Stratford-Upon-Avon and Oxford!

 We had a bit of excitement this morning.

William Shakespeare. He lived from 23rd April 1564 to 23rd April 1616.
During his lifetime he wrote: 39 plays and 154 Sonnets (a fixed verse poetic form).

An original window that Shakespeare would have looked out of. They have had to remove it, but before they did many different people have signed it to say that looked through the window. Including Alfred Tennyson (English poet who wrote: "The Charge Of The Light Brigade"). We also saw the name of Isaac Watts (English hymn writer: "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross").

This is the "good bed" (remember yesterday's "second best bed")

Thinking of you, Tank, as we look in this larder.

Shakespeare's Garden
So much gardening to do when I get home!

The house from the outside

After leaving Coventry, we drove to Stratford Upon Avon again, because we missed Shakespeare's birthplace. It was a bit of a treat. Plenty to learn about William Shakespeare and his early life. His father was a glove maker. We had just finished with the house, and were part way through the gardens when we discovered that the bookshop (the last bit to go through) had been closed. It appears someone had left a bag unattended. It could have been their lunch. Or simply a forgetful child. But it closed the shop. 

The street cordoned off...Quite a large part of it.

So we went back through the museum and to the shops opposite the museum. We were still dabbling in the shops when I discovered the street had been cordoned off. Then on noticing that the shops had not been evacuated, they came into the shop we were in and evacuated the shop. Poor shop owners probably lost most of the day in sales.

Beautiful country roads...

We took the back road to Oxford. The roads here rarely have a verge, or a hard edge. The roads are barely wide enough for two cars to pass. And then with cars parking on the wrong side of the road...it makes for exciting driving.

This one is for my Mum...we saw gypsies. About 4 good horses too.

Once in Oxford we drove through some of the town, noticing the famous names of places.

Our first port of call after checking into our room:

The grave of Edith and John Tolkien.

Then for a walk in Bagley Wood. That was a real treat, although getting there we had to drive on a one lane (two way) road, that didn't even have enough space for a car and a pedestrian to pass!

Scary driving!

Bagley Wood

And because we are so near to home...dinner tonight was breakfast cereal that we have left over.