I had prepared the journey sometime in advance and wrote the route out on my dash board! However I didn't keep to the route I actually chose. I had written the route to pass Birmingham and stay on the motorways - and thankgoodness I didn't. I don't know whether I would have got there any quicker (even though the motorway was way off direction) but I decided to shoot up the Roman Fosseway and via Brinklow - somewhere which I remember well from the past. First up I got lost getting on to the A40 (how many times have I driven up it?!!!) and had to go into Cheltenham to get on it. However I eventually got my chariot back onto the fosseway and sailed past Bourton on the Water and Stowe and eventually Warwick.
I stopped at a pretty village called Brinklow which held a few memories for me. The thatch cottages and the church perched on high ground looked much the same as it did when I used to come and stay near here in the early - mid '90's. I was intrigued to find my name in the visitors book from 1992 - its seems an age away. I last came here I think in 1994 so it did feel very strange to be back to part of my life which has well and truly gone. However I do remember passing here on my way to Northumberland with mum and dad in the '80's so I felt a bit like a pilgrim today. As I went up to the church door three people, including a bloke who looked like a farmer who welcome me in and said there was a bathroom in the church?!! And there was too. I had a look around and at the visitors book - this is a very ancient place with some ancient tumuli on the raised ground outside the church.
On my way out the same three people were there and we chatted about church and about Thornbury. Apparently they only get 15 on a sunday here - how on earth do they keep it going? The friendly lady seemed to know everybody in the village and wanted to know who it was I went out with - I was very evasive!! Still it was good to see the place again although as I say that chapter in my life was a long time ago and now is now so to speak.
I then headed on to the M6 and headed on until I reached the outskirts of Cambridge and drove into Girton Sheila and Stuarts village on the outskirts. It was great to see them both after what seemed like an age!
After a catch up we caught a bus into Cambridge and had a look around. My first impression was that it was smaller and in some ways more cosier than Oxford - and I was very intrigued to be shown around the circular crusader church. Our Crusader church in Bristol (temple church) was replaced with the current perpendicular building - but here was the tiny circular building here. We then headed off to St Johns college and Trinity where I kept saying 'isn't this like Lampeter' everytime we saw the college chapel. However it was very reassuring to see some Welsh in St Johns comemorating the translator of the bible into Welsh. We had a walk around the backs and then into Corpus Christie which with its quad and tiny doors was like Lampeter!!!!!! We then had a good chat in a local Italian coffee shop before heading off to say hi to Sheila and Stuart cooking us an excellent meal.
After a goodnights sleep I popped downstairs and was shocked to have a call to tell me that Mark had suddenly passed away. It took quite a while for this to sink in - mostly on the drive back and on Monday. It just seems so sad that he should be taken so early. My abiding memories of him (besides the lads night out which didn't happen on residents holiday!!!) will be off him going out to help me and other around him. Anyone who knew Mark will remember that he wouldn't just help. He would drive from one end of town to the other to give me a lift and that was so typical of him - he was the same with everybody and will be much missed by all those whose lives he came into contact with.
In the afternoon we headed off for Lavenham in essex which was a first for me. I had always asociated Essex with Jamie Oliver or London but the part of essex I saw could easily have been Herefordshire or Shropshire. Our first stop was at an interesting looking church at Stoke by clare with a large flint perpendicular church with a medieval painting which was very cold inside. Our next stop was at Clare, a Augustinian community in the grounds of a former priory church - the current one using the former infirmery. It had a lovely garden.
We stopped in Clare for a meal having parked our car near the former bridewell and a norman quarry! Opposite the pub a large 16th cent house and a huge perpendicular church. We went into the warm and had a lovely meal before heading off to Lavenham.
It was dark as we entered Lavenhamand drove through on our way back to Oxford and sadly to say goodbye to Stuart and Sheila. I had a wonderful time (inspite of the sad news about Mark) and saw a part of the country I had not seen before.
The journey back was uneventful although I was quite thoughtful, sad to leave friends behind and also about Mark. However I stopped at Brinklow again and rang mum and dad to ask them where the chip shop was (unusual for me but peckish). Eventually I made my way on to the fosse way and saw a baby doe (?) which ran into the side of the road. However I cut a corner and headed for Evesham and then on to the M5 and then home. I still think it was quicker and easier than the whole motorway option.
