zebec

Folks, be sure to view the current TRs by Karen (Scotland) and also MaiTaiTom (Mexico City). And welcome aboard Treesa, Nelson and Geetika. *Paq, I remember your visit and ours being twinned as it were!

*Answers to some Quiz questions below:
'Piers Morgan isn't a celebrity...Nor is (was) Jimmy Saville'. =exactly. That was why their names were included. BB was correct about hare protection and I thank him for that great link, but we were given a different definition of 'Nigel' by locals.
Heti knew about poor Ebrington.
Locals also told us that it was Gordon Ramsay who left his original Cotswold um, position. And...our friend Becky once dated a then-unknown Pierce Brosnan.

Purple beech is of course, a tree--the rest are roses.
"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."
Time for Shakespeare, Cotswold House and any other remainders.

zebec

To Be or Not to Be. A timeless line.

Which of his plays was your favourite? Are there any thespians among us? Please don't hesitate to share your experiences here. That could include performances not necessarily done in Britain. Photos of the play follow.

bilboburgler

I like the comedies and the fairies

Morgana

Hamlet. Studied for English Literature A level many moons ago and can still quote vast chunks.
Has served me very well on quizzes ever since.

bilboburgler

I had to do the Scottish play for O level and for one crazy mixed up year they also made us act the Merchant. Neither really survived the experience. Still I enjoyed trying to find Crecy and Agincourt on a drive through Normandy before Covid

zebec

The continuing saga of our CC visit.

The 'Sudden Impulse' theatre company based in Stratford-upon-Avon toured their 'As You Like It' around the region and one of their stops was CC.

The outdoors performance was in Baptist Hicks Land, north of Badger's Field and beside the St. James church. This is the old Campden House gateway into that rural field.

The site was remarkable because of several surrounding historic buildings.

Those included the above-mentioned church.

But it was the pair of buttery-stone Banqueting Houses that really caught one's attention.

*Travelers take note: both of those Jacobean buildings are available to rent from the Landmark Trust. We went to the annual Open House at the buildings a few days prior to the play.

There, we read one vacationing renter's comment: "So quiet and peaceful. You awaken to the sound of a sheep herd." She'd rented the Banqueting House next to the Court Barn Museum. The latter displays the work of Ashbee, Morris and others associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Self-caterers will not regret renting in those oh-so rarefied settings. The modern renovations have resulted in attractive settings.

The quality of the acting was very high. The quality of the crew work was also high. Shown here, an early scene (*this is the part where Morgana informs us all as to which characters these women were portraying) in the opening.

The jester-fool role was well-done.

During the first half, the lighting crew left Mother Nature to illuminate the outdoors stage. Then they used their gear after intermission.

This building served as the dressing room.

The sole negative moment came when an older gent who'd been quarrelling with his wife then took his anger out on me. I'd seen that poor woman sitting in a far corner all alone in the otherwise-sociable setting and had come close to inviting her to join us. Husband was in a bad mood, seated behind us. Suddenly, he stormed in front of me to shout: "DO YOU THINK YOU COULD BUY A QUIETER CAMERA?!" Nobody else had shown the slightest concern over my Nikon. At intermission, that couple left the play.

One of the 'sheep' that slowly made their way through the crowd.

Do you recognize her? This is the same woman from the final foto in this TR's Overview.

The only remains of Old Campden House nearby.

Our friends from nearby Broadway, Deirdre and Robin. As mentioned above, she and I were once schoolmates at Hogwarts many thousands of years ago. The two Cotswoldians were kind enough to invite us to their Broadway home then a delicious lunch at the Broadway Hotel. We later in the month treated them to the above play. Half of us in the audience had brought a picnic, Dier and Rob included. We supplemented their wine and the evening was a peak experience, so much better for their friendship.

The impossibly spry Robin was able to secure a weekend pass from the Cotswolds Maximum Security facility for errant bottlers. One of Deirdre and Robin's fellow Broadway residents is Tony Iommi, former guitarist for Black Sabbath.

The other Banqueting House.

Inside that other Banqueting House.

Nice views there. Next Cotswold House and more.

zebec

zebec

zebec

zebec

"Thank you both so much Deirdre and Robin and let's not leave it at 47 years between seeing each other again Deirdre, OK?"
We spent our final night in CC at the Cotswold House. It was a sudden, spontaneous decision and we splurged on their final remaining room, the suite with jacuzzi. All the other rooms were taken, as it was Wedding Season.

We loved our times at Cotswold House. See, earlier in the 2 weeks we'd gone for a massage in their back annex. That had allowed us to tour their special quasi-private garden. Shown above, that garden's sporting area. There was more: quiet sectioned areas, outdoors dining and also kids attractions. Whatever else it was, it was a serious garden.

