Great time to head south of the Border
ST GEORGE’S DAY on April 23 is a fitting date to enjoy the best of England. And with everything from the Bard’s birthday jazz to jousting knights and taking tea like a duchess, you’ll be spoilt for choice, says KATIE ROWE...
JAZZING UP THE BARD
CELEBRATE Shakespeare’s birthday and commemorate the 400th anniversary of his death at an extra-special edition of Stratford-upon-Avon’s annual street parade on April 23, which this year will include a New Orleans jazz procession.
Also new for 2016 is Shakespeare’s Schoolroom at the 15th Century King Edward VI School, opening on April 23. Be on your best behaviour as you take part in a Tudor school lesson with a super-strict ‘master’, and learn about Shakespeare’s arduous 12-hour schooldays.
Next door, you’ll find The Other Place, which opens on the same day. Take a peek into the whimsical world of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s costume store for the first time and listen to first-hand accounts from directors and actors on the brand new From Page To Stage tour.
TAKE TEA LIKE A DUCHESS
WHERE would England be without tea, or Anna, Duchess of Bedford for that matter? The English tradition of afternoon tea is thought to have been started in about 1840 by the Duchess, wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford, who entertained friends in the Blue Drawing Room at Woburn Abbey. Today, you can experience afternoon tea at Woburn in the Duchess Tea Room, enjoying freshly baked scones, dainty finger sandwiches and fine teas.
CHEER ON ST GEORGE
DISCOVER the man behind the myth at Wrest Park, near Silsoe, Bedfordshire, the grand estate that’s home to the biggest St George’s Day festival in England. Witness the ultimate showdown as St George takes on the dragon, see armoured jousters clashing head-on in a dramatic tournament, and don’t miss fearless fighting displays at the Roman gladiators’ arena as this spectacle unfolds on April 23-24.
BITE-SIZED SOUTH-WEST
IF YOU’RE a foodie fanatic, look no further than the extremely popular Festival of South-West Food and Drink from April 22 to 24. Nibble and savour produce from more than 100 food exhibitors at Exeter Castle and nearby Northernhay Gardens, chomping on wood-fired pizzas and stocking up on everything from award-winning cheddar to traditional scrumpy.
In between all the eating and drinking, be sure to attend one of the cooking demonstrations led by well-known chefs.
WILLIAM MORRIS COUNTRY
FOLLOW in the footsteps of Arts and Crafts designer William Morris in some of the Cotswolds’ most picturesque pockets. Climb the Broadway Tower in Worcestershire, the Cotswolds’ highest castle and Morris’s former holiday retreat, to gaze over 16 counties, before catching your breath over a cream tea in the cafe or a glass of wine on the terrace.
Another of Morris’s favourite Cotswolds haunts was the Swan Hotel, and it’s easy to see why. Covered in ivy, the 17th Century coaching inn looks over the River Coln in Bibury – ‘the most beautiful village in England’, according to Morris.