- A Warwick Welcome -
A tour of some smaller settlements is in the offing then as we meet up at Warwick. The county town is already firmly in the festive spirit with lights aloft and a Christmas tree taking pride of place next to Randolph Turpin's statue in the Market Square. The bus station off Bowling Green Street is where we summon the Stratford Stagecoach, otherwise known as the X18 bus.
- Joseph Arch's Cottage -
With views of Warwick Racecourse, the local non-league football club (Racing Club Warwick) and Shakespeare Drive, we ride serenely to the village of Barford beside the River Avon. A relaxing hour's wander allows some photographic pillaging concentrating on St Peter's Church, the Granville Arms and the village shop. A notable Barford personality was Joseph Arch (1826-1919), who founded the National Agricultural Labourers' Union and served as a Liberal MP; a local pub now bears his name while his old cottage residence can still be found on Church Street.
- Stags Head, Wellesbourne -
Sequestrating another Stagecoach, our next stop is Wellesbourne although Nick Turpin plentifully praises the stately pile that is Charlecote Park with its surrounding land being home to roaming fallow deer. The cervine connection continues at the Stags Head, a picture postcard pub overlooking Chestnut Square where there is Otter Ale to be drunk and fireplace baubles to be fondled. Wellesbourne's parish church is also dedicated to St Peter and has the Kings Head at close quarters although we decide to forego a quick half in favour of commandeering a top deck seat on the next X18.
- Bearing Baubles in the Bulls Head -
Tiddington (with the Crown and the Home Guard Club) then Loxley Road pave our way into Stratford-upon-Avon where there is an instant interchange onto a separate Stagecoach, the 28 towards Evesham now taking the strain. Our furthest destination of the day is Bidford-on-Avon, which like Barford earlier has an ancient river crossing for us to admire. The Bulls Head is an old inn standing on the opposite side of High Street to St Laurence's Church; we call into the pub for 'A Good Stuffing' (that was the name of the beer by the way) before inspecting the creative Christmas tree designs on show in the church, whereby a certain Mr D9 would surely have approved of the 'lavatree' with its toilet seat base and loo roll tinsel.
- A Stratford Spectacular -
The return 28 Stagecoach is somewhat delayed by congestion at both ends of the route with Stratford town centre being especially clogged up from the Salmon Tail (on Evesham Road) thereafter. We escape from the jams by seeking sustenance in the Golden Bee Wetherspoons, our trusty Nick Turpin tucking into a yuletide turkey dinner with cranberry sauce while yours truly opted for a not-so-seasonal gammon. Dusk has now descended upon Shakespeare's town allowing us to see the Christmas lights along Bridge Street in all their glittering glory.
- Anchor Inn, Leek Wootton -
Careful study of the X16 timetable suggests we can include a final explorational extravagance to round off this fun-filled forage. Leek Wootton is therefore identified as our evening indulgence, albeit by the time the bus actually arrived our window of opportunity had almost vanished. Undeterred, our highwayman hero strides into the night, availing himself of the Anchor Inn's hospitality and the lascivious charms of Dorothy Goodbody's Santa Special ale - we might only have been in the pub five minutes but it was five minutes well spent! Our X16 Stagecoach swansong then returns us to Warwick railway station where it all began, and our festive felicitations are ended with the train back home. Merry Christmas!
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