Tag Archives: River Avon

In Remembrance of Richard Spender

Had Shakespeare died at the age of 21 we would all be the poorer. He would never have written anything of note: without knowing it, we would have lost his insights into human life, expressed in unrivalled poetry through vivid … Continue reading

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The power of poetry

In the last few months I’ve been finding it hard to concentrate on Shakespeare: it’s all seemed trivial compared with the important issues that confront us like deciding how England relates to the other countries of the UK, Europe and … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s swans

Over the past few weeks my husband Richard has been keeping an eye on a pair of swans, nesting just downstream of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratfordians are quite protective of their swans, not least because of their connection … Continue reading

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Commemorating Shakespeare in metal and print

Whenever we come to commemorating a Shakespeare anniversary, the question is always about how this should be done, that perhaps comes down to what exactly we are celebrating. This year we are marking 400 years since Shakespeare died, but should … Continue reading

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The rain it raineth every day

Over the last few weeks the news has been dominated by the dreadful and repeated flooding in parts of northern England and Scotland as a series of storms have swept across the UK. Cities have been swamped and ancient bridges … Continue reading

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Michael Drayton’s Poly-olbion

On 23 December 1631 the poet Michael Drayton died at his lodgings in Fleet Street, London. He was so highly regarded by his contemporaries that he was buried in Westminster Abbey with some ceremony. According to an account of his funeral, … Continue reading

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Nine Men’s Morris and the English weather

Last week I was contacted by a reader of this blog with a query about the Nine Men’s Morris in the Theatre Gardens in Stratford-upon-Avon. How old, he wondered, was it? I should explain. Nine Men’s Morris is an ancient … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 7: Holy Trinity Church

Anyone visiting Stratford interested in places associated with Shakespeare will be aware that the parish church where he worshipped is a good 15 minutes walk from Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Why is Stratford’s church on the outskirts of the town, and on … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 6: Royal Shakespeare Theatre

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre sits right on the bank of the River Avon in Stratford. When the idea of a permanent memorial to Shakespeare in his town was first suggested in the aftermath of the 1864 Tercentenary Celebrations, it was … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 5: was Shakespeare an angler?

The River Avon is the centre of attention for visitors to Stratford this weekend, with the Stratford River Festival  entertaining people with lots of  events on and by the water. It probably won’t be the best weekend though for those wanting … Continue reading

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