A year before our Cotswold House stay, a noted children's TV episode (or was it a movie?) had been shot next door at the now-defunct Kings Hotel.

A few members of one wedding party got so hammered before arriving in CC that they completely lost track of where their accommodations were in town. Then they inappropriately took it out on the poor taxi driver they'd hired. Note to those entitled young Brits: maybe next time not so much the alcohol YOU.

Manager Jamie and staff do an excellent job of providing an upscale stay.

The restaurant is just excellent. The decor there includes a remarkable metal fish sculpture created by an adolescent crafter (get the irony? William Morris et al's history here) who buried the competition during a local eco-focused art competiton.

A splendid time in splendid surroundings.

One more lot of fotos to go: Ilmington, St. James church and the end.

Janeyre

Thank you, zebec! Loved your post and pictures.

zebec

I've erroneously referred to Paxford as 'Paxson'. That village is home to King Crimson leader Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah. Btw, our London TR features one song by Fripp and Eno. When we asked locals which was their fave Cotswolds pub, Paxford's Inn near Knee Brook got a lot of votes. But unfortunately, it suffered a fire that spring and still is without a roof. Forty minutes north was Redditch, final resting place of my drumming hero John Bonham (Fred Zeppelin). I skipped my planned visit.

We had several nice chats with the residents of Ilmington in Warwickshire (Barbara above was one such person). Not a tearoom in sight. One of the other folks was Mark, a local TV actor who was that very day leaving his Kytes Hill home to retire back to his Devon roots. The village lies within the old Ebrington Parish and has a number of lesser-known rural footpaths. Those delightful lanes and country roads include the E-W Nebsworth, and also the 100 mile Centenary Way.

Ilmington had a very old-school vibe to it and we loved that. Seen here, a gaggle of girls giggling as they race away from the evil camera-toting tourist. He was hidden snake-like in the Lower Green. Btw, Sam Bennett began his Morris Men dancers in Ilmington. They once sailed over to give Henry Ford a private show.

Those girls were in front of the excellent Howard Arms Pub, where we ate what Mrs Z rated the Best Meal of This Trip. *Gardeners: the owners take their roses and other rare species seriously. The oh-so friendly Arms had repeat guests staying in the above rooms. Btw, Ilmington was once full of apple orchards, and rather than waste his dropped fruit, one clever local entrepreneur started producing brandy-- now for sale at London's prestigious Fortnum & Masons.

Those in the pursuit of hoppiness may also partake of Ilmington's Red Lion. Its a bit closer to the Ilmington Downs and is the favoured pub of I.M. Gothlamm the black sheep. Ole Gothlamm was in his cups one late night, when he drew me in then took me into his confidence. He whispered while spraying spital into my ear, "Oi Zebec, 'at pub where Gordon Ramsay was playing Jack-the-Lad with the owner's wife...twas Banbury (here he began to shout) WEREN'T IT 'EH ---YOU BORING CANUCK?!" He laughed til falling off his stool unconscious.

Back to CC and its foodic offerings. Maylam's is THE place for marmalade.

The lady who ran Maylams---Mrs Maylam? Dunno.

The owners of the deli 'Filet & Bone'.

They sold a wide variety of foodic specialties. We liked their beef, port and mushroom pies (cost=8 pounds). Mrs Z was thrilled at the convenience of their being in the same mid-village complex as our rental.

That same block.

One may self-cater in CC quite comfortably. But bring a few quid.

The convivial Eight Bells pub is CC's oldest. With its cushioned pews, the 8 Bells is a cosy oasis. The pub had a very good menu including great salads. We returned twice. It was the first pub we'd visited that allowed guests to bring their well-behaved dogs. That pub, plus the third deli 'Tokes' were some of the places that tourists could rely on during visits to CC.

Sunrise is a good time to do a CC walkabaout.

Local photographer Graham and I met during one sunrise stroll. He was a keen birder who'd two years prior, solved a local mystery. The local peregrine falcons were then having a population drop. Graham discovered a local fox vixen with her 10 pups had been ambushing the birds at a nearby quarry. He then became part of a team that placed a safe-from-harm nest for the falcons atop the church's tall spire. There, a stone-filled box now serves those noisy avian babies well. FEED ME, DAD!

The church has a famed white marble carving of the historic power couple Sir Baptist hicks and his Lady Elizabeth reclined forevermore. He made his money in the textile trade.

Churches of that era sometimes featured stone-carved spoofs of powerful locals who'd become unpopular with the masses.

Church item detail.

Same church interior.

