Press Articles

Stratford proves it's got more to offer than just Shakespeare

Amanda O'Hare of the Northampton Chronicle and Echo visited Stratford upon Avon with her family and her experiences proved that there is more to the town than just William Shakepseare. She stayed at the Holiday Inn Hotel , took a river cruise with Bancroft Cruisers, visited the RSC , Holy Trinity Church , Shakespeare's Birthplace and ate at Carluccio's.

"ALL eyes will be on Stratford-upon-Avon as the historic town celebrates Shakespeare's birthday on Monday and the World Shakespeare Festival 2012 gets underway.  This extraordinary celebration of Shakespeare by theatre companies from across the UK and around the world runs from April 23 until September. Produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, it is the biggest celebration of Shakespeare ever staged.

There is an array of events during this unique festival and the famous playwright's hometown is at the centre of it all. But there is more to Stratford-upon-Avon than the Bard as it is also the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely weekend....."

Return to Stratford upon Avon

Australian journalist  Mark Juddery last visited Stratford upon Avon in 1997, but came back in March 2012 to take a fresh look at Stratford to advise Canberra Times readers on where to visit during the Olympics if they had too much of London.

"Obviously, Stratford is very proud of its most famous son (and yes, that's still Shakespeare, because nobody from the Arctic Monkeys was born there). It's one of those places that still has Tudor-style buildings, just like in his day. One thing I don't notice now, but I recalled seeing in 1997, was numerous pubs with signs saying "Shakespeare drank here". 

This time, I saw no such signs, though one pub called The Garrick Arms (named, presumably, after the greatest Shakespeare actor of the 18th century) boasts with equal pride that it is "Stratford's oldest pub", serving since 1594, when Shakespeare was 30. He probably drank there at some time...."

A Weekend with the Bard

In this Olympic year Journalist Mike Martin wrote up a trip to Stratford, not the Stratford in East London that is hosting the Olympics, but Stratford upon Avon for what he described as a Weekend with the Bard.

His visit took in the Theatre, Tower, Holy Trinity Church and the open bus tour taking him to Ann Hathaway's Cottage.

"This spring sees the launch of the World Shakespeare Festival, a part of the Cultural Olympiad. Stratford will be boasting a full set of events in its three theatres, plus lectures, readings and versions of his plays from other countries, including a version of Romeo and Juliet from Baghdad. It's a great reason to visit the town of Stratford....."

Mike finishes appropriately with a quote from A Midsummer Night's Dream said: ‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind'.

Shakespeare at the Spa

Following a visit in February, freelance journalist Raphael Kadushin wrote up an article which appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on July 17.

"The man waiting on the checkout line at the supermarket in Stratford-upon- Avon was hard to miss. His long tangled hair was tied back in a loose knot, the kind of coif you usually see sprouting from the head of a Botticelli archangel, and his casually disassembled wardrobe -- the billowy cotton shirt, the linen pants -- had clearly been artfully assembled. He looked like the village boho, someone who was probably on the verge of leaving the English market town for his luminous future, or maybe his disappointing one, in London.

I didn't think much about it until I saw him again later that evening on stage at the RSC......"

UK Family Breaks: Stratford with Kids

Dea Birkett wrote up her trip to Stratford with her teenage daughter - an attempt to turn a trip to the theatre to see Macbeth for her A levels, into a fun weekend.

Her daughter had a go at out cussing Will while Dea sat on the cussing chair:

• ‘Thou beslubbering crook-pated maggot-pie!'
• ‘Thou mewling motley-minded baggage!'
• ‘Thou frothy beetle-headed scut!'

Then while sitting on the love seat and listening to some on Will's finest quotations her daughter says she "Can't wait for my favourite bit."   And the answer is.......

More than the Bard to Shakespeare Country

Stratford-upon-Avon is less than two hours away from Nottingham by car and yet it feels like another world. Oonagh Robinson reports on a short break in Shakespeare Country.

Oonagh found there is much more to the area than just the Bard and visited Shakespeare's Birthplace, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre inlcuding a production of Macbeth.

Following an overnight stay at the Stratford Manor hotel the family headed for Warwick Castle with the youngsters taking in the Merlin Dragon Tower.

All's Well That Ends Well - Experiencing Stratford upon Avon

Tom Douglas, a Canadian travel journalist, has written up his visit to Stratford upon Avon, for the July/August 2011 edition of Fifty Five Plus magazine in Canada. He was amazed to find a number of Canadians in this small town of ours and recommends that Canadian travellers wear a 'flag pin or other symbol that identifies you as Canadian' and they are likely to be stopped and asked for news of home.

He finishes with a quote from Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream that he thinks may apply to anyone who fails to visit Stratford upon Avon "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

Stratford-upon-Avon ranked sixth in the UK by TripAdvisor!

Shakespeare Country is delighted to announce that Stratford-upon-Avon has been voted the sixth best destination in the UK by the world's largest travel website, TripAdvisor. The winners of the 2011 Travellers' Choice Destination Awards were based on the experiences of millions of travellers from around the world.

TripAdvisor asked its users to state where in the world they had visited and whether they liked it or not and received contributions from more than one million people. London topped the chart with Edinburgh and Bath coming second and third.

Enjoy a relaxing break by the River Avon in Stratford

In April 2011 the Solihull News published an article in their Travel News section on a short break in Stratford upon Avon. 

Rebekah Borg stayed at the Stratford Manor Hotel and visited the Stratford Butterfly Farm, Tudor World at the Falstaff's Experience and Hall's Croft - home to Shakespeare's eldest daughter Susannah.

The following day she took in Nash's House, lunch at the Dirty Duck (next time you are there have a look at both sides of the pub sign), Shakespeare's grave at Holy Trinity Church before ending the day with a 45 minute cruise on the river Avon with Bancroft Cruisers.

Time stands still at Charlecote Park

The Birmingham Post published an article on Charlecote Park on 15th April 2011 in their Days Out section:

JUST 28 miles from cosmopolitan Birmingham, Charlecote Park is a stunning example of old English values. A mixture of wonderful country house, fabulous fallow deer landscape and history combine to help time to stand still for visitors of all ages.

One wonders how many Japanese or American tourists reach either Warwick or Stratford - upon - Avon and miss one of the country's crown jewels between them.

A place where even William Shakespeare is reputed to have been caught poaching.

The Garrick Inn

The Birmingham Post published an article on The Garrick Inn on 15th April 2011 in their Pubs section:

NEWSPAPERS are often wrongly accused of being harbingers of doom. Of only being interested in bad news.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

We report events as they happen and seek excellence here, there and everywhere. And it's not our fault if we so rarely find it.

As the old saying goes: Don't shoot the messenger.

Going to a pub these days can sometimes be like volunteering to pay good money for something bad.

Happily, the odds seem to have been reversed at the atmospheric Garrick.

Dungeons, Drama and Fine Dining

The Bristol Evening Post published an article on 8th January 2011 covering a trip to Stratford upon Avon and Warwick taking in a number of the main attractions, staying and dining at The Menzies Welcombe and also dining at the One Elm.

"With so much to see and do in "Shakespeare Country", you're sure to head home with your own tales to tell.

The deceptively sleepy Stratford-Upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare, is bursting with family attractions, historic houses, stunning gardens, boat trips, independent shops and quaint tearooms. And as the sun sets, there is plenty to keep you entertained including theatre, quality restaurants, cinemas and live entertainment."

The Journalist visited:  Shakespeare's Birthplace, Nash's House and New Place and Warwick Castle, stayed at the Menzies Welcombe Hotel and ate at the Welcombe and the One Elm.