40th birthday eve and we are spending a day in Stratford. The first day saw us journey up from London.
Last night, dinner was included with the price of the stay in the hotel, up to £32 per person each, so we had a big feed.
The restaurant is called Tempus, and it must be a quiet time, as there were only us and about 4 more tables being used.
As a result, the service was quick. Really quick. I think at one point Suzanne was still swallowing her last bite of starter when the waiter came to take the plates away!!
As we had saved £38 on the non-arrival of the champers, we went for the most expensive wine on the menus, £30. It was nice, and we’d saved £8!!
Back to the bar for a nightcap. Is it a sign of the times when you order a beer and a G&T, pull out £10 and hope it’s going to be enough….then find out you’re 45p short!!!
Spending a day in Stratford
After a dodgy nights sleep on a soft bouncy bed, we woke up not feeling too bad. Headed off for breakfast, which was much welcomed.
Sausages, bacon, egg, beans and tomatoes. Not an attractive meal, but a damn tasty start to the day!!
After breakfast, we decided to drive to the place where we are having dinner tonight. A place called Chequers.
We wanted to see if we could walk it or would we need a taxi. It took us 3 minutes to drive it. I think we can manage to walk there tonight……(may need a taxi home though!!).
It was then onto Stratford Upon Avon to see the sights. First stop was Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. This is not the local residence of the American Actress, but the place where William Shakespeare’s wife lived before they married.
Spent a good hour or so wandering the cottage, and walking around the gardens. Listened to one of the guides for 10minutes or so and learnt a few things, that will no doubt be forgotten as quickly as it was learnt.
The gardens are beautiful. There’s nothing like going to another garden and it being like yours at home.
And this was nothing like ours at home.
An array of plants, vivid colours, neatly trimmed lawns. The exact opposite of our garden, although if we charged people £9 each to walk around them, then we would make a bit more of an effort!!
We then jumped back in the car to the city centre, for a wander around the town, and to spend some time near the river.
By this time it was nearly 12:30, so we wanted to find somewhere nice for lunch. There was a park type place near the river, which had canal barges converted into places selling food. Sandwiches, baguettes and ice creams etc
When we had our food, we wandered off to find a place to sit in the sun, on the grass.
It was a popular spot, lots of people ranging from a mum with toddlers, teenagers, us, right up to what appeared to be a day trip out from the local old people’s home!!
We then headed across the river to a bar type place for a drink and a sit on a comfy seat (I am 1 day away from 40 after all!!).
While sitting there supping on our drinks, we decided to head down river to see what the Foot Ferry was.
It was basically a one man operated ‘ferry’. A guy who takes 50p per person, and by hand, turning a handle, takes people from one side of the river to the other.
The handle is connected to chains in the water.
A bit like a manual, water cable car.
We jumped in, paid our £1, and he churned his way back to the other side.
During the crossing, we decided that we would go back the next day, and if the weather was good, we would rent a rowing boat and tour the river.
Once on the other side, we had time for one more drink, before walking back to the car to head back to the hotel to get ready for Chequers.
More pictures below. Enjoy.
See you tomorrow!!
