" AaaaahhhH !.... Bicester ! " (pronounced:"Bis-ter" as in"Mister")

This will make sense to all the Brits and Brit expats out there...as for my American followers:the title of this piece will sound lame! (Play on words on the advertisement: "AaaaahH! Bisto!" a gravy mix). Andiamo...

So how excited were we to board the Shopping Express coach : Destination Bicester!
VERY!
It did not disappoint...3 of us rushed to the back of the bus to lay claim on the back row...You never get over that instinct ,believe me. Once there we sat back and watched the lovely British countryside whizz past while ticking off all the shops we wanted to go to on the brochure...which was promptly discarded once we got there, preferring a synchronized zig zag to anything remotely organized.

"Are we there yet?" one of us exclaimed...."Not yet" replied the "Voice of Reason"(my sister)
We all spilled out of the bus once we got there around 10.30 am and rushed head long into the quiet outlet village. First port of call : SUPERDRY and my first purchase: a t shirt for £11.00 as opposed to the £19.99 in the shops. OooH ! Bargain!!
 Out we flung ourselves into the brisk Oxforshire air, ready for our next "stop and shop"...it's a little like a "meet and greet" but with money being spent .

"Voice of Reason" bought a pair of booties she had coveted last year at Rupert Sanderson while I and "Young at Heart" hovered around like hyper children, ready to pounce in Prada or boogie in Burburry. Once in Burberry, I was running round like an insane person ... not knowing what to buy nor why and whether, if at all,it was wise to...as if wisdom was a necessary evil on this trip but I listened to it nonetheless and we left Burberry unscathed. 

The Ralph Lauren emporium had everything you could possibly not particularly want but could buy nonetheless...a perfect place to be outfitted from head to toe if you are so enclined. Classic pieces never die...we were not enticed and other than a polo for her husband ,"Voice of Reason" was the only one who bought something there.... "Young at heart" and I ran rampant around a still quiet village while waiting for her to pay. The retilin had not kicked in yet..so a pit stop for coffee at Pret a Manger was called for.

We progressed in orderly fashion, only stopping in places we really had a vested interest in. Both "Young at Heart" and I purchased a pair of shoes from Tod's and we were over the moon to have found classic shoes that don't need to scream "Last Season!" as there will be no one out here to hear them. Perfect shoes at a perfect price..the VIP card kicked in , giving us an extra 10%... Bonus!

                                                                            

"Prada" was heaving with people and with reason....there is so much to choose from. I spied a bag I had coveted : I plunged,touched, paused.....and engaged (Rugby season works for fashion too).

I won't go through all the places there are, the map is there to provide you will all the info as well as the different alternatives on how to get to Bicester... and get here you MUST! It is an absolute treat even if you only go home with a pair of tights from Wolford, as my friend Anne -Marie complained to me.

The only places that were more misses than hits were : Dior...a shambles/Amanda Wakeley,Aquascutum,Hobbs, Jaeger...fuddy duddy with nothing that screams this century...shame as I had my eye on a coat from Aquascutum,maybe next winter they will catch up with the present vibe. 

 Gucci was full of TOWIES and scary wannabe rap artists...But! Plenty to find there too,if you are so enclined. The UGG store was full of  the "Youf's"in pink velour tracksuits trying on fuschia pink Uggs...turn and leave. Moncler was the next stop for the Youfs now clad in their Fuschia Uggs ...those gorgeous downfilled jackets are as gorgeous as the ad campaigns by Bruce Weber .Try as I might, I simply come off  looking like a midget in a sleeping bag. So...a pass for me.

Lunch at Busaba Eathai was perfect and the only real restaurant open serving  hot food in a nice ,viby atmosphere. With a bottle of Merlot between us and some fabulously spicy thai food,we were beyond ecstatic... by the time Princess Micheal of Kent walked in with a small retinue of friends we were delirious! A celebrity sighting is always a crowd pleaser.

 The little shower of rain did nothing to dampen our spirits and by the time we got on the bus at 3.45pm, our shopping safely tucked away...we were laughing all the way home.

*MY PURCHASES *

OLD FRIENDS/YOUNG AT HEART

Open 7 days a week/ Shopping Express coach service,pick up at Victoria and the Cumberland hotel /drop off at the Cumberland hotel...but they will drum that into you during the journey:£23 return trip with a smile ...excellent service.

NB: aAAH! Just noticed that I could have used my VIP card at SuperDry as well as Busaba Eathai...!!! You'll just have to now...