Shakespeare Country

Northern Pride at the Marina with a shiny new bottom!

Thursday evening
We said our farewells and gave thanks to the lock keeper Chris and his wife Joan – what a friendly and generous couple they are - how lucky was I to be marooned on their island? I'm very grateful.

Some more Evesham shots ...

Evesham (Workman's) bridge in the early morning light

Moored up by the bridge at Evesham

The other side of the river

Evesham Abbey

The riverside walk

Unusual boat Steering handle

'Castles and roses' - seen at the top of many narrowboats

Evesham Rowing Club

The 'Round' House - not sure why it's called that!

Leaving Evesham ...

We’ve driven up river today, it’s great to be on the move – but it was all against the flow which at times meant it felt almost as though we were travelling backwards! We met a nice couple in one of the locks, on narrowboat Crystal Haze, who've come up the Bristol Channel and through Sharpness and Gloucester – oh no! They told Barry we can get insurance for 10 pounds to go up there, and I had told him that our insurance wouldn’t cover us so thought that idea would be gone! Hopefully he isn’t going to change his mind now and say he wants to travel south, I’m pretty sure he won’t!

The Bridge Inn at Offenham - where Bob took me out to dinner while Barry was away

Barry tried once more to lose his camera – is it doomed I wonder? He put it down on the side of the lock and then forgot all about it until we were leaving. Suddenly the boat stopped and he hurriedly tied us up, and very sheepishly said “I’m just going back for my camera” – I think its days are numbered! Twice in one day is not good. I think he must still be a bit jet lagged, bless him!

Derelict old mill - I think they must have had 'trouble' here

We moored in Bidford-on-Avon; a very pretty place. Barry went for a bike ride to explore the local villages - he returned with mud up to his knees and stinging nettles stings up his legs from cycling down a very muddy hill! Honest, he’s like a little boy on a new adventure everyday, it’s wonderful!!

After dinner we explored Bidford and the local cemetary then found a good village pub, the Falcon Inn, where Shakespeare indulged in a drinking bout in 1616 and while wandering home and sleeping under "Shakespeare's Crab" on Tower Hill, the bard caught the chill that led to his death.

Evening walk - the graveyard at night - the church of St Lawrence dates from 1276 but was replaced in 1835

Friday 12 June
We had a walk along the river to Barton and went to a little pub called ‘The Cottage of Content’ – a very quaint establishment with a very friendly landlady and clientele.

Cute houses in Barton

Drinking at the 'Cottage of Content'

After lunch - a fresh roll from the bakers eaten sitting beside the weir - we set off up river again. We tried to moor at Welford-on-Avon, but found no public moorings there despite our map saying there would be! So we had to continue on to Luddington where we moored up for the night. Barry went off again on his bike ride and returned saying there must be an awful lot of money around here – the houses are all huge – where do they all get so much money from we wonder?!

Oh yes, and Barry really did leave his camera at a lock today – only remembered when he went to take a picture of a poppy field and we had to turn around and go back to the lock. Luckily no-one else had come through and it was still there sitting on the grass at the side of the lock …

Saturday 13 June

Today we've travelled up to Stratford-on-Avon and visited Shakespeare's birthplace (photo's to follow tomorrow). I also persuaded Barry that we should see a Shakespeare play while we're here so we have tickets for 'A Winter's Tale' on Monday night. I just know he's going to try and get out of it though!

My mum and dad are coming to see us tomorrow and we'll go up river and then back to Stratford where we'll do an open top bus tour on Monday. Barry asked whether Stratford is famous for anything else other than Shakespeare - not that I know of! Isn't that enough thinks I, but then that may be because I love Shakespeare!

Photos and stuff

We're making the most of the internet access here in Evesham and putting the photo's on from Barry's trip back to NZ and the last couple of days. After today our internet coverage is pretty naff, so we may not get back on-line until we reach Stratford-On-Avon on Saturday.

The Teutenbergs (and Suki-Lou our cat who's been adopted by June and Frank!) - back row - Mariam, Tom, Ray, Peter, Jenny; front row - Barry, Suki, June & Frank

The lovely Frank

The return flight - over the English Channel

The River Thames - coming into London

Jamie's bedroom - she'll be sharing with her friend Moni by the end of this month

The lounge at Jamie's place in Hammersmith

The front of Jamie's building - a converted public house!

Having a glass of rose in the Wetherspoons

Note the double chin disguise!

Cheers! So lovely to have you home/be back!!

We bought our supplies at the Co-op in town this morning, and Barry almost lost his camera bag - he'd put it down in one of the aisles to reach me some fruit tea-bags and forgot about it until we reached the check-out! Luckily no-one had spotted it - that would have been a bit of a disaster!

We're heading up stream now to Bidford-On-Avon where we'll spend the night. The forecast wasn't good today, but so far the sun's been shining and it's a farily mild day at around 16 degrees. It'll just be fabulous to be moving once more ...

Back on board and all ship shape!

Barry arrived safely back into Heathrow yesterday afternoon, and after a short debate with customs about where he would be living and how he was financing himself, they 'allowed' him back in! Hurrah! It was so lovely to see him again.

We met up with Jamie who lives in a neat place in Hammersmith, West London, and went out for 'an English' at a local Wetherspoons (good cheap English pub chain!).

