12 August 2019 Patch

Weather pretty mixed in the last couple of weeks. Series of storms with thunder & lightning! Monday 12 we moved down from Saul Junction to Patch. Visited Slimbridge again as we had invested in a membership.

Cloud over Slimbridge as we set out


Slimbridge is not just about birds……..

Peter Scotts home is due to open in September

What’s new for next year

We were having a quiet late afternoon when who should walk by but a familiar face from Devizes, Helen and her daughter Lily. Good to catch up and meet her brother and nephews from Norway.

Offenham Open Gardens Saturday 3 August

Having a car does help to get out and about! We went off to see the open gardens at Offenham. Well worth the visit! Which was my favourite?

Garden 1 Delightful and immaculate. Rear field with veg chickens and goats

Garden 2 Impressive Loved the cucumbers and glass flowers

Garden 3 Huge ponds with huge fish Liked the hostas

Garden 4 Lovely back garden and so well maintained

Garden 5 Hard to photograph Huge lawn flanked by tree ferns, bananas etc

Garden 6 Loved the arch window and the strawberries & cherries with cream and the Ferrari on the wall in the kitchen!

Garden 7 was the Artists garden. She works in glass hence nearly all the gardens having examples of her work.

A most enjoyable day out. We also visited the Pub and Ferry but the pub was not scheduled to open for a couple of weeks and the Ferry? Well, who knows and if it did operate again what is there on the other side of the river to visit?

Which was my favourite? Well. I would have been happy to claim number one or number six.

Pershore River Festival 20 July 2019 and on to Stratford on Avon

Loved these bubbles!

And how its done…..

Alpacas

Dragon boat

Paddleboarding seems very popular

Hospitality tent being towed away on Monday morning

The weather was cool but everyone seemed in good spirits. We met several ANT ( Avon Navigation Trust) volunteers. Friends Hazel and Simon from Chippenham came on Sunday so with them and friend Jenny now in Pershore we enjoyed lunch at The Star Inn.

Monday morning at 10.30 we went to Number 8 the theatre cum cinema with Jenny to see Late Night with Emma Thomson. Ticket price includes tea and biscuit!

Tuesday we set off heading for Offenham on the way to Stratford.

A good shot of a heron above and below a pigeon takes a ride by sitting on the satellite dish!

Hampton Ferry Warning. Sound horn three times. Snagged the ferry rope as it had not been lowered enough. Tony put Matilda into an immediate reverse. The ferry man came and let out more rope so no harm done after all.

Didn’t intend to stop in Evesham but passing Workman Garden we saw “little” Matilda moored so turned around and moored up to catch up with Paul and Anita. we met them first in Henley last summer and then they were moored in Caen Hill marina last winter. A Warm evening.

Left Evesham very early whilst still cool and moored overnight at Barton lock. Arrived in Stratford on Thursday at midday & moored opposite the Memorial Theatre. Another warm day. At 6pm it was 33.4 outside and still 25 at 10.00pm. An overnight storm.

Matilda from the theatre

We had tea at Huffkins. I can definitely recommend the Belgian Buns but Tony prefers the warm scones

Met lovely couple Donald and Kathleen on Fanny May, from Auckland NZ who were moored in front of Matilda and enjoyed a bottle of wine with them.

On Friday we took out a mortgage for seats in the stalls to see The Taming of the Shrew. I enjoyed it but it was a bit bizarre as they had reversed the genders so it was son Katherine to be married off to female Petruchio. I don’t think it added anything………..

The stunning flower bed is at the bottom of the flight of locks on the narrow canal. The rest of the towpath is in a pretty miserable state. Surprising really that this tourist town hasn’t done more to tidy up the canal.

Holy Trinity Church where William Shakespeare was baptised and buried.

Personally I preferred this chapel with its tombs

From the church we came across

So Shakespeared out we enjoyed the brass band concert in the park on Sunday afternoon and then drinks aboard Fanny May. Monday we set off on our return journey, mooring at Workman Gardens, Evesham.

Tuesday we walked to The Valley Shopping Village following the bridleway with an assurance that we would find a route under the A46. We didn’t!

We walked up through apple and pear orchards until we found a track leading to A46 island where we did manage to cross this very busy main road. And all this for green embroidery cotton!. The needlework shop had everything I wanted and there was an excellent craft store too. By this time rain was falling heavily so we called a cab to take us back to Workman Gardens. The rain continued all evening. By Wednesday morning the river level had risen to amber and was flowing very quickly so we decided to stay put. We did take a walk of 8201 steps ( 5,57km) and picked blackberries.

This was 31st July and so the following day we began our new paper diary.

Tewkesbury Saturday 13 July Morning

Farmers Market and Craft Market

Came across the stall of Helbent books. Very impressed.

Tony liked the Barbie dolls Can’t think why!

Craft Fair at the Town Hall

Just one of the flower beds maintained by local residents on Bredon Road. We walk past these flowers on our way into town

Raising money for the flower beds. I bought some home made marmalade for £2.00. It was for sale for 50pence!

Later that day; watering

Medieval Festival Tewkesbury Saturday 13 July 2019

The battle of Tewkesbury; the last battle of the War of the Roses

The town is decked out with the banners of those men who took part

The shops decorated their windows

A few battle scenes

The Anjou soldiers prepare

You could buy any part of your costume

Cuddling a ferret for a pound seemed very popular!!!

Then to the Abbey for skirmishes and trials. All very entertaining, and amazed at how many participants.