Frost in May and houses.

Bidford-on-Avon Bridge last night bathed in sunlight.

Bidford Bridge at dawn taken needless to say, not by me but insomniac husband

David has taken a bit more interest in photos just recently after I showed him how to use Instagram.  These are his from his night time ride, otherwise known as dawn, and yes this is frost you are looking at!

FROST in May!

This is the skyline towards Stratford-on-Avon, the Spire is Shakespeare's resting place.

So today after due consideration, we went biking.  David had seen there is a Roman town near here, so that's where we went to.  Alcester in Warwickshire.   HERE  Roman in origin, the town is thought to have grown up around a Roman fort here.  
First port of call the little museum attached to the library where they proudly display a bird bath.  That is to say that this bird bath that Mr Ray Taylor dug up whilst planting rhubarb turned out to be a 2,000 year old Roman dish!!!
HERE  

But Wow, the buildings here are amazing;

The top right cottage we were told was the oldest cottage in Warwickshire

At every turn, I have never been in a village or town with so very many ancient houses.

Well after coffee, carrot and passion fruit cake, the sun came out and we peddled back to the boat to go boating.

It was a glorious afternoon, just look, we did a handful of locks alone, there is hardly anyone about.

So calm, see the ripples from WaL...

Ten tinies

We finished the day here, I am not sure of the name of the lock***  but there is masses of moorings here.  Washing out on the airer and  chairs, kindles, sunhats and glasses of.

***George Billington Lock

Supper was steak, roasted tomatoes & mushrooms.  On a late boat arrival was a lovely black labrador that after asking permission, I fed
him my steak fat.

Welford Lock to Bidford

Now before we start I just had to mention these flowers, my favourite roses, I used to grow them, but now I am far too busy....   These when photographed were 14 days old.  I had added another bunch of the same colours the week later but these had all faded and been binned, as I write this blog they are 15 days old, oh yes and they cost £2!!!!!

Today it was freezing.   David thought it was too cold for boating.  We snugged down with copious reading to attend to and waited for the thaw.

Much later I even got dressed and we went out walking. 

This was about 15ft from the boat, we left her well alone and she returned the favour.

We walked up a hill after crossing the lock.  We were moored on an island.  Nice neat farmland around and the noise from this little fellow.  Who amongst you is a "Twitcher"?  Please do tell me if it is as I thought  a Corn Bunting?    HERE 

This was our mooring at Welford Lock last night, just us.  Pretty nice eh?  I got all the washing dry too.

So at about 1:30pm, we set off.  This was after breakfast at 12:30, David called this not Brunch but  "Tench".

The Avon is very lovely, especially lovely as there is hardly a soul here.  A smattering of hire boats and even fewer private boats.  
Bliss.

Bit of a narrow squeek

So after another mamouth cruise of about 2 hours, we arrived at Bidford-on Avon.
Large prestigious house in the approach to the town, stone historic house, so what do you need but ......

One of these space capsules.....  what could be nicer? 

Bidford Bridge, a stunner.

This is Bidford Bridge,  HERE  What a marvellous piece of history,  you can read about it on the link above, but if not I shall tell you that it dates back to the early 15th C, the dratted King Charles 1st's men demolished it in 1644 whilst he was retreating from Worcester to Oxford, but it was rebuilt in 1650.

We moored here for the night.  We both finished our books too.  I was reading  A High Wind Over Jamaica which I loved.   HERE

Supper was a fabulous salad with salt beef which David concocted.   Good man. 

Messing about on the river.

We had a lovely stay in Stratford, we buzzed about, sat in the sun, decided to leave, changed our minds then as we were in the park lying on a rug reading on a gloriously HOT Sunday afternoon with the families and friends of the marathon runners, the half marathon runners, all the locals picnicking and thousands of visitors into the bargain, it was hilarious and calming with so many people to watch,  the cars leaving the car park had to queue to leave pretty much all afternoon and yes that well known smug feeling descended as my home was just over there.....

NB Pipistrelle suddenly arrived, I jumped up and help Helen moor up.  Helen is a woman I supremely admire, she is a single hander continuous cruiser boater who has been doing so for about 11 years.  Non boaty friends this means that she is constantly on the move, staying up to 14 days in one place where local restrictions allow.   We first met her last year on the Shroppie, she was heading in the same direction as us but we didn't see her again until today.

She came onto WaL later for dwinkies and we had a good catchup.

Supper was chicken tikka masala.

Monday David looked out and it was cold, we knew this for certain as a hire boat went past us going downstream with winter hat, gloves, coats and mufflers.  We hid and put the heating on again.

Later that kind husband cycled to Halfords up the tow path to buy me a cycling helmet.  I had taken mine home in October and of course forgotten to bring it back again.  While he was gone I went shopping...  Nice shops here in Stratford, very nice.

