(I acknowledge Cole Porter ("Kiss Me, Kate!") for the title of this blog.)
While Henry was off to Sacramento for several days for a conference involving all of the California Water Quality Control Boards, I spent a few days in Stratford-upon-Avon, "doing Shakespeare" and other things in that area. It is an understatement to say that everything in Stratford-upon-Avon is tied to Shakespeare. This town is the epitome of a location that has taken full advantage of its favorite son. Personally, I don't blame them. Some of it is overkill, but the exhibits are generally in good taste, and I enjoyed the theatre so much that I've bought tickets to see another Shakespeare play when Brett, Sara and Sara's boyfriend Jonathan come to visit for Thanksgiving week.
First, the Stratford-upon-Avon walking tour, which appropriately began in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, next to the Avon River:
If anyone wonders, the "correct" pronunciation of Avon is with a "long A" and emphasis solely on that "long A". Not only are there boat tours along the Avon (note, in the first of the above photos, the boat with "Shakespeare" painted on its rear); you can also row your own boat, choosing the one whose name is your favorite female character from among Shakespeare's plays.
I did not recognize several of the names. Perhaps they are from among the 7 Henry plays, 2 Richard plays, or some of the tragedies I have yet to see. From various counts I have seen, Shakespeare wrote between 37 and 39 plays, but I do not know offhand which are the questionable ones.
Ah,"The Bard"! I learned that "bard" means poet, generally one who sang. Who knows how many bards were around in Shakespeare's day, but to all, he is THE Bard. For years, scholars (and other gadflies) have argued over whether Shakespeare was the author of all the plays attributed to him. Some of the other possible authors bandied about are Francis Bacon and Christopher Marlowe. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust aficionados take the position that Shakespeare wrote the plays, but that on some, he had collaborators, such as Thomas Middleton, who was unknown to me before this trip. In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, John Hemmings and Henry Condell (colleagues of Shakespeare) compiled the first folio of Shakespeare's plays, some of which had not been published before. One can speculate that but for this undertaking, Shakespeare's works could have ended up as nothing more than passing productions of that era. When the folio was first published, it sold for the hefty sum of one pound. Of the 750 copies published, there are about 225 still in existence. It is one of the most valuable books in the world, a copy having been sold about 10 years ago for over $6 million. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has three copies.
Here's an interesting piece of trivia--the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. has 82 copies!
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust cares for the five Shakespeare heritage properties in and around Stratford-upon-Avon. Of course, there's the house where Shakespeare was born, or where it is assumed Will was born. It's the house where his father and mother lived; hence, the assumption.
Most of the furniture in this and the other heritage properties is period furniture, rather than "the bed that Shakespeare slept in" or "the desk at which he wrote King Lear". But, I did see period truckle or trundle beds, i.e., smaller beds on wheels that can be pulled out from under a larger bed.
Ropes form the "mattress", so to speak--not very comfortable looking! I also learned about timber framed houses such as Shakespeare's birthplace home. The panels between the timber frame are made of "wattle and daub". Wattle is a framework of twigs; daub is a mixture of mud, clay, straw, horsehair, cow manure, and animal fat. This mixture is pressed into the framework and scored, so plaster can be applied on the inside and waterproofing of some sort can be applied on the outside. It does not smell odd today, but who knows what it smelled like in the 16th century!
Also in town is the Nash House, where Shakespeare's granddaughter, Elizabeth, lived with her first husband, Thomas Nash.
The Nash House gardens are very attractive,
which made it easier to "show off" the empty lot next door, where "New Place" once stood.
Shakespeare bought New Place in 1597and died there in 1616. In the mid-1700's, Reverend Francis Gastrell, a subsequent owner of the house, tore it down rather than comply with an ordered tax increase. Lore has it that, prior to tearing the house down, Reverend Gastrell chopped down a mulberry tree that had been planted by Shakespeare. Two possible reasons are given: (1) Gastrell claimed the tree made the house damp; and/or (2) he did not like that it attracted visitors to what had been Shakespeare's home. Nash House provides an easy spot to house an exhibit on the results of several archaeological excavations of the New Place lot.
Hall's Croft is where Shakespeare's daughter, Susanna, and her husband, Dr. John Hall, lived before they moved into New Place, after Shakespeare died.
The interior included an apothecary where Dr. Hall created his medical remedies,
probably using herbs from the garden. Other interesting furnishings were from the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, these two seats,
which obviously served different purposes!
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582. Will was 18, and needed a special license to marry 26 year-old Anne, who was already carrying their first child. No, the permission was not required because Anne was an "older woman" or because she was pregnant. Rather, men were not normally permitted to marry before age 21 and before they could demonstrate they had a means of livelihood. (Will ended up doing very well financially, by investing in the Globe Theatre in London, which first opened in 1599, and in other real estate.) Anne lived in a hamlet (i.e., smaller than a village and has no church) a mile or so outside of Stratford, an easy walk, along a footpath, from the Bed-and-Breakfast at which I stayed.
