Day Ten Stratford rest day

May 13, 2017

After breakfast and reading in the local paper of a Car Boot Sale at the Uniting Church in town, we set off on the bike. We turned left at the entrance of the caravan park along McMillian Street which followed the Avon River & the Blackall Creek to our left and the Princes Highway / Tyers Street to our right.

cycling past the free range chickens & Magpie at the Stratford on the River Tourist Park

Winding our way around town we crossed the Princes Highway and found the Uniting Church on the corner of Jones Street & the Princes Highway. The May Car Boot Sale was there last sale before winter, and we found a few locals who had set up their tables with second-hand jewellery, beautifully knitted & crocheted items as well as a white elephant stall, in the church hall.

We spent ages talking to everyone and told them of our journey so far, and they told us lots of local news. We had cups of tea and before long they were getting the bbq and sausages ready in the gounds of the hall for a sausage sizzle lunch. We ate lunch in the grounds looking towards the nearist of the 10 two-bedroom independent living units bulit by UnitingCare, which provide long-term, secure accommodation for people 55 years of age or older, who are either retired or semi-retired.

After lunch we cycled through the small town along Tyers Street / Princes Highway and stopped at the library before visiting The Courthouse Gallery & Gift Shop next door.

craft items for sale, eg, felt Peas in a Pod (far right)

Continuing south wards along Tyers Street / Princes Highway we passed the bakery with its Beesting Cakes, a local icon, and the Turkish Magic Antiques shop.

Continuing south wards along Tyers Street / Princes Highway we cycled into the caravan park and left our bike next to our cabin. We then walked back along McMillan Street and crossed over the Princes Highway with the bridge on our right hand side into Apex Park.

Apex Park has an award winning medieval playground, which follows the town's Shakespearian theme. We walked around the park which has wide grassed areas for everyone to play on, huge trees and a bike path, then we wandered down to look at the long railway train bridge as it crosses over the River Avon.

Michael crossing Princes Highway, Apex Park, Stratford

looking from castle play ground towards railway bridge as it crosses the River Avon

Vee shaped structure on upstream side of bridge pillars to prevent trees and large items sticking against the bridge pillars and causing them damage from the water pressure. The Avon River floods regularly

Visiting Stratford on Avon has taught us that the town's Shakespeare on the River Festival, which began in 1989, starts on William Shakespeare's birthday on April 23rd. We just missed the festival, but it runs for two weeks with over 20 performances and features the Avon Village Faire Day on the first week-end in May. The town formally became a member of the Stratford Sister Cities program to promote friendship and cultural exchange between participating countries in 1989, and the town also has an interactive Arts Trail and Sculpture walk, “Shakespeare through the ages” which is 3 km long.

After a very full and long day we walked to the Avon Hotel in Tyers Street where Mary had lamb shanks with vegetables and Michael had sausagues on mash with vegetables : the servings were huge

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0