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Stratford upon Avon Blog
Gadzooks, who holdeth the quill?
There was a story in one of the free papers last week which caught my eye. It was about calls for the exhumation of a tomb in Warwick, which is purported to contain manuscripts that can prove a link between William Shakespeare and the resident of the tomb, Fulke Greville, his 17th century contemporary – and that the Bard didn’t write all of the works which have been attributed to him!
Apparently there has been speculation for years that ancient manuscripts were buried with Greville, and recently scholars have been calling for the grave to be opened to answer the question once and for all. Claims have been made that the evidence could show that Greville wrote some of the work or parts of the work currently attributed to our town’s most famous son.
However, the tomb won’t be opened any time soon, as the Diocesan Advisory Committee has stated that there isn’t enough evidence to warrant disturbing Greville’s final resting place.
Of course, if the tomb was exhumed and these documents were discovered, it could raise the profile of the Church, which would benefit financially. But Canon Roberts from St Mary’s commented that they didn’t need to “resort to Da Vinci Code practices to bump up visitor numbers”, a reference to the recent film starring Tom Hanks which was based on Tom Brown’s best-selling novel.
Fulkes Greville was a well-known figure in the 17th century. He represented Warwickshire in parliament for four years and enjoyed a distinguished career under both Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Knighted in 1597, he served as Treasurer of the Navy and was also Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1621 he was created Baron Brooke, by King James and was bestowed with Knowle Park and Warwick Castle. His glittering life has a sad ending though, as in 1628 he was murdered by a servant who stabbed him and then turned the knife on himself.
What do you think? If Greville really did write some of Shakespeare’s work, would he really want to take all the evidence to his grave?
Interesting……
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Apparently there has been speculation for years that ancient manuscripts were buried with Greville, and recently scholars have been calling for the grave to be opened to answer the question once and for all. Claims have been made that the evidence could show that Greville wrote some of the work or parts of the work currently attributed to our town’s most famous son.
However, the tomb won’t be opened any time soon, as the Diocesan Advisory Committee has stated that there isn’t enough evidence to warrant disturbing Greville’s final resting place.
Of course, if the tomb was exhumed and these documents were discovered, it could raise the profile of the Church, which would benefit financially. But Canon Roberts from St Mary’s commented that they didn’t need to “resort to Da Vinci Code practices to bump up visitor numbers”, a reference to the recent film starring Tom Hanks which was based on Tom Brown’s best-selling novel.
Fulkes Greville was a well-known figure in the 17th century. He represented Warwickshire in parliament for four years and enjoyed a distinguished career under both Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Knighted in 1597, he served as Treasurer of the Navy and was also Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1621 he was created Baron Brooke, by King James and was bestowed with Knowle Park and Warwick Castle. His glittering life has a sad ending though, as in 1628 he was murdered by a servant who stabbed him and then turned the knife on himself.
What do you think? If Greville really did write some of Shakespeare’s work, would he really want to take all the evidence to his grave?
Interesting……
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Stratford upon Avon Park and Ride
Earlier this week I did something I haven’t done for a very long time – in fact I’ve only done it once before and that was several years ago! For at least the last nine years I have driven blindly past the signs for Stratford’s Park and Ride. From way back in time, when it was located at the Maybird Centre, but possibly even more so since it moved to Bishopton Road. Onward I would drive, only to get caught in traffic, then struggle to find a parking space and, nowadays, to be charged a ridiculous amount in parking charges to nip to the bank to pay in a cheque.
But no more! After months and months of resentment about the parking charges in the town, I finally decided to try the Park and Ride for a second time.
Don’t get me wrong – the one and only time I have used this service before wasn’t a disaster, I think I’d just picked the wrong day as I had too many bags of shopping and it was raining. But this time – what a treat! I had no problem parking in the free car park, which was only a quarter full. The bus arrived only a minute or two after I got to the stop, which was clearly marked – there’s one stop for getting on and another just around the corner for getting off. A mere £1.50 return fare was paid, and the journey to Wood Street took just a few minutes. I had a comfortable seat on a clean vehicle, and my fellow passengers and the driver were all very polite and friendly. Of course, I’m sure it helped that the sun was shining and it was a lovely warm day.
