Grey Haired Travellers

Our first two weeks have passed and we are almost ready to pack our bags and leave Burford. We’ve been down the pub, eaten and drank and laughed with the locals, but the subject is still the same as when we left two years ago – Brexit. It still splits the nation. It’s almost becoming a taboo subject unless one is prepared for a heated argument.

Went for a drive up to Stratford upon Avon. Interesting town but a bit over marketed. Busy cashing in on being the home of Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway. Plenty of tourists, nice drive through The Cotswolds to get there, but there are plenty more interesting towns in England that I would visit before going there again.
Speaking of driving through the Cotswolds, doesn’t matter where you go the scenery is beautiful.

When we drive from small hamlet to country town what I see is lovely houses, beautiful gardens, bountiful farms and lots of money. But no ostentatiousness (is there such a word). Just gentile country folks who like their Jags and their dogs.

An aside note for the girls, as we left Australia at the end of summer and arrived here at he beginning of spring I’ve noticed there is little change in their fashion to ours. Even the boys haircuts are the same, short back and sides longer on top.

Went to Oxford to do some shopping and visited their brand new shopping centre. Absolutely lovely with lots of clear roof over the central arcade sections and all the restaurants are on the roof with spectacular views over Oxford and all it’s chapels. Don’t think we have anything like that in Aus. The locals are divided whether it belongs or not. There is always those who don’t like change and their idea of change is from one century to the next. Not years or decades like ours.

The Cotswolds and surrounding areas love their quirky, but descriptive, town names, Morton in Marsh, Chipping Norton, Chipping Camden, Stratford upon Avon, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and the list goes on. And one of (the many) things that I do like is the unique and parochial nature of the local stores. Chain stores are for the cities.

As to food the English still love their Indian curries and their Chinese restaurants. We went with friends to a lovely Asian restuarant with a various menu and when the evening was over the owner presented us with a platter of (silent) singing fruit as a surprise.

We were also invited to two dinners which clashed. It was a hard choice as both were offering a great Indian curry for dinner, but the one that won was walking distance as opposed to the other that required driving. No contest really. The other thing that influenced our decision of where to eat was that the invite was from our landlord whose wife was Australian. Had to ask the question ‘what’s nice girl from Reservoir doing in a place like this?’. Answer was simple of course – ‘came here for a gap year & met Barry’ – end of story.

With a beautiful autumn sunny day we packed our bags and headed south to the beautiful Cotswolds arriving about 4.00pm.  Our accommodation here is the refurbished Burford old mill.  We are on the second floor above the water fall overlooking the surrounding houses and mill stream.  Burford Churchyard was the scene on 17 May 1649 where three soldiers were executed on Oliver Cromwell’s orders. They belonged to a movement popularly known as the Levellers, with beliefs in civil rights and religious tolerance.

Burford (voted England’s most perfect place to live by Forbes Magazine),has a very pretty High Street, which is unusual for towns of this vintage.  Most towns are built around the main square.   After wandering the main street we turned into our street & decided to stop off at the local pub (one of many in town) for a pint on our way home.  Well! That was our intention anyway.  Seems every man AND his dog decided to do the same thing.  Got caught up meeting and chatting with locals whilst stepping over their sleeping dogs.  Several hours later we ambled home.  One of the many interesting guys we met, Robert Burnside, was in the same trade as Ken’s father and his father and his father before him – shoe making.  Robert makes winkle pickers.  www.19-60.com – ex Succhi ex Giorgio Ferrari.  Needless to say the conversation included words like lasts, clickers, hides etc.  After more than one pint we all rambled off to our various abodes to get some well earned rest so we can start scouring this famous country side.

Sunday – it’s raining!  Hmm wonder what time the pub opens?

Monday still raining but none the less we headed off to Bath.  It’s a beautiful city with its grand Georgian architecture.  Did the obligatory red bus tour (only two couples on bus so had personalised tour) then walked around city and across the Putney Bridge.  Love the curved streets with the curved house facades to match.

Whilst meandering our way home we found an Aldi – YEH!!!  Did a week’s shopping – butter, yoghurt, fruit, veggies, juice, bread, cereal, meat etc. plus a bottle of wine for £28.00, really brings home how much we get ripped off in Australia.  So before settling down to cooking, we wandered to the end of the street, to our local, for a pint.