Holcombe Hotel Banbury

With time rapidly dwindling I went down to Banbury way this afternoon to visit my brother et famille before I leave, taking the opportunity to say goobye to two young nephews - one of whom was able to appreciate some of the implications of what I am doing, "But what if you get sick?" he asked. :-)

Back up to Stoke in the late evening. Last day of preparations tomorrow.

... top of the Claydon locks. Hugo took himself off, and then appeared on the other side of the canal, having crossed the bridge. He was spotted by a crow which cawed loudly at him. He wanted to get back onto the boat as he hates crows, but he realised he couldn't cross the water, so started miaowing. James had to climb through two hedges and over two fences to get to him, and carry him back to the bridge. He knew his way from there. Later he was chased by a lurcher, and then by a ...

... year! Saturday was always going to be large and the 7 of us did not fail to deliver. The headache was soon removed as we ventured to the many a past drinking hole in Oxford, starting with The Turf, and heading to the following: * Turl - A sedate start around the pool table * Kings Arms - The Washing Machine was defined. * Turf (6 Village Idiots and a Wife ******). * The School House - RedBull, Pro+, Doughnuts ...

... br>



Took us a couple of hours and we got the audio tour included in the price which made it very interesting. It is a ruined castle and huge. It used to have a moat and lake around it. The Norman Keep is huge and walls were 8' thick. We saw the kitchen with huge fireplaces and bread ovens. Robert ...

... and we had a great view of course over fields and little villages.













We did heaps of mud and stiles and Stephen entertained us with two face plants. We eventually found our way to the village of Weston-sub-Edge. It had a 13th ...

... ticket to London on the National Express Coach for 13 pound 50 for both of us. Got it heaps cheaper because booking 3 days in advance ($31). Went for a hot chocolate at Costa’s in a lovely Tudor building. Changed $200 Aus to 79 pounds, bought a vegetable pastie and then went through Shakespeare’s birthplace 9 pounds ($21). Lovely home from the 1500s ...

... mouth! Because we got so damp we decided to do the 2 hour walk and not the 4 hour one. Ended up taking us 3 hours. We passed through a field of sheep – white and brown ones – and there were a lot of cute lambs and all the sheep were 'baaing’ at us.








Stratford-upon-Avon, England, United Kingdom hilaryramsey

... was used to create electricity. We then walked down to the boathouse on the River Avon. We had a great time and really enjoyed it all.













Afterwards we wandered around the town and found a tearoom because Nathan was dying of cold and needed a hot chocolate. It's a pretty town – some ...

... a jacket potato with tuna 3 pounds 95. While we were there it hailed, rained and then had big fluffy heavy snowflakes, but it melted. We finished lunch and went walking and did a nice circuit walk on public footpaths through fields, little lanes, through lots of mud and past some lovely homes.









Next we drove ...

... above her. Realising she was the only one on the boat and that it was up to her to save the day, she quickly thrust the boat into fast forward and escaped certain death. Meanwhile, George and Julian raced back to close the gates which some irresponsible people had left open, thereby stopping the flow of water. Everyone leapt back upon the boat. "Well done Anne," said Julian, "You're becoming a real little boat woman. Now if we could just find Timmy."