When it was time to come home, several hours later, I made my way to the return stop near to the Oxfam shop. As I crossed the road, the bus came into view and on I hopped. Not so good this time, as I had to stand on the way back! However, the trip only took a matter of minutes, and before I knew it I was back in my car and on my way home. Total saving on parking costs was £2.50 for a four hour visit. Excellent, I love saving money!
As a local, I have always disregarded the Park and Ride, believing it was meant for visitors to the town - after all, I know all the best streets to park in! But I think the introduction of parking charges has changed my perception, and I recommend that other locals should make better use of this service.
Like so many other things about Stratford, we sometimes don’t see what great things are just under our noses! So why not save money and hassle by traveling into the town centre on the bus? There is a range of tickets available and concessionary pass holders travel free. For regular users of the service, season tickets can be purchased weekly, monthly or annually.
I look forward to meeting you on the Park and Ride bus very soon… go on, give it a try.
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But no more! After months and months of resentment about the parking charges in the town, I finally decided to try the Park and Ride for a second time.
Don’t get me wrong – the one and only time I have used this service before wasn’t a disaster, I think I’d just picked the wrong day as I had too many bags of shopping and it was raining. But this time – what a treat! I had no problem parking in the free car park, which was only a quarter full. The bus arrived only a minute or two after I got to the stop, which was clearly marked – there’s one stop for getting on and another just around the corner for getting off. A mere £1.50 return fare was paid, and the journey to Wood Street took just a few minutes. I had a comfortable seat on a clean vehicle, and my fellow passengers and the driver were all very polite and friendly. Of course, I’m sure it helped that the sun was shining and it was a lovely warm day.
When it was time to come home, several hours later, I made my way to the return stop near to the Oxfam shop. As I crossed the road, the bus came into view and on I hopped. Not so good this time, as I had to stand on the way back! However, the trip only took a matter of minutes, and before I knew it I was back in my car and on my way home. Total saving on parking costs was £2.50 for a four hour visit. Excellent, I love saving money!
As a local, I have always disregarded the Park and Ride, believing it was meant for visitors to the town - after all, I know all the best streets to park in! But I think the introduction of parking charges has changed my perception, and I recommend that other locals should make better use of this service.
Like so many other things about Stratford, we sometimes don’t see what great things are just under our noses! So why not save money and hassle by traveling into the town centre on the bus? There is a range of tickets available and concessionary pass holders travel free. For regular users of the service, season tickets can be purchased weekly, monthly or annually.
I look forward to meeting you on the Park and Ride bus very soon… go on, give it a try.
0 Comments: | Post a Comment
Stratford upon Avon Town Hosts - Making Your Visit to Stratford Perfect!
The introduction of Stratford upon Avon's Town Hosts represents the first major investment by the Stratfordward Business Improvement District. There are five of us (you'll see us around the Town Centre between 9am and 7pm, seven days a week) - all working to make Stratford upon Avon the UK's friendliest town!
Our main duties are to:
If you run a business within the Business Improvement District, you'll be pleased to know that we'll be popping in regularly for a chat and to get your feedback on how you think we can help you with some of the issues your business faces.
You can contact the Town Hosts at:
Town Host HQ
Unit 16
Town Square
Stratford upon Avon
CV37 6JW
Tel: 01789 298 291
email: townhosts@stratford.co.uk
www.stratfordward.co.uk
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Our main duties are to:
- Act as friendly, reliable information guides.
- Provide a link between shops, businesses and public services.
- Offer extra support for the security and emergency services.
If you run a business within the Business Improvement District, you'll be pleased to know that we'll be popping in regularly for a chat and to get your feedback on how you think we can help you with some of the issues your business faces.
You can contact the Town Hosts at:
Town Host HQ
Unit 16
Town Square
Stratford upon Avon
CV37 6JW
Tel: 01789 298 291
email: townhosts@stratford.co.uk
www.stratfordward.co.uk
0 Comments: | Post a Comment
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