Shakespeare's birthplace

This was the childhood home of William. The walls have painted cloths on it very much like handpainted wallpaper. The house has been furnished authentically and has real and replica items. His father was a glove maker and a very successful one at that. He would have the equivalent of $2,000,000.00 in today's US money, so he could have paid for Will's education.

I love the back window facing the garden that is on the second floor. To me that would have been what was in Willie's mind when he was writing Romeo and Juliet's balcony and garden scene. i wanted to act it out, but the windows were shut and I think M was too sore and tired to act out the scene anyways.

The very next day, M and his Mum and I went back to Stratford to see Patrick Stewart (AKA Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise) play Prospero in "The Tempest". Here is what the Royal Shakespeare Company's flyer blurb has to say. "Shakespeare's magical last play - his poignant farewell to the stage - has love, tragedy, and comedy combined in equal measure. The usurped Prospero draws his enemies to an enchanted island to exact his revenge, yet ultimately finds peace and the ability to forgive." Patrick was excellent as one would expect, however Julian Bleach, the man that played the spirit Ariel, was the creepy coolness that upstaged Pat with his talent. Creepy Ariel--I loved it!

This was one of the highlights to the trip this year. I got to have a full Shakespearean experience, and I thought that I liked the Bard before, but now I love him!

Unfortunately this will be the last time that I visit as it seems that everytime that I go to Stratford, terrorist things happen. 7-7-05 the London bombings--M and I were in stratford that day. This year we get back from, and then are going back on 10th Aug and there is a terrorist plot uncovered to blow up planes to the US while they are over the atlantic---talk about scaring the s**t outta me! So we vowed not to take me back there, and that is fine.