Stonehenge, Bath and Home to Stourport
Tuesday, 2nd January, 1990
Statue of Alfred the Great, Winchester
reakfast at nine, (after dragging Geoff out of a hot bath in which he was luxuriating) full English breakfast, juice, cereal, bacon, egg & tomato, coffee and toast. There was a very pleasant American couple also staying. It was a bright dawn, blue sky. Lovely. We explored Winchester, which is a lovely little town I would like to see more of. We spent an hour or so at the Crusades Experience in a historic building. It was a very technically interesting display where the figures are made to talk and the faces have real expressions by means of hologram projections. Quite good, but a bit pricy. Then to Winchester Cathedral, where I made a pilgrimage to the grave of Jane Austen. There was a memorial window and brass plaque with a display of white carnations and laurel in front of it. And her gravestone set in the floor. In contrast with the later tributes it was erected by her family and was a very affecting tribute to a much mourned family member and made no mention at all of the fact that she wrote books that were published and appreciated in her lifetime.
Stonehenge
e spent so long in Winchester that we were late starting off, as usual, and went wrong on the roads, (also as usual). Geoff was very late for lunch and things were very fraught. I thought I would have to give up Stonehenge, which has been top of my list for years. As it happened, however, we arrived at Stonehenge at ten minutes to four, still light, thank goodness, and we were allowed through (for free) although it closed at four o'clock. We had a good look at it, quite close up, until about 4.15, then when they chased us out we got quite a good view from the road, outside the fences. It really is very impressive and a high spot of my trip. That treeless plain and timeless stones, bitter wind and grey sky. They did not speak to me, I don't think I have any psychic vibes, but it was very impressive, none the less.
Mac and me at Stonehenge
hen it was on to Bath, where we had a bit of luck, because we took a wrong turn and actually came in on the street of our guest house, the Pulteney. A real Georgian house with a layback Italian hostess who gave us our choice of three rooms. We picked one with its own bathroom and toilet for only one pound more than we had paid. We took a short walk down to the Abbey and had a meal in one of half a million coffee shops. The centre of Bath is largely unchanged from Jane Austen's day. Lovely Georgian buildings, little arcades, interesting shops.
Wednesday, 3rd January, 1990
The Roman Bath, Bath
his morning we visited the Pump Room, and the Roman Baths. They are incredible, especially the Baths. There is a fascinating display there of artifacts found in the drains, Roman coins, jewellery, curses carved on stones and directed to the gods (asking for misfortune on others). We wandered through Bath, seeing all the places mentioned in Jane's and Georgette's books, Milsom Street, Queen's Square, the Christopher Hotel, Sally Lunn's Teashop, the oldest house in Bath (where we had morning tea, enormous Sally Lunn buns, yeasty and light with cinnamon butter. Drool), the Theatre Royal and Royal Crescent. But not the Abbey. After Winchester I promised Geoff no more cathedrals. He has this theory that the reason everything in England is so well preserved is that they have been "freeze-dried in Cathedrals". But it is a lovely city and I enjoyed it immensely. Home to Stourport by motorway. Very quick.
Pulteney Bridge, Bath
