Stratford-on-Avon

I should have found a cheap bed
Where to rest my poor head
But the hostel was miles
And the man was all smiles
So I took a b&b instead

I should have early sallied forth
And my way further north
But I woke feeling old
With an overdue cold
Substantially less than a penny'sworth

I should say something witty
About William's wee city
But I've frittered away
The whole of the day
In a castle both medieval and pretty (Warwick)

It's been a visit here of 'shoulds'
Instead of the usual 'coulds'
But holiday patter
Doesn't really matter
And in spite of it all, it's been good!

Hello dears!

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeps in this petty bus from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time...
Actually, it's going to Stratford-on-Avon where I can beg Bill's forgiveness for that poetic liberty, and the other place near there that begins with C.

Stayed another night here in the Bath cos I like it and it's too much of a rush going from one place to another in one day. I am old after all...

It did rain a bit today, oh but then the sun came out, oh and then it rained again, and if it hadn't been for the plethora of old stone buildings and the long skinny boats on the (original) Avon River, I could have been in NZ.

This is the original River Avon, in Bath.

Present position

Got a bit unHenged this morning... stoned? Anyway, I was a little underwhelmed in truth. Although it IS jolly old (5000 years, give or take), it is smaller than the pictures make it appear and they really don't have a clue why it's there or how they did it.

Caught the train to Bath today and I almost have a new favourite church in Bath Abbey. (FYI, a cathedral is where a bishop runs his patch (diocese) from and an abbey is the church that is attached to a monastery (though it's not here any more)).

Have met some nice people with various accents (Italian, French, German, copious various English) and will probably stay here tomorrow night too as it is only £13 and they give me a free towel and breakfast!

You can tell it's late, and I need my bed... Incidentally, where are you all? Must I rhyme all the time to get replies to my cries? Still love you though...

No wonder English is so messy...

Covent Garden is a market, not a garden in sight
The famous Tower of London is a castle
Elephant and Castle is a place
- I'm too scared to think about Hackney Wick...

In other news, Joan and I went to Westminster Abbey this morning for sung Eucharist with boy sopranos and incense swingers, a real bells and smells experience. However I found it way easier to talk to God in Hyde Park (which is just Hagley Park with squirrels). The building itself is a little ott for me (that's 'over the top', Mum), and I amused Joan by telling her how I would improve it).

Off to Oxford tomorrow or maybe Bath... Anyone think I'll miss out if I don't go to Stonehenge?

This is the cathedral at Salisbury which was my eventual destination. My favourite - much less ott than Westminster

Inc ase ther hyming isg ettingt edious...
I'm having issues with photos so all you visual arty types will have to wait a little longer. Here are a couple of pictures for you...


Dubai airport - A large sign which says :`Ablution available in the prayer room` Clearly it's not so great being a Muslim, because you don't quite get absolution...

And for all you optometrists out there - there's a place down the road called:
`the kings cross eye clinic` I ask, would you go there?

Love to you all. Am having a lovely time thanks :-)

Arrival! (pictures tomorrow)

I'm here
it's not cold
But it's clear
I AM old

I'm staying
At 'Clink'
Where the main thing
Is drink

There are girls here
And boys
At in the wee hours
There's noise!

(Jet lag)
Before fleeing
To to Tower
I slept
Thirteen hours

(London)
There are millions
Of steeples
And zillions
of peoples

And on me
It's all growing
Though on Tuesday
I'm going!

Details, schmetails...

Some of yo', will want to know
Which way the wind is blowing
For details mates, a list of dates
Of places I'll be going:

Oct 14 London
Oct 30 Edinburgh
Nov 7 Belgium, then Denmark, Germany, France, maybe Netherlands and Czech Republic too
Dec 18 Scotland
Jan 14 Dubai
Jan 20 Auckland