Shakespeare and murder!

For our anniversary, we booked a Murder Mystery weekend with Joy Swift.  Three days in a gorgeous hotel, with gory murders and lots of good food and laughter.  You can't do better than that.

We were staying at Ettington Chase, near Stratford-upon-Avon, so of course we had to go and look at the lovely old town.

 So many little shops, so many little side streets and alleys!  We found a winding old alley with an amazing sweet shop, hundreds of glass jars on shelves in this tiny shop.  I felt about six years old.  Further down the alley was an antique shop, and at the end was a fortune teller.  It was like stepping back in time.

 

We took a walk along the river, and stood on a bridge watching about 30 swans enjoying nice healthy snacks being thrown in by tourists.  Bread and chips seemed to be the most abundant.  But at the back, almost hidden by the sea of beautiful white birds, there was a mother coot with five chicks.  They were tiny and fluffy, and hiding among some low branches.  Mummy coot would swim out and gather food in her beak, and then swim back, and these five fluffy chicks would tumble out of their hiding place and surround her, like little clockwork toys, bobbing about on the water.  Then she would turn and swim back out to the river, and they would vanish back into the shelter of the leaves as if by magic.  We were mesmerised.

It was a hot, lazy day, and we found a hot, lazy dog on a narrowboat.

Right on the river is the church where Shakespeare is buried; it had the most incredible nave and organ, and the wood carving was amazingly detailed.

The huge wooden door to the church has a tiny door set into it, with a 'sanctuary knocker'

Apparently, any fugitive could grab the ring and claim 37 days sanctuary within the church before facing trial.  I am sorely tempted to install one on my spare room for next time the family is driving me nuts.

Note to self: stock spare room with wine and chocolate.