It's Monday evening UK time and today we drove from York to Edinburgh. Many adventures, many miles covered (over 1200 now), many erratic internet connections. Both Miles and I are way behind with our posts. But we'll catch up. In the meantime, here's a post I prepared earlier.
We are now heading north, to York and Scotland. But we have already managed 600 miles or so around the south of England. Here are a few highlights.
Colchester
We got off the boat and caught a train to Colchester, England’s oldest recorded city and the closest place to Harwich to hire a car. The taxi driver who picked us up from the station was adamant that there was nothing to see in Colchester. Except for … the castle … and the Seige House still full of holes from shot … and maybe the new arts centre that nobody wanted … oh, and the old hotel, the oldest in Colchester, he took us to.
Colchester
We got off the boat and caught a train to Colchester, England’s oldest recorded city and the closest place to Harwich to hire a car. The taxi driver who picked us up from the station was adamant that there was nothing to see in Colchester. Except for … the castle … and the Seige House still full of holes from shot … and maybe the new arts centre that nobody wanted … oh, and the old hotel, the oldest in Colchester, he took us to.
Banbary Cross
‘Ride a cock horse to Banbary cross …‘
We stayed two nights at Banbary Cross. It’s a lovely town on the edge of a canal. The canal boats had been gathered the previous weekend for a festival and a few were still docked, waiting for their turn to move off. We didn’t see a lady on a white horse and the cross turns out to be the Banbary crossroads. But we stayed in a wonderful hotel which had been visited by James II, Shakespeare, and Swift, who wrote at least some of Gulliver’s Travels in Room 52. We were in Room 41.
We stayed two nights at Banbary Cross. It’s a lovely town on the edge of a canal. The canal boats had been gathered the previous weekend for a festival and a few were still docked, waiting for their turn to move off. We didn’t see a lady on a white horse and the cross turns out to be the Banbary crossroads. But we stayed in a wonderful hotel which had been visited by James II, Shakespeare, and Swift, who wrote at least some of Gulliver’s Travels in Room 52. We were in Room 41.
Stratford-upon-Avon
I just love this town! But it’s changed a lot since I was last here, driving into the little carpark in front of the theatre to see Ralph Fiennes (before he was famous) in King Lear. The carpark has gone and the town has expanded but the heart of the town is as gorgeous as it ever was and a stroll along the Avon, past the canal boats, the theatre, and to the church to view Shakespeare’s grave is still my idea of bliss.
Hay-on-Wye
We seemed to drive miles to Hay-on-Wye, which has one foot in England and one in Wales. Its claim to fame is having over 30 secondhand and antiquarian bookshops … but it’s a long way to go for a bookshop and on a Sunday, a number are closed. In the 1960s, creating a town of bookshops was a deliberate strategy to revitalise a failing market town living in the shadow of a crumbling castle. The castle is still crumbling and now, Hay-on-Wye seems to be marketing itself as a Kindle-free-zone. I kept my Kindle locked in the car.
We seemed to drive miles to Hay-on-Wye, which has one foot in England and one in Wales. Its claim to fame is having over 30 secondhand and antiquarian bookshops … but it’s a long way to go for a bookshop and on a Sunday, a number are closed. In the 1960s, creating a town of bookshops was a deliberate strategy to revitalise a failing market town living in the shadow of a crumbling castle. The castle is still crumbling and now, Hay-on-Wye seems to be marketing itself as a Kindle-free-zone. I kept my Kindle locked in the car.
Bath
It was pouring as we drove into Bath (on the second attempt) so the only thing to do was spend the afternoon in the Roman Baths. It is an even more incredible experience that it was 20-odd years ago, with much more of the site excavated and available to view. Miles was completely into it, with a kid’s audio tour to listen to (I was the one who got tired of listening to the very nice voice on the audio).
Stongehenge
‘Henge’ is an old, old word for ‘hanging’ so Stonehenge really means ‘hanging stones’. I took far too many photos of the stones, as you do, but didn’t take a photo of the woman dressed as a druid - who wasn’t there as one of the custodians of the stones. She was, I think, a druid or perhaps just thought she was a druid?
Hardy's 'Temple of the Winds' lived up to its reputation. The sun was shining but the wind was blowing a gale - as you can see by the photo below. Do I have any hair?
Hardy's 'Temple of the Winds' lived up to its reputation. The sun was shining but the wind was blowing a gale - as you can see by the photo below. Do I have any hair?
