Hathaway, Shakespeare, Ashley and Tetley

After three days pounding the pavement in London, I was ready to board the group coach bus to start my three-week tour of the UK and Ireland. While I’m not a fan of big coach tours, I thought it would be a convenient way to cover lots of ground in a comfortable and economic way and I also figured it would give me a good overview of the area. I also hoped it would get me more accustomed to driving on the “wrong” side of the road in preparation for my solo road trip at the end of the tour. As expected, the bus was full of mostly seniors, but I wasn’t too bothered by it. While most people tell me I still look like I’m in my 20s, my knees would beg to differ, thus, I felt right at home. I was lucky enough to have a great “bus buddy” who kind of reminded me of my mother. We got on extremely well, which fortunately made the long bus journeys much more tolerable.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Our first stop was in Shottery, Warwickshire to view Anne Hathaway’s lovely thatched-roof cottage. A charming house and village, I could almost imagine the simple country life of ages ago. After a quick group photo, we travelled east to Stratford-upon-Avon to visit Anne’s husband’s hometown.

Stratford upon Avon - Shakespeare's Birthplace

Stratford-upon-Avon is best known for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare and the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, but in my opinion, it really is underrated, as there is quite a bit to see and do here. Friendly, quiet and picturesque, I thoroughly enjoyed walking along the high street, through the narrow alleyways, and down to the river Avon to catch a glimpse of the colourful houseboats. Once I spotted the Laura Ashley store, however, I cut right across the street and found myself in girly dress heaven. (Gentlemen, this is where you might want to just skip down to the next paragraph.) Ever since I was a little girl, I had always wanted a pretty Laura Ashley dress. There’s just something about the fabric and the prints that make a woman feel so feminine and vibrant. I thought I had missed out on my chance when, sadly, the Laura Ashley shops in Canada closed down years ago, so I was overjoyed to spot one in Stratford-upon-Avon as it just felt fitting to buy a beautiful English dress in the birthplace of England’s foremost literary figure. While I peered through the window, I fell instantly in love with a gorgeous dress and was more than happy to make it my first travel souvenir. To all women out there, if you’ve never tried on a Laura Ashley dress, I highly recommend it. The styles and cuts are so flattering and the fabrics and patterns make for a perfect summer dress. But I digress…

Houseboats on River Avon

After my love affair with Laura Ashley, I had worked up an appetite and so set out to find a good meal. Walking down a passageway just off the high street I happened upon the cutest little restaurant and tea room called Bensons where I feasted on the most delicious fishcakes and chips I have ever had; my mouth waters just thinking about them. And as for their tea options, hold on to your bonnets ladies because their selection is sure to astonish and delight any tea-time lover, so much so that they have been rated one of the Top 50 places in the UK to take afternoon tea. Other highlights of the town included the festive Nutcracker Christmas Shop (yes, I admit it, I’m a sucker for Christmas stuff) and The Creaky Cauldron – Museum of Wizardology, which I unfortunately did not have enough time to peruse. I wasn’t quite ready to leave Stratford, but sadly it was time to move on to our next stop of the day.

Stratford upon Avon High Street

Arriving in Coventry, we took a short stroll and made our way to the infamous statue of Lady Godiva. Other than that and Coventry Cathedral (aka St. Michael’s Cathedral) with its historic ruins, which I enjoyed exploring, there really wasn’t much more to see here so I was happy to move on for the day.

Coventry Cathedral

Lady Godiva

By late afternoon, we had finally made it to Leeds, which I recommend just passing through, and were greeted by Tetley, no not the tea, but the hideous brewery which was right behind our hotel and which I was oh so lucky to have a view of from my bedroom window. After a full day, I was more than happy to close the curtains on old Mr. Tetley and settle in for a good night’s rest.

Tetley's Brewery - Leeds