Saturday 7 November 2009

Craig and Charlotte's 100 things to do in Britain - #13 Shakespeare's Home, Stratford on Avon

Well, well, well... Stratford on Avon is a quaint little place with more mimes, street artists and musicians than you can shake a swan at. The whole area lives and breathes Shakespeare, and why not. From the variety of gift shops, boutiques and stalls you can pretty much deck your home with anything Shakespeare, but a must do is getting your mug shot in front of good old William's home complete with authentic electrical lighting...

Well some of the 'realism' has definitely been lost along the way but this shouldn't deter anybody as the vibe in the area is great. Some of the restaurants here are also little gems in themselves but those who have travelled to Stratford on Avon before will be distraught to find that the 'Teddy Bear Museum' has up and ran off to London. No fear we managed to find 'another' with human sized teddy waiting for us just outside the door which more than made up for it :D.

The highlight of this brief visit was the awesome Christmas shop opposite old Shakespeare's crib. It is decked out a mighty 365 days a year and again you can find anything with a Santa Claus on it. I'm not really a Christmas fan but its worth a delve for the laugh.

Overall Stratford on Avon does what it says on the tin, its a fun little area packed with things to see, eat and see some more. Parking and travelling were a breeze and was a great relaxing day out. Be prepared to meet the Chinese though, they love old Shakey's house.

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