1969 European Holiday: The Cotswolds
8-10 August 1969
Besides the Ring of Kerry, Mother's other sightseeing destination this trip was to visit The Cotswolds in the south of England. Other than what she had told me, I knew little about the region, and probably thought it would be boring. Some of it was, but several of the places we visited were very enjoyable and memorable, indeed.
I remember on our drive down, on the A429, I was constantly on the lookout for original sections of the Fosse Way- an ancient Celtic and Roman road. I thought I caught a few glimpses of it in places, but Mother was in too much of a hurry to take any detours merely for the purpose of indulging my curiosity.
We stayed at the Bay Tree Hotel in Burford in Oxfordshire. This turned out to be my favorite lodgings of the whole trip because of its virtually unspoiled 'old-timey' charm. It was everything I imagined an 16th century hostelry would look and be like: original wooden beams, fixtures and antiques everywhere you looked, creaky floors and staircases, and check out this door that led to my room! I'd never seen anything like it, before or since.
I loved the Bay Tree, but reading my diary, I now recall that Mother- at least at first- did not. One thing that truly distressed her was something that utterly delighted me: I had my very own room all by myself! (Finally!) In fact, all 3 of us had separate rooms. I don't know why Mom thought that was so terrible, but it upset her a lot, to the point of tears, though she soon got over her disappointment. (I seem to recall that after the first night, she and Florence were able to share a room together again. But I got to keep my single!)
Probably my favorite discovery in the Cotswolds was Snowshill Manor (pron. 'snozzle') in Glaucestershire. The house itself was unremarkable to me, but the museum of antiques it housed was utterly mindblowing! It was definitely an inspiration for me to become an eclectic collector in my own right.
Later that same day, in an antiquarian bookstore in Chipping Campden, I acquired one of my life's most treasured possessions: this 1814 reference book on the genealogical history of the kings and queens of England. (I paid a mere 10/6 for this rare gem.)
The genealogical tables are unique in design and truly fascinating in their details.
And here's a photo of me with the book taken mere minutes after its acquisition.
One of my more vivid recollections of our time in the Cotswolds was me lying on my bed in the Bay Tree on the night of the 9th, browsing through my book on the English Sovereigns, then looking out the window feeling wistful, realizing that our holiday was now entering its final week...
Besides the Ring of Kerry, Mother's other sightseeing destination this trip was to visit The Cotswolds in the south of England. Other than what she had told me, I knew little about the region, and probably thought it would be boring. Some of it was, but several of the places we visited were very enjoyable and memorable, indeed.
I remember on our drive down, on the A429, I was constantly on the lookout for original sections of the Fosse Way- an ancient Celtic and Roman road. I thought I caught a few glimpses of it in places, but Mother was in too much of a hurry to take any detours merely for the purpose of indulging my curiosity.
We stayed at the Bay Tree Hotel in Burford in Oxfordshire. This turned out to be my favorite lodgings of the whole trip because of its virtually unspoiled 'old-timey' charm. It was everything I imagined an 16th century hostelry would look and be like: original wooden beams, fixtures and antiques everywhere you looked, creaky floors and staircases, and check out this door that led to my room! I'd never seen anything like it, before or since.
I loved the Bay Tree, but reading my diary, I now recall that Mother- at least at first- did not. One thing that truly distressed her was something that utterly delighted me: I had my very own room all by myself! (Finally!) In fact, all 3 of us had separate rooms. I don't know why Mom thought that was so terrible, but it upset her a lot, to the point of tears, though she soon got over her disappointment. (I seem to recall that after the first night, she and Florence were able to share a room together again. But I got to keep my single!)
Probably my favorite discovery in the Cotswolds was Snowshill Manor (pron. 'snozzle') in Glaucestershire. The house itself was unremarkable to me, but the museum of antiques it housed was utterly mindblowing! It was definitely an inspiration for me to become an eclectic collector in my own right.
Later that same day, in an antiquarian bookstore in Chipping Campden, I acquired one of my life's most treasured possessions: this 1814 reference book on the genealogical history of the kings and queens of England. (I paid a mere 10/6 for this rare gem.)
The genealogical tables are unique in design and truly fascinating in their details.
And here's a photo of me with the book taken mere minutes after its acquisition.
One of my more vivid recollections of our time in the Cotswolds was me lying on my bed in the Bay Tree on the night of the 9th, browsing through my book on the English Sovereigns, then looking out the window feeling wistful, realizing that our holiday was now entering its final week...