Day 30 - Trouble at Mill

This morning I woke up and decided to go for a walk to the Library to see what exciting news they could tell me about Shipston-On-Stour. They provided me with their heritage walk leaflet so I decided to take this while I waited for the internet to be fixed.

The Small Merino

Shipston-On-Stour is an attractive market town with some buildings that date back unto the 16th Century nestled in the River Stour valley. In the 8th Century the town was called Scepwaeisctune or Sheep Wash Town and the sheep and horse are most definitely represented throughout the town.

Most interesting was the The Black Horse Inn which dates back to the 1500s.

A reasonably interesting walk but with roughly 2000 residents currently it's hardly a big town so both heritage walks were undertaken quite quickly.

On return to t'Mill there was still no internet so I quickly decided to cut my loses and forgo the planned Trivia night with Jared that night and head off to Birmingham.

Day 29 - Shipston on Stour

Today I uprooted camp and hopped on a train to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Famously the home of Shakespeare I only briefly walked through the town past the Shakespeare pub, the Shakespeare Guest House, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Shakespeare Pie Place and Shakespeare Charity Shop (I get the feeling they are milking the association) to the bus for Shipston-On-Stour.

Shipston was the home of the Carter's and hence my visit. Due to the lack of cheap accommodation in the town I had booked myself into a boutique Hotel and Restaurant The Mill. From the outside it looked like a lovely place nestled by a stream. The receptionist was a bit flustered and finally found my booking and took me up to the 'Lilac Room' which was indeed several shades of purple. A claw footed bath (but no little takeaways) and tea and coffee making facilities (but not biscuits) and a big double bed. Internet - I asked. She flustered about and came back with the password which I tried but seemed not to work. The owner was out so she would have to check.

Well I was to meet up with my ex work colleague Jared who, as it happens, works in a town nearby. So I left it with her and went to meet Jared. Jolly good to catch up with him and we hopped through three of the town pubs and chatted and then Jared bought me some Chinese which I took back to my room (thanks Jerry!). Internet? I asked as I got back - Oh well the thing is the guy came to fix it at 5.20 and he left at 5.30 and so its not fixed. Not happy Jan.

Well one night off I suppose so I took a bath and watched some TV and caught up on some paper work that I didn't need the 'net for.

Day 28 - Another piece of the Puzzle

This morning I filled up on the full English breakfast and then headed out to catch some of the re-enactments at the Guildhall. There were several groups for different ages - mainly centred around various wars but they seemed to be having fun and were only too happy to explain all their bits of kit.

I headed down to the History Centre to continue looking for information on what had happened to John Carter. I tried a different newspaper the Worcester Herald to see if I could find more information. And lo I did!

It appears that on the day of his scheduled execution John Carter was granted respite due to the fact that he didn't understand what was going on at the trial being somewhat deaf and by the sounds of the report his son, William had deceived him. So a different story perhaps than the one where he gallantly took the fall for his son!

I tried to find some more information about what had happened to John but without any prison records from that time it was a bit like trying to find a needle in a very bit haystack checking death records from the Bishop's records.

Took a bit of walk in the Cathedral before heading back to Osbourne House Bed and Breakfast to catch up on paperwork.

Day 27 - Worcester

Today I got the train to Worcester and headed out to the Guildhall where I believe the Worcester Assizes took place and hence where John and William Carter would have been tried. The lovely gent there gave me a tour of cells where they keep their very naughtiest dummies.

I then headed to the History Centre to begin looking for more information on the death of John Carter.

I found one newspaper article about the trial which states that John was to be hanged but am yet to find notice of his hanging. Still looking...

Day 26 - Don't call the Church Panda Police

Just a quick one to let you know I'm in Bristol - internet access is sucky and having to use all my online time trying to get through the pile of work that I have. Will hopefully be able to update more on the weekend from Worcester.

Day 25 - Some days are better than others

Today is not one of those days. Booked into a hostel in Bristol for 3 days - the router near my room is busted. So I have to use the bar where there are lots of people and no power points to plug in so I have maybe an hour before battery goes dead.
But I no complain...

Day 24 - Say hello to Hawkie for me

This morning I was rather unceremoniously awoken by the cleaning lady wishing to clean my room at 8.30am. SERIOUSLY? Now I know country folk wake up a bit early but SERIOUSLY. So I got up tried to have a shower but realised it was fucked Sheree so in not the best of moods packed up and headed back to Oxford.

Thankfully the folk at the Central Backpackers were a lot nicer and mellowed my mood somewhat. I headed out to check out Oxford which is very picturesque but expensive. Anything that you would want to visit will cost you at least 6 squids so I mainly just wandered around - trying to find the pub where Bob Hawke still has the record of the quickest beer drinking of a yard glass.

Visited this place where bits of Harry Potter was filmed.

Heading back to the hostel I noticed the Oxford Castle and figured maybe this was something worth paying to see. And I was extremely glad that I did for as it turns out it was the Oxford Jail since the 1700s.

The guided tour was very good and it was interesting to see that the jail cells had been transformed in part into expensive hotel suites. At the time he would have been here it was one of the best jails in the country - being one of the first to move to single cell occupancy after John Howard's (not little Johnny mother) recommended changes to prison reform at the time.

It only ended being a jail in 1996 at that time was one of the worst in the country - not because of the inmates but because of the antiquity of its design and the fact that the cells that had been designed for one occupant now housed three.

Well worth the 8 squids to visit.