I saw this;

See the sign?

Great row of timber framed buildings, I was next to a flock of Japanese taking the same shot.

Later we cycled to Waitrose, beautifully situated at the end of a cycle track, that is an embankment not a cutting so you can see all around.

WaL from the Terrace of the RSC, where we had coffee and photographed our boat.  All crowds gone.

Well I met up with my husband of 35 yrs plus and guess what, he got me a black helmet. BLACK!  A colour I loathe, you might think he would know that by now....  He kept the receipt.

After the sun finally came out, well a bit, we untied and turned, filled with water just behind us and pootled off.  I walked to the lock and D brought WaL around.  

When I got there a wide beamed trip boat was there, full of visitors all going hardly anywhere with lunch aboard.  The captain looked about 16, 18 tops, well I helped them through, half expecting them to close one gate behind him but no....
On rivers for a reason I am not fully acquainted with, you leave two gates open.  On the river Nene two years ago, we left the down stream gates open, here, you leave your exit gates open.  I had hoped the trip boat would shut his side, but no, he hopped on the roof of the trip boat and didn't wave either.  
The gates were so heavy I thought I would have to ask David to climb out and help, but it began to close millimetre by millimetre.  Phew.

WaL leaving the water point and Stratford.

The trip boat had just beaten us to the lock.

Shakespeare is buried in that church with a waterside setting.

I kept as well back from her as possible.

I would like to retire to one of these flats please.

Darling little schoolchildren all stood and waved at us, note to Readers not in the UK; Hardly anyone wears straw boaters (Hats) to school here anymore.

River Avon.

Pretty tame heron didn't fly off although we were close.

Huge gardens of these huge houses, forget mowing, I would get some sheep in.

Now that is a solar panel to be proud of.

We moored up after a mamouth cruise of just over two hours..... We stopped on moorings at Welford Lock, curiously known in our book as Cadbury Lock.  No one else here.

Supper was salmon and watercress risotto.

Blackcurrants and graves.

Today was cloudy and cold.  I talked to a daughter who lives in our home town, she reported that there they were sunburnt and out to lunch.  I told her that people were walking past the boat not actually in skiwear but certainly in knee high leather boots and winter anoraks done up to the neck.

Presently David arrived back with food shopping and almost shivering as he had cycled into a north wind....

While he was out a particular noise had erupted from the bank side;

It was a 5K fun run, look carefully and you will see many runners in the background too, lots of fun was had by all, the 5K and associated noise was over fairly quickly.  David was told by a steward that tomorrow was a Marathon!!!!!!!

Mid morning we had a visit from Sarah & Andy (plus two of their dogs, Archie and Buzz, they have eight rescued greyhounds) from NB Enceladus   HERE   They were on their way home from a boating trip.  

Their dogs are delightful and if you think you can offer one of these gentle and calm dogs a home then look here,  HERE  Sarah says they need a sprint but then they like to chill so she should know.  

Their next trip out is in a few weeks to enter into The BCN Challenge    HERE    with mutual friends of ours helping to crew for them.  The redoubtable Amanda (My friend and wonderful Locking Nut) and Lesley  form NB Yarwood HERE .  Although Lesley hasn't blogged recently, you will see that her last entry was when we all   
"Crossed The Wash"  two summers ago.  Well these extras will make a fine crew and we wish them all the best of luck.

When they had departed, we fetched the bikes out and visited Anne Hathaway's House, that well known wife of William Shakespeare,  I had no idea but its a couple of miles out of town but an easy flat walk and well worth it, just look what she had in the garden!!

Blackcurrants already formed

A garden full of perfect tulips.

White currants 

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Although to be accurate, it was her dad's house, she married at the age of 28, he on the other hand was 18, most unusual then for a boy to be married at such an early age, but he and Anne were very close, so close she was expecting.  
Its a possibility they met in church...... can't imagine they were listening too closely to the vicar.

We popped into Shakespeare's Church, that is where he was christened, married and buried.  Holy Trinity Church.

This carved bust was said to be a good likeness of the Bard.

Final resting place alongside his immediate family

Next a quick drink in the Dirty Duck Pub, it had been the favoured watering hole of many famous Luuvies (British for actors), they may well have come in, in the past, but now its part of a national chain, with a flashing fruit machine and ghastly music playing.....  We weren't impressed.


Back to Wal for a supper of salad with salt beef, peppered beef and smoked salmon, then quick quick off to the theatre to see Anthony and Cleopatra.  Half time came and I said to David that I thought the Italian family next to me were going to leave, "Well I certainly am, its dreadful isn't it?"  I am not sure how he knew as he had slept through the greater part.
We left.  

Not to worry..... 
its being shown at cinemas live  around the country    HERE    so I have another chance.

View from the beautiful theatre bar of WaL