More than Shakespeare

Today, taking a break from work, we visited Stratford.

Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, is steeped in culture and history. However, we set aside the obvious tourist destinations and settled for a delightful meander through the shops and market stalls and as an ardent Harry Potter fan, I was looking forward to paying my first visit to "The Creaky Caldron"

"Welcome to the truly enchanting and magical world of the Creaky Cauldron" states the website marketing, "where every hour is the witching hour, but you don't need to be a card carrying witch to join in the fun!"

Disappointed to say the least. There's a couple of Halloweeny rooms, you can purchase your own wand and a selection of sweets, but that's about it (unless you pay the charge to visit the museum) On the strength of my dissapointment, I decided not to sample the Butterbeer - the cafe looked less than inviting.

Despite this - I've had a fabulous day. We found delightful market stalls selling "just perfect" Christmas Pressies (not giving any surprises away here) and we've spent time watching people down beside the river. It makes me realise that the whistles and bells (or wands) are not what makes the day - it's the company and the ambience of a place.

Hence thank-you Stratford and Graham - a perfect Sunday!