How to amuse 6mo and his mum in Oxford TOMORROW?!

[SoreenLoaf]

Hoped I might be able to tap into a secret fount of Mum Knowledge as I'm clueless!

We have friends coming to stay this weekend with their 6 month old, and I'd assumed we'd be Sitting About In The Garden, possibly with a Gentle Stroll or two thrown in.
However, the DHs, both keen cyclists, have just decided they want to cycle into central Oxford and meet us there for tea.
Can't help feeling that driving into Oxford just for tea is a bit silly, so guess we'll be spending the afternoon in town... which will be hot, sweaty, heaving with shoppers and tourists and a nightmare to park / push pushchair through etc.

What should we do? Refuse husbands' offer and stay home and chill in the garden? Drive to tea and straight home? Is there somewhere nice we could go that everyone would enjoy? I mean, we could go for a walk by the river, but we could do that 5min from the front door without driving anywhere, and I can't quite see myself punting.

Any and all suggestions welcome...

[SoreenLoaf]

ooh, it's hard to convey irony online!
I wasn't REALLY planning to educate him, just gave me a funny mental image of a tiny baby in a pram and me going '...and on your left you will see a fine example of the rare Himalayan rhododendron. Note the subtle patterning of the bark...' etc etc

Think we might tell the husbands to have fun by themselves on the towpath and go for a potter by the river near home instead, or just stay in the garden if we fancy it.

thanks for all the help!

[Nightynight]

6 months too young for education imo. Just please yourselves, and have a browse round blackwells or the ashmolean, or go to that funny little pub behind Holywell st, cant remember its name but guaranteed to charm visitors.

[acnebride]

In that case I'd say let them have a fun time in Oxford on their own and you chill out. My expression when ds was 6 months old if told 'let's go into town for the afternoon just for fun' would have been frozen cement TBH...

[hewlettsdaughter]

Trout Inn? (tho' will probably be busy, given that the weather is supposed to be nice this w/e).

[LotosEater]

Cycling into central Oxford would not be my idea of fun, not would driving.

How about cycling alomg the towpath, or to somewhere like Woodstock?

[hewlettsdaughter]

I would probably avoid town if it was me - altho' Botanical Gardens followed by tea at MOA or George & Davies sounds good!

[SoreenLoaf]

...should clarify there is only one child involved, the 6mo guest - dh and I are still DINKY, hence my cluelessness!

(love the thought of educationally marching a 6mo round the Botanical Gardens though)

[acnebride]

No, Botanicals followed by ice cream at George and Davies.

Right, sorry, this is the last time I do these eighteen posts in 2 minutes jobs. Really sorry, all.

[acnebride]

Oh, 6 months! No, not Christchurch Meadow as you can't get pushchairs through or over the gates, and lord knows we tried. Botanical gardens followed by tea at Modern Art Oxford then.

[acnebride]

Honest advice, tell them to bus/train into Oxford with their bikes and cycle back out to you for tea.

If they insist -

Rotten weather - Pitt Rivers
Nice weather - Educational march round Botanical Gardens followed by picnic tea in Christchurch Meadows (are you allowed to eat there? think so)

But I'd make them work round you tbh. Unless they want to take the kids into Oxford [evil emoticon]