Narrowboat AREandARE

From the 2009 & 2010 tantalising tales, traumas and stunning photographs of Barry (photographer) and Sandra (writer) from New Zealand aboard NB 'Northern Pride', to the stories of their 2013 return journey, purchase of 'AREandARE', progress on sustaining their live aboard continuous cruiser lifestyle, and Barry's quest to gain residency and 'Indefinite Leave to Remain' in UK ...

Saturday 29 May 2010

Bewdley re-visited

Last Wednesday we went to Bewdley with my parents - specifically to have some good British fish and chips - and for me some curry sauce!  The fish in New Zealand is excellent, always fresh and tasty, but they can't do chips as well as England and you just don't get curry sauce - some of the things I miss.  Unfortunately, there were roadworks when we arrived and a leak in the fish and chip shop so it was closed for an hour.  As we were starving we mistakenly decided to go to the Wetherspoon's pub instead and had their fish and chips - not the best choice as we were served half cooked fish and tasteless chips and no curry sauce!  We weren't happy, but there'll be many other opportunities over the coming months.

We visited the excellent Bewdley museum, free of charge to enter.  We recalled a post last year when we went on the steam train to Bridgenorth, talking about 'Bewdiful Bewdley' as we visited on our return journey.  We discovered on our most recent visit that Bewdley does actually mean 'beautiful place' in its Norman French place name - 'beau lieu'

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Clay pipe maker in the museum - free demonstrations on how to make them.  People used to smoke tobacco through these, but they'd only last a few days then they'd be thrown away

 

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 Some pipes were ornately decorated by their owners

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a rope making demonstration, and my dad got involved with the final process - of course we then had to purchase the rope and we have it on the boat - I don't think we'll rely on it to moor up anywhere though as it was only made from coloured wool!

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There's a quaint cottage garden with flowers and herbs close to a great cafe.  All in all an enjoyable hour or so on a cool British summer's day.

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We moved a short way from Glascote last night to just past Fazeley on the Coventry canal, to give Lisa a trip on the boat, and had a wonderful surprise - but more about that in the next post ...

2 comments:

  1. My sister and I went to Bewdley for fish and chips, all the way from South Australia! It was worth it, we had the squashy peas too. We sat on the grass to eat them and watched rowers on the river. We hadn't been there for 50 years since we were children, with our parents.The Best Fish and Chips in the World !!! Sylvia.

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    1. How wonderful Sylvia, what happy memories you will have replayed sitting on the grass. It's a lovely little town and fab fish and chips! Enjoy the summer down under :-)

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