Shakespeare in the Stratford Sunshine — Part 1

Welcome to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the canal and river Avon

Welcome to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the canal and river Avon

Welcome to Stratford-Upon-Avon in the summer of an English heatwave, Tuesday 9th August 2022 (Author’s Collection).

Please allow me to extend to you a hearty and sunshine filled “Ahoy” from the banks of the River Avon and the canals of “Shakespeare Country”, Stratford-upon-Avon, on a quite magical late morning and long afternoon of circling this wonderous medieval market town in the beating heart of central England.

I actually circled the town twice!

It was that kind of day.

Hence Tuesday 9th August 2022 has birthed a beautiful monster in the form of this and the following 8 (eight) issues that will follow in this mini series from just a single day under a quite beautiful sun. I can’t explain this away as love at first sight as I’d been to Stratford once before and, as luck would have it, I was firmly and happily in love and at the start of my own Shakespearian tragedy. Well over a decade has past since a young lover last set foot in this magnificent town and frankly I didn’t remember it being this goddamn beautiful. The river seamlessly blending with the canal that snakes around a large “Basin” and perfect equivalent to the melting pot of a town square. The church, river views, a unique canal “Lock”, a huge humanity filled public park, a carnival “Big Wheel” and where it all started, The Royal Shakespeare Company theatre. Then a meander through the centuries old, tight and twisting streets, a magnificent town hall, the Tudor period architecture and lest we forget, The Bard’s birthplace, resting place and as many ducks, geese, swans and sun kissed human faces as you could wish to see.

So the 8 (yes, eight) articles that will follow this inaugural edition will cover all of the above and much more and if you think 9 total articles is excessive, wait until you find out that 3 of these are “Deleted Scenes” as they only just failed to make the cut.

It was that kind of day.

So please allow me to introduce Stratford-upon-Avon to you and perhaps the first of my total of six hours marvelling at this beautiful town. The roll call of images that follow are simply a continuous walkthrough or pictorial roll as I first set eyes upon Stratford and the magnificence of the confines surrounding both the river Avon and the canal, as well as our first glimpses of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) building and it’s cousin, “The Other Place”.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the ride.

*All images captured by me on Tuesday 9th August 2022*

Welcome to Stratford-upon-Avon (obligatory ice cream van and all!).

After leaving the huge Recreation Ground this is the view of Stratford Marina from the foot bridge leading toward the busy hub and town square of the canal “Basin”.

The beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club as seen from the same foot bridge.

The first of many beautiful images captured of the River Avon. To your right is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

A Public Service Announcement!

Lock 56 or simply “River Lock” and the canal “Basin” a beautiful centre point for the town.

View from the “arm” of the Lock to both the “Countess of Evesham” (a cruising canal boat that was INCREDIBLY busy all day) as well as the sobering thought that my favourite city of Liverpool is 99 hours, 199 miles and 154 canal Locks away!

Reverse view through the canal Lock and back toward the Recreation Ground.

Welcome to Bancroft Gardens! The Gower Memorial.

Lady Macbeth.

Falstaff.

Prince Hal.

Hamlet.

(1) The beautiful Gower Memorial and Bancroft Gardens.

(2) The beautiful Gower Memorial and Bancroft Gardens.

The canal “Basin” under a cloudless English sky.

Anyone fancy an ice cream?!

Statue of Hermaphroditus.

Statue of Hermaphroditus (plus additional guest!).

A sun streaked first look at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

For perhaps the only time during my two long and lazy laps of the town that Will was alone and not cuddling excitable tourists!.

A return to the canal before an elongated return to the river before we end at “The Other Place”. London is a mere 132 miles and 185 canal Locks away that will take you 85 hours to complete!.

A final view through the Lock and a resumption with the river Avon.

Commemoration of the restoration of the Stratford-upon-Avon arm of the canal.

The first of four upcoming images all sharing a similar theme of a busy and thriving river side and rather a large volume of swans!

Believe this or believe this not, the silver plaque states “Please Do Not Feed the Geese”. Presumably this is the reason they’re joining the early morning rowers in their practice routines!

A perfect summation of a perfect morning hence far.

A sweeping summary of the walk so far: From the Recreation Ground and “Big Wheel”, past the Rowing Club and through the canal “basin” to an early part of the beautiful River Avon adjacent to the RSC building.

A rear view (building works included) of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

Shakespearian time period building next to “The Other Place”.

“The Other Place” and 200 seat theatre a few hundred yards away from the RSC.

A “Flying Pig” and your humble narrator on the Shropshire Union Canal in beautiful Gnosall, late July 2022.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this edition then please do return when the further and overly indulgent number of articles follow! It was a precious day to me and of making memories that I’ll cherish for a long time to come.

In the meantime, please see these links to my three most recently published articles from my Summer travel series so far:

“A Stream in the Sky”
World Heritage Site — Pontcysyllte Aqueductmedium.com

Haughmond Abbey
Augustinian Monastery bathed in early morning sunshinemedium.com

Lilleshall Abbey
In the early morning Shropshire sunshinemedium.com