I met up with Vicky next day and we had lunch inthe blue bowl at Almondsbury where I mentioned to the bar lady about a local ghost book which mentioned her pub. She confirmed this with a story about glasses being thrown and a little girl being seen. We then headed off to Blaise Castle and had a walk through it.
I stopped at a pretty village called Brinklow which held a few memories for me. The thatch cottages and the church perched on high ground looked much the same as it did when I used to come and stay near here in the early - mid '90's. I was intrigued to find my name in the visitors book from 1992 - its seems an age away. I last came here I think in 1994 so it did feel very strange to be back to part of my life which has well and truly gone. However I do remember passing here on my way to Northumberland with mum and dad in the '80's so I felt a bit like a pilgrim today. As I went up to the church door three people, including a bloke who looked like a farmer who welcome me in and said there was a bathroom in the church?!! And there was too. I had a look around and at the visitors book - this is a very ancient place with some ancient tumuli on the raised ground outside the church.
On my way out the same three people were there and we chatted about church and about Thornbury. Apparently they only get 15 on a sunday here - how on earth do they keep it going? The friendly lady seemed to know everybody in the village and wanted to know who it was I went out with - I was very evasive!! Still it was good to see the place again although as I say that chapter in my life was a long time ago and now is now so to speak.
I then headed on to the M6 and headed on until I reached the outskirts of Cambridge and drove into Girton Sheila and Stuarts village on the outskirts. It was great to see them both after what seemed like an age!
After a catch up we caught a bus into Cambridge and had a look around. My first impression was that it was smaller and in some ways more cosier than Oxford - and I was very intrigued to be shown around the circular crusader church. Our Crusader church in Bristol (temple church) was replaced with the current perpendicular building - but here was the tiny circular building here. We then headed off to St Johns college and Trinity where I kept saying 'isn't this like Lampeter' everytime we saw the college chapel. However it was very reassuring to see some Welsh in St Johns comemorating the translator of the bible into Welsh. We had a walk around the backs and then into Corpus Christie which with its quad and tiny doors was like Lampeter!!!!!! We then had a good chat in a local Italian coffee shop before heading off to say hi to Sheila and Stuart cooking us an excellent meal.
After a goodnights sleep I popped downstairs and was shocked to have a call to tell me that Mark had suddenly passed away. It took quite a while for this to sink in - mostly on the drive back and on Monday. It just seems so sad that he should be taken so early. My abiding memories of him (besides the lads night out which didn't happen on residents holiday!!!) will be off him going out to help me and other around him. Anyone who knew Mark will remember that he wouldn't just help. He would drive from one end of town to the other to give me a lift and that was so typical of him - he was the same with everybody and will be much missed by all those whose lives he came into contact with.
In the afternoon we headed off for Lavenham in essex which was a first for me. I had always asociated Essex with Jamie Oliver or London but the part of essex I saw could easily have been Herefordshire or Shropshire. Our first stop was at an interesting looking church at Stoke by clare with a large flint perpendicular church with a medieval painting which was very cold inside. Our next stop was at Clare, a Augustinian community in the grounds of a former priory church - the current one using the former infirmery. It had a lovely garden.
We stopped in Clare for a meal having parked our car near the former bridewell and a norman quarry! Opposite the pub a large 16th cent house and a huge perpendicular church. We went into the warm and had a lovely meal before heading off to Lavenham.
It was dark as we entered Lavenhamand drove through on our way back to Oxford and sadly to say goodbye to Stuart and Sheila. I had a wonderful time (inspite of the sad news about Mark) and saw a part of the country I had not seen before.
The journey back was uneventful although I was quite thoughtful, sad to leave friends behind and also about Mark. However I stopped at Brinklow again and rang mum and dad to ask them where the chip shop was (unusual for me but peckish). Eventually I made my way on to the fosse way and saw a baby doe (?) which ran into the side of the road. However I cut a corner and headed for Evesham and then on to the M5 and then home. I still think it was quicker and easier than the whole motorway option.
I met up with Vicky next day and we had lunch inthe blue bowl at Almondsbury where I mentioned to the bar lady about a local ghost book which mentioned her pub. She confirmed this with a story about glasses being thrown and a little girl being seen. We then headed off to Blaise Castle and had a walk through it.
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