A busy week in The View from the Terrace

It was my birthday on Sunday. I am now in my 70th year. That seems incredible, at this age my mother was joining pensioners lunch clubs and going on old peoples coach holidays! I have no desire to do anything like that. I am not defined by my age, I am still the same person I always was, I just get tired more quickly!

We’ve had quite a busy time lately. The weekend before last we went to Coventry for 2 days. On the Saturday we went to our John Denver club which I always love. It’s just as much about seeing friends as enjoying the music nowadays. We always stay in a lovely little bed and breakfast at Meriden. Our room overlooked bluebell woods and and had a cherry blossom tree right outside the window. It was lovely to see the bluebells as we haven’t had time for our usual drive to the woods this year.

On the Sunday we drove back through Stratford on Avon. We stopped at the village of Charlecote famous for being the place where Shakespeare poached deer in the grounds of the manor. I wanted to go there because I have discovered I have ancestors from there, my 4x great grandmother and her family lived there. We had thought of visiting the manor but, when we got there we saw a notice to a working water mill and decided to go there. It was a real old flour mill still producing in the old fashioned way. Afterwards we called in at a pub opposite this beautiful little cottage.

Then we went on to Stratford for lunch in the lovely old black and white healthfood restaurent where we went last time. We visited the grammer school where Shakespeare went to school and the chuch where he was baptised and is buried. It is also the church where my 6x great grandparents and my 4x great grandparents married. It was a very moving experience to stand at that altar by the grave of Shakespeare and realise it must have been there then when they took their vows.

It was a lovely sunny day and everyone was enjoying themselves on the river. I love the way the boats are all names after Shakespearean ladies.

Tuesday was our folk club night. They had Morris dancers there this week I even had a chance to have a go.

Friday we went line dancing. It was a fundraiser for the telephone helplinel I volunteer with. I have wanted to try it for a while and really enjoyed it. We are thinking of going to regular classes.

I spent some time in the garden yesterday. I had to rearrange my plant pots to make room for the present Cat sent. It was a minature wooden train that will hold plants. When I unwrapped it Tony had fun sitting some soft toys on it. It reminded me of that old Seekers song Morningtown Ride.

We are planning on a quieter week this week at least until the weekend when we make our annual trip to the Abergavenny Steam Rally.

Last updated May 25, 2016