Happy Birthday, Pat travelling to Crystal Palace

 Friday, 11th September, 1981         happy birthday, Pat            fine and sunny

We awoke to a lovely morning after a raging night.  No one settled too early with the heavy rain and wind.  Sean had done a good job guiding us into a corner, out of the mainstream of wind but we still rocked occasionally from the force.  On the road to Burton-on-Trent we aren't going to Derby.  I rang Margaret's brother - very nice people but as we were going through Derby early morning they would all be at work so on to the brewery town.

John and Sean enjoyed a morning in the Bass brewery.  We walked around town, filled the larder and read.  Had lunch in town Park then headed for Ashby-de-la-Zouch, a town with such a grand name derived from Danish settlers.  Behind Georgian and Elizabeth homes - a ruined castle stands, which once belonged to la Zouche.  The walk revitalised us so we proceeded to Bosworth to walk around the perimeter of the battle of Bosworth where Richard III was defeated by Henry VII in 1485.  A white rose blooms where Richard is said to have died.  He was the last of the Plantagenet - so began a Tudor line down to our present Queen.

Richard 111

John took some video shots.  We ran around the grassy slopes relieving our pent-up energies.  And here we are in Shakespeare country at Stratford upon Avon.  Everyone has shot off in a new direction.  Tonight we are having a birthday tea - salad and ham.

We passed through Coventry where Lady Godiva rode the horse bareback in the 11th century to protest against her husband's oppression of the people of Leofric.  There is a clock in the marketplace of lady Godiva riding past and a peeping Tom peeping out.  In real history the peeping Tom is the only one who did see Godiva nude.

Had a lovely birthday with presents, kisses and cuddles.  My choice of tea - ham and salad and scones jam & cream for sweets.  We lit one match on centre scone and sang happy birthday.  Besides the kisses I received a Wedgwood jug from S and J, a little plate and stand from Rae, jars of tasty jam from Sean and a plate stand all made a nice day with the presents I had enough from home from………..

 Saturday, 12th September, 1981        Fine

Awoke to a sunny day after a stormy night.  Three nights in a row we have had rain and wind then lovely days.  Still in summer night wear.     

We were up early and off to town.  Stratford upon Avon to beat the traffic for a parking spot.

We had been into town the night before for a walk.  It is a pretty town on the Avon River but like elsewhere very commercialised.  

We had paid 80 p to see Shakespeare's cottage - there was really very little on his life to see.  Anyway we can say we were there - a mediaeval Tudor cottage, Ann Hathaway’s is thatched roof.  They have both been preserved by Shakespeare birthplace society.

Then off to the Cotswolds.  Lovely countryside, down Dales and up hills, passing through villages completely built from sandstone from the Cotswolds mountains.  Quite showpieces but difficult to find common food.  All the villages once again, cater for the thousands of visitors.  I walked nearly 1 1/2 miles to buy bread in Chipping Broadway, sufficient tea shops and gifts shops but where the population buy their provisions I couldn't find out.

We drove in to Stow-on-the-Wold for a drink.  Visited a little pub and got quite a bonus.  There was a group of Morris dancers practising in the pub.  We spoke to them and they put on an impromptu rehearsal dance for us.  It is an old Cotswold custom revived for a year now and becoming quite popular.  There were 8 dancers, two musicians {one fiddle and one accordion) and a joker - very entertaining, all male too from middle aged to two young teens.

At Market on Marsh we stopped and picked our own blackberries and apples.  Huge orchard and an hour’s fun.

We decided not to stop at Oxford (no parks) and came straight on to the Crystal Palace, London and here we are recovering from trip number 1 and deciding on trip number 2.

 

Burton on Trent to Crystal Palace, London