weekend was my first visit to RHS Hampton…

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A first timer’s guide to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Tom and I are definitely covering the gardens this year, perhaps I should get a seperate section on the blog – ‘Gardens of the Cotswolds’. Anyway, last weekend was my first visit to RHS Hampton…

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A day trip to Oxford’s Botanic Garden

A day trip to Oxford’s Botanic Garden

You know when you’ve entered an established garden when it has got its own gin – the Physics Gin uses medicinal botanicals you’d find in the beds at the University of Oxford’s Botanic Gardens. The…

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