Wherefore art thou

It is lovely to be back in the UK with Claire and Sean in Derbyshire, one of my many homes away from home 🙂 I’ve had a really relaxing weekend, my clothes are clean, and it is awesome to catch up with my friends. It’s quite a bit colder here but crisp winter days are really nice. Claire had a function in Stratford upon Avon on Saturday so I took the chance to hitch a ride and spend some time exploring this gorgeous wee town. Home to William Shakespeare (and oddly the tellytubbies) 🙂 Stratford upon Avon is steeped in history and a great place to visit. I found a bright yellow brochure for Stratford Town Tours soon after I arrived, it cost only 6 pounds for a two hour guided walk, and it was really good. Our wonderful host John has lived all his life in the village and he is hilarious, having stored up a wealth of bad jokes to spice up his tour that are so bad they’re funny. And after each one he added a ‘boom boom’ like Basil Brush ha 🙂 The connection to Shakespeare is evident everywhere here; you can visit the house where he was born, his mother’s house, his father’s leather workshop, his school, the site where he lived with his wife Anne Hathaway, and his final resting place in the Holy Trinity church. Local retailers also get in on the act, with one outdoors supplier advertising ‘ now is the winter of our discount-tent’ 🙂 🙂 Once you’ve had your fill of literary history, there are loads of pubs, cafes and bars, parks and a theatre to spend time in, amazing architecture to admire, and an inviting river to walk along. To quote old William – ‘I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it’.