Made a trip to Waitrose Cheltenham to see their reopened “unpacked” store. Extremely disappointed after visiting the experiment in Oxford Waitrose. Most fruit and veg were still wrapped in plastic. Not worth making the trip! Morrisons fruit and veg counters were better!
Traders in Tewkesbury dressed their windows for the Mop Fair
The Fair was huge and streets in the town were closed.
We arrived back in Tewkesbury at midday, 16th September. A few photos of what we have been up to since then. Remember the Alfred Hitchcock movie?
A few runner beans were left. The nasturtians ( ? spelling) were blooming and the new grass seed had grown.
The planters were at the end of life so everything went into the slope! Shots from above:
Fabulous pears in a garden overlooking the basin:
We visited the Heritage Hub in Gloucester for another excellent history lecture on the theme of Power and the People. The city archives are housed here and they have a superb area for family history. We also went to Blackfriars again to hear talks from Martin Bell, and the Director of GCHQ. He came with his minders!
The Hub’s newly planted garden:
The Ham at Tewkesbury alongside the river has lovely walks. Just like kids we picked up some conkers! Next week there is a talk on this area at Holy Trinity. Tea and cake included for the grand sum of £3
The Roses is a 1975 theatre cum cinema with exhibition space and café, just off the High Street and about 300 yards from our mooring. We went to see the local photographic society show. Our favourites follow:
And Tony tried to re create the last one. Then we realised it was taken in evening sunlight!
Whilst at The Roses we bought tickets for Downton Abbey. The poster advertised it as effortlessly charming, and so it was.
Off to Shire Hall where the County Archivist showed us around. The Council Chamber
On display: a painting of HMS Gloucester
I liked these plaques with the names and achievements of Gloucestershire people
The Wedding Room seemed a bit austere and gloomy……..
Then to the Mariners church
St Isaac
Modern stained glass window
A walk past Vinings warehouse
A quick cup of coffee at the Waterway Museum
And browse through The Friends magazine
Before visiting the St Mary de Lode church
The interior: The Roman pavement is by the rear pews
I hope you can read these donations
And local poet Ivor Gurney
Onward to the Quaker Meeting House and this was interesting. Very understated.
Everyone was intrigued by the oak screen that separated the two halves of the meeting hall. It winds up and down
And amusingly there was flapjack and Ribena for visitors
A longish walk to visit St Margarets Chapel. Originally it served the leper hospital but today it’s part of an old peoples community.
Then back to St Nicholas for a brass band concert
And further along Westgate the Salvation Army were playing to an appreciative audience
Gloucester was famous for making pins. Here are the needles
Several informative modern mosaics around the town
And it was four o’clock so we just had time to take our loyalty card to the Lindt Chocolate Shop. We had an early night as we needed to be up at the crack of dawn to catch the tide on the River Severn and return to Tewkesbury.
We began with a walk and talk around Llanthony Secunda Priory. We were moored just outside, so we didn’t have far to go!
Then off to the Dick Whittington Pub where we met up with guide Francis who had taken us on a walk a few weeks ago. The story of the Christmas Pantomime we all grew up with seems to have some basis in fact except for the cat!
Cellar bar and some talk of ghosts!#
We were taken to an upstairs room to see the wall paintings. These are supposed to be the earliest recorded poppies!
Then off to see the Masonic Lodge, tucked away along an alley and opposite a multi storey car park! This building has an interesting history!
Then at 4.30 off to Blackfriars to hear a talk on the Dambusters by Max Hastings. He is a really good speaker. We also saw clips of the film!
Following that we made a stop at The Fleece. We have subsequently heard it is to be restored.
A brief visit to Robert Raikes house now the sort of pub you want to go into.
Below Robert Raikes Sunday School 1949
Then a quick visit to St Mary de Crypt
Medieval wall painting above and explanation below
And we returned in the evening for a play written by a local lady “Rotten Luck”
Can you guess the subject?
Returned to Matilda, now moored outside Lanthony Secunda Priory and took these photos of the lights.
What a busy day this turned out to be! The first place we visited was WI House. Unfortunately we had just had breakfast so did not sample the baking! I am a great fan of quilts and these were so detailed.
Then off to Bearland House (next to the old fire station), now a very expensive shirt factory.
After that it was a visit to the Folk Museum. This is a bit bare because a lot of exhibits are transferring to the City Museum, but lots of interesting odds and ends. The Civic Trust is negotiating with the council to take it over and transform it. The volunteers are very enthusiastic!
Interesting characters like Mr Booth and Jemmy Wood.
Pretty gruesome!
There’s even a Victorian schoolroom. I felt completely at home behind the desk!
Then over the road to St Nicholas church.
Even if you sat in a side pew you could still have a good view! Very intriguing and something I had never seen before
The carving was incredibly detailed, quite outstanding.
At 2.15 we joined the Saxon Walk led by a lovely lady Joan. Note the hat!
This is all that remains and this is where Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians and Daughter of Alfred the Great was buried in the 900s.
If you are the huntin, shootin and fishin type then this is for you! This is by far the best Country Fair we have been to! Something for everyone. The first few pictures are especially for David and Ruth! (Ruth won first prize for her Ruby at a Cheshire event).
The Police stand featured a tractor and quad bikes – just right for an agricultural county.
You can hire a mobility scooter. See how they are stacked in the van.
Steam engines of all types and tractors!
The children’s pony race was akin to the Grand National!
The best dressed horse competion
Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum brought along their war horse.
The dog races were incredibly funny! So many of them did not appear to know they were supposed to chase the hare!
Interesting Trade stands
Our favourite pie maker based in the Vale of Belvoir. I can’t decide if I like the beaver pie or the penguin pie best. The ali baa baa is pretty good too. This was all that was left at 5pm.
This stall in the craft tent was just one that caught my eye, the quality of some of the crafts was outstanding.
St Peters Framilode, ran the tea tent and the Vicar did the washing up! The Vicar is a lady!
The tea tent patrons were serenaded by the Master Butchers Band
Even a fly past -this is just one of the planes. Not quite the Red Arrows but trying hard!
And British Legion parachute jump
And lots of animals of course. A smiling? alpaca.
And here was something I had never seen before
And at six we headed back to Matilda after an excellent day out. Just missed the balloon ascent.
We booked a tour of Peter Scotts newly opened home. It takes about an hour and you see the kitchen in all its 1954 glory. The dining room has a formal dining table but a red formica one in the window that the Scotts used every day. Then Mrs Scotts sitting room and finally Peter Scotts room. This is part library, part studio and observatory and is where the BBC filmed from. Sadly photos are not permitted. The upper floor is now a holiday home available for rent.
Some other photos. I thought the next three demonstrated Tony’s skill with his camera . He may yet enter the Countryfile Calendar competition!
Godwits and Jackdaw
A very cute coot chick
Lapwings
This is the new hide looking out over the River Severn. It opens this winter. Not sure who will be using the bath!
Unusually still and quiet flamingos
Happy to share lunch!
Edward Elgar moored at Shepherds Patch so its passengers could visit Slimbridge. We then moved on to Splatt Bridge moored up and went to collect our newspaper from the village green shop. A cricket match was in progress. The fielding team had two young ladies one of whom was the bowler.
This was one of the first items I blogged about, in April, but whilst visiting the Dean Forest Railway there was more information in the museum. Here it is. I find the whole story fascinating
The trees top right now mark the beginning of Sharpness Visitor Mooring and its’ amazing views across the River Severn. At low tide the base of some of the railway bridge piers are still visible. The canal bridges in the foreground remain today.