After a good night's sleep, we made it back through London, despite the tube strike (typical that they'd have a 48 hour strike just when we arrived!) and got to Evesham this afternoon and picked up our boat. She's looking well lovely with her new blacked bottom and the 'Wabasto' - the central heating system - is now working perfectly after a service and a de-choking. We have it on this evening as it's a bit of a chilly night and pouring with rain here, having been out for a curry earlier and got soaking wet.

The new curtains are all hung and look so much better, it's like a shiny new boat! We'll be getting some provisions in the morning and then beginning our journey up river again - and we're going to head north we've decided, yaay! Back to the canals soon,

Barry's knackered and still has many hours of sleep to catch up on, so although there are some photo's to be put on from last night and today, we won't be doing that until tomorrow - so come back soon!!!

Almost back on board!

Barry's now en route to Hong Kong, then to Heathrow where he should arrive tomorrow afternoon. A sad time for him, though he wants to return to England and his dream trip, it was very tough for him to leave Gisborne knowing he may not see his dad again.

I’ve been into Brighton today to get a few bits and pieces. I went in on the bus and thought I’d have a lovely walk back along the sea-front – little did I realise it was about 5 miles and took me over 2 hours! My feet are killing me! Never mind, we’ll be out for either an Indian or an Italian dinner this evening, so I won't feel guilty about eating as I must've lost half a stone today!

Brighton seafront

Evesham Marina called to say that everything had been completed on Northern Pride and I think he told me how much it was going to cost, but it sounded a lot less than I was expecting so I hope I heard correctly but I suspect I didn’t! Apparently it’s a good job we’re not returning until Wednesday as the river levels have risen with the heavy rain they’ve had recently, and by then they should've subsided. It’ll be good to be back on board again and actually moving! Not sure yet where we shall go after Stratford-Upon-Avon - north or south?

Two days to go ...

Friday’s long day of train and car travel went smoothly, but my arms were aching yesterday after lugging my suitcase up and down many flights of stairs at train stations!

Exeter is a neat place, Kim and I went shopping yesterday while Viv got ready for the 21st party, but the heavens decided to open and it poured with rain the whole day so we got soaking wet!

A beautiful rose between 2 thorny sisters!

The party was great fun; it was held upstairs at a pub called The Winchester’ in Exeter. Viv bought a chocolate fountain for dipping marshmallows and strawberries in, yummy …

Me and Ray check out the chocolate dip!

The music was very ‘young’ and I craved a bit of Abba or anything that I could make any sense of and that didn’t sound as though it was the same record being played over and over again - boom boom boom, bass bass bass!! But I managed to get a bit of dancing in anyway, the drinks were very cheap, and it was great to be with Viv and her lovely family.

We're driving vack to Brighton today after a Sunday roast, then tomorrow morning Barry will be setting off to return to England – not long now before we’re back on board cruising once more. Fingers crossed that customs lets him back into the country!!

Viv and Rex chilling on a Sunday afternoon ...

Curtains, cats and cute babies

Goodness me, curtain making is a very tedious business! Thank heavens I don’t have to do it very often. My whole day, apart from a walk to Sainsbury’s, a lunch-break and dinner-break, has been spent sewing them up. There are still 10 hems to do once they're hung on their rods on the boat and I’m really not looking forward to that! But they will look a damn sight smarter than the ones that are currently up, so it’ll be worth the hard slog!

My great niece was born this afternoon after much more hard work than my curtain making, all 8lbs 12oz of her (ouch!) – I’m not sure what that is in kgs – English people still work in old weights! Somewhere around 3900g I think. I haven’t seen my sister since last night; she left here at midnight, though I slept through her departure.

The only interesting photo’s I could think of to take today were of Kath’s amazingly different cats – check them out!

Romulus stretching out ...


Remus on the TV - not sure what's actually 'on' the Tv!

I'm off to Brighton tomorrow on the train, then a drive with Kim, my daughter, to Exeter to my sister Viv’s. It’ll be along day travelling, so a blog tomorrow is a highly unlikely event …

Cracking on with the curtains

A bit of a change in the weather today, quite overcast and probably only around 18 degrees. Ah well, it was lovely while it lasted …

My mum and dad's cosy home on a grey day ...

Left mum and dads after lunch and drove to my sister Kath’s in Sutton Coldfield, North East of Birmingham. The curtain making has begun in earnest and curtains and linings have been cut out - tomorrow I shall sew them up and try not to make a complete mess of them!

Cutting out the lining and getting the sewing machine ready

The chances are good that Kath may become a grandma for the first time tonight, which will make my parents great-grandparents; so fingers crossed that all works out OK. The midwife in me is sending positive vibes for my beautiful niece to have a lovely, kind, caring and competent midwife to care for her … It’s ironic that I tried to get permission to look after her in labour, but the NHS is so anal that they couldn’t possibly ‘allow’ a midwife from New Zealand to have a contract in an NHS hospital. I’d wondered how I could be here for her as we would be travelling around, had they said it was OK ,and now she is probably going to go into labour while I'm staying with her mum and I can’t be her midwife. Bugger! Ah well, I suppose it would’ve been a bit of a busman’s holiday!

Nothing else happening, no more news on the boat – no news is good news they say!