Stratford .

I'm not sure where to start this post really ; how to compress a whole weekend , including my first ever show in to a few inches of blurb ?!
We arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon on the Saturday , and it was immediately apparent what a picturesque place we had come to . Our hotel , The White Swan , had a really quaint frontage and was extremely cosy and comfortable . I had the most enjoyable day , meeting up with my parents and sister who were also staying over night to come and "visit" me at the Teddy Bear Artist Event the next day . We always laugh a lot when we get together so that kept the nerves at bay !






I love this picture of Brett meeting "William Shakespeare" - well , the not so static statue version anyway !! LOL This was a few doors along from the actual building in which the great Bard was born in. Standing right in the midst of shops and eateries is this wonderful house with its tiny bricks , and a whole ton of history .It's actually quite difficult to appreciate how well it wears its age externally - none of that faux reproduction here folks !!Incredibly the building remained in the family right up to 1847 when it was purchased for the nation .
I went inside with my mother and son . To fully soak up the atmosphere it helps to go round the attached exhibition first , which addresses all aspects of Elizabethan life ; I just love all the details , and my favourite exhibits (which I could have gazed at for hours) were 16th century gentleman's gloves , put there to illustrate the kind of skills Shakespeare's father had in being a "Glover". I was just awed by the long , slim kid fingers , ultra fine embroidered flowers ; (including trefoils) surprisingly fresh and bright coloured , and the exquisite gold lace trim .
Another place to linger is in front of 2 upstairs windows , which have been removed and housed inside the bedroom .The tiddly panes of glass have visitors signatures etched in to them - lots of tiny spidery ones including Charles Dickens , Keates ,Walter Scott , and hundreds of others . This alone is a national treasure !!





The second photo shows actors who wander the grounds and garden behind the house . Touristy maybe , but why shouldn't history have a fun side ? I must admit my husband wasn't as enamoured as I was ...... but then I have studied a fair few of his plays yadda yadda ...
Anyway , we'll be going back for another weekend as soon as possible , so I can get another fix heeheee !

I've run out of time now , so I will have to post up my show pics tomorrow - here's just one of the table ...
T.T.F.N Ruth x