Tewkesbury July 2019

Lovely pinnies at the Food and Drink Festival

Food demonstation by former Bake Off finalist Martha. She decorated the glasses with chocolate before adding the Syllabub

Visited the Abbey Gatehouse now converted to holiday accomodation by the Landmark Trust

A five Star B & B for those of you who wish to visit

Several bookshops but still some way to go before they have a regular Literary Society as at Devizes Books but it’s a start!

Local crafter Marsha with book she has made for me

Perfect bridge reflection

Reminds me I must re read Watership Down. The bunnies emerge morning and evening

The garden! and now a few sunsets


Waitrose Botley Road, Oxford 25 June 2019

Having watched the Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Anita Rani BBC programme about recycling we felt compelled to see exactly what Waitrose were up to! A wet day meant we weren’t sailing so we jumped in the car and went to Oxford. Here are a selection of photos…….

Strawberries in cardboard boxes and grapes in paper, loose cabbages and cauliflowers etc too.

I don’t want a home compostable bag as I have nowhere to compost it. I did ask for a paper bag for my loose potatoes but all they could offer was a mushroom bag!

This for me was a bit over the top! How difficult is it to chop cucumber and peel carrots? Each plate of ready prepared veg came with a recipe sheet.

We have seen these dispensers on a market stall in Worcester so this is not a new idea.

We bought a bottle and had it filled with red wine. It reminded me that my grandfather used to go over to his local with a bottle and have it filled with a pint of bitter………The alternative below! Happily Waitrose is still offering free coffee and newspapers with a spend of over £10

Being on the water we always use Ecover products and have done for many years. Sad that this machine was out of order!!!

We always give feedback and having spoken to a charming lady who was in product development but wanting to see how things were going we completed many cards! Here’s one suggestion that would make it really easy for the customer.

So check all packaging, particularly crisps, to see if it really is recyclable and ask how long it takes for a compostable bag to compost! Ask too what is the cost of packaging.

Will this 12 week experiment make Waitrose adopt this in all its’ stores? Take you shopping bags and refillable boxes, your coffee grounds, water filters etc. Will the novelty wear off? I hope Waitrose will roll this out to more stores but I’m not terribly optimistic.


Evesham May & June 2019

Moorings alongside Workman Gardens and opposite Abbey Gardens

Yes, very odd to have a whale jawbone in Evesham! Apparently the man who captured the whale had a friend in Evesham and sent the bones to him To see the bones you now have to go to the local hotel that has them on display in the garden

In the grounds of the Abbey, St Lawrence is a must see. It is maintained by the Churches conservation Trust and stands next to All Saints which is now the parish church.

The Almonry is the TIC and Museum and it is just charming.

If ever you did O level history you will have heard of Simon de Montfort. He died here at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, defeated by Prince Edward son of Henry 111 We did walk the battlefield trail but there was not a lot to see and the footpath joined the main road at Tesco and Boots! There is a Waitrose store here but it doesn’t have the feel of a Waitrose town!

Pershore May & June 2019

A rather nice town with a real greengocer selling local produce. The strawberries were delicious and the rhubarb divine!

A busy High Street

An old fashioned Coaching Inn Loved the sign!

The Abbey

The use of modern technology an excellent idea!

Proper recycling bins behind Asda

Add to this Tappers ” Fine Shoes and Accessories for Ladies” and Blue “Ladies Fashions” and it makes it a very attractive place!

Lovely to catch up with friend Jenny again, almost a year since our last get together at Berkhamstead.