The home across the street from the church had a well-established spread of roses.

CC's Old Silk Mill is home to Hart family silversmiths. Seen above, their youngest member at work crafting another fine metal creation. They have long specialized in more religious-style items, as opposed to rings and jewelry. One may also find gold creations there as well.

Their well-known shop on Sheep Street is part of a complex known as 'The Gallery at the Guild'. That also includes Emma's 'Campden Coffee & Crystals', a combo coffee-stop-cum-crystal store. The 30 other members of that co-op represent a broad range of traditionally and contemporary arts and crafts. Again, we were reminded of the old William Morris crowd. Mrs Z and I thus brought back a related pamphlet for our elderly neighbor, an ardent Morris enthusiast.

A pair of local knockers.


A reflection not far from the main Bus Stop. The Johnson-Excel company bus line was being taken over by another outfit. That transfer was poorly-communicated to locals. Moms and dads panicked along with their teen children because it was time for final exam-writing up in Stratford. Not convinced that they could rely on any new bus schedules, parents scrambled to reserve taxi transfers for their teens. According to locals over on the Rick Steves forum, that new bus company has itself been sold!

CC's popular photo-op the thatched-roof 'Pike Cottage' is at the corner of Sheep Street and Catbrook at the bottom of town. The 17C Conduit House is just north, with its 18C graffiti. Early during covid, a local elderly couple lost their lives after crashing their vehicle into that Conduit House.

The upcoming final fotos will all be about CC's Jubilee celebration.

zebec

zebec

zebec

And so to End. The following fotos show something of CC's Jubilee celebrations.
By way of Conclusion, Mrs Z and I would simply say that combining a London visit with a stay in the Cotswolds will not disappoint. If that combo might be in your future travels, then we hope that it works well for you.
Cheers and Peace Always.

There was a local competition within CC's shops and homes to see who could come up with the Best Window Display for the Jubilee. Some displays were ones that we could understand.

The meaning and symbolism in others were less clear to us. There was one that showed a bowl of cranberries, for instance. Nice to look at I suppose but what was the connection? Was the Queen a big fan of those red berries?

The two local primary schools got into the spirit.

Mrs Drinkwater's florist shop display was the Winner. Shown here is her winning display Corgi, made entirely of flower petals. Her young daughter teamed with her mom to make the creation. The Drinkwaters are a family with a history of strong business presence in CC.

The passage of time...from the Blitz to the Bomb to the Beatles, from the IRA to Princess Di...

Arf, he barks.

HRM: "Phillip darling?" Phil:"Yes Liz?" HRM: "We got a call from that private school in Canada. It was about Edward. The Principal was claiming that there've been some...concerning issues." Phil: "Just enjoy the view, love. Bloody colonials."

Just one of many items displayed in windows of private homes.

If memory serves, my schoolmates and I sang 'God Save the Queen' every morning until the late sixties. *Time to start on our Amalfi coast TR--that was our most recent trip.

zebec

We used the following Cotswold Private Transfers and taxis:
1) Ian 'Cookie' Cook 00447497626444
2) Pinpoint Private Hire (brothers Tamas and Levi) 07763784746

bilboburgler

not a bad set of snaps ;-)

I must have told you this story. My BIL were in Burford one time and he invited me into the church. In a side chapel is a massive stone celebration (1650 ish) to a local family. Next to is a slightly smaller work paid for by local donation saying how much the local people hated said family.

All carved and painted local stone and brass. Nothing says hatred like 400 years of effigy

zebec

'Nothing says hatred like 400 years of effigy'. Outstanding BB!
I guess that's so true, yeah?
I am done. the classes

zebec

And Jane, I had not forgotten your kind wurds werdz wwuoruds post above! Thank you.
I am done. the looooong TR

PS Scrb, to answer your question: my wife and I each have a Nikon D7000, a Cameron monopod (sometimes), a Manfrotto tripod (even less), an ancient beanbag, an ancienter Domke camera bag (original model, falling to bits) and afterwards Adobe LightRoom.
I am no longer addicted to Cokin. I mean those Paris-made coloured filters that shutterbugs used back in the pre-digital era. Relics from a different age.
Mrs Z taught me all that I know about photography. No mean task given that I am quite tech-challenged.
To gain permission for portraits we simply ask, where appropriate. About 85% of folks give us permission.

scrb11

Hmm so you were editing and posting photos during your trip?

D7000 is holding up well. I had that a few years ago

Yeah I can tell the street portraits are taken at close range and they posed, as opposed to being taken semi-surreptiously from distance with a telephoto.

Did you move around a lot or stay mostly in one or two villages?

I'm considering visiting some National Trust sites like Hidcote.