As is the case with the Hathaway house, a number of houses in the current neighborhood have thatched roofs.
Apparently, the majority of British homes with old thatched roofs are designated by the government as protected. As a result, with few exceptions, owners are required to maintain the thatching and may not replace it with a different type of roofing. Although it is expensive (the current re-thatching of the roof on the Hathaway house is costing 70,000 GBP, or over $112,000), the docents claim the last Hathaway thatching lasted 37 years.
The final Shakespeare Birthplace Trust property is Mary Arden's Farm, the home of Shakespeare's mother before she married John Shakespeare. It is located about 3.5 miles out of town. The site has several buildings, including neighbor Adam Palmer's farmhouse,
Mary Arden's house,
and a number of additional barns and shelters.
Apparently, until 2000, it was thought that Palmer's house was where Mary Arden lived, and was displayed as such. Luckily, both houses were already Trust properties, so the correction could be made without difficulty.
Although the Farm is very much geared to families with young children, "older" folks like me could still enjoy reading watching the docents, dressed in period garb, play act the parts of 16th century farmers. For example, they produced deliciously smelling bread in the 16th century oven!
And the falconer put on a grand show with an eagle owl.
Cider making equipment today is more modern than this,
but according to the informational placard, the method has remained very much the same over the past 400 years.
The dovecote (or pigeon house), which was large enough to house 650 birds, was also interesting.
The pigeons not only provided eggs for eating, but also produced manure, which was regularly collected for use as fertilizer.
The kids (and some adults) enjoyed petting the various farm animals. My personal favorites were the pigs dressed in sheep's clothing!
One additional benefit of my visit to Mary Arden's Farm was that I now know where I can find a turkey in case we cannot find them in the market for Thanksgiving!
The true highlight of my visit to Mary Arden's Farm was not the farm itself, but my walk along the Avon Canal from Stratford-upon-Avon to the farm. Sorry, but the best way to describe the walk is to "say" it in pictures.
Long, narrow barges lined the canal in designated spots. Some are full-time homes,
while others are rentals for vacation travel along the canal.
The locks are self-service!
As a lawyer, I especially liked the name of this barge:
Not enough Shakespeare yet? In town, there's Trinity Church,
where Shakespeare and various family members are buried. The Shakespeares do not have these outside gravestones.
They have a special spot inside, in a separate chapel.
However, contrary to this sign outside the church,
the grave was not open! There were some other interesting features inside the church-- stained glass windows,
a 1611 King James Bible,
and pews in the "Shakespeare" chapel with different carvings at each seat!
The Guildhall and school next door are tauted as the spot where Shakespeare presumably received his initial formal education.
It continues to operate as a school today! I liked the way the restorers of the Guildhall left some gargoyles intact
and fully restored others.
I lost count of how many likenesses of William Shakespeare I encountered, not including those in the various Shakespeare Birthplace Trust shops, but here are a few from around town.
And, of course, there's the Royal Shakespeare Company that plays in two Stratford-upon-Avon theatres (in addition to London and Newcastle-upon-Tyne on a regular basis, and other places such as New York City and Miami on a touring basis). I saw two plays while in Stratford-upon-Avon, one of them by Shakespeare (Titus Andronicus). The other, A Mad World My Masters, was written (though edited with some modern English "translation") by none other than Thomas Middleton, one of the apparent Shakespeare collaborators. Both plays were presented in the Swan Theatre, the smaller of the two Shakespeare theatres in town.
While Mad World was fun (with added comedy in the costumes and player gesticulations) once I figured out the story line, I was completely entranced by the performance of Titus Andronicus the next evening. The theatre holds only 450 people, and is thus very intimate, especially with a stage that reaches out into what would otherwise be audience area. Sitting on the ground floor for Titus Andronicus, just a few feet from the stage, watching players (actors are referred to here as "players", as that was the more common term in Shakespeare's day) who had completely different roles in the comedy the night before, and listening to REAL British accents (contrary to what we get with most of the actors at the Old Globe in San Diego--apologies to Miles Anderson, a Brit who has played a number of major roles at our Old Globe in the past few years) all contributed to an extra special evening. The fact that I was watching a Shakespeare play in Stratford-upon-Avon, the "home" of Shakespeare, added to the aura. And, it definitely helped that, prior to the play, I read a Titus Andronicus synopsis, so knew when the murders (many), maiming (some, but more gruesome than the murders), and mayhem (not much time for anything else, with all the murdering and maiming) would occur. The source of the synopsis I read was a tiny (dimensions about 2" x 3" x 1") book entitled, "William Shakespeare: The Complete Plays in One Sitting".
Titus Andronicus in less than 425 words!
Not quite everything is Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon. Rather than do Shakespeare, the Four Teas, the spot I went to for lunch one day, plays a Britain during World War II theme.
What I forgot when I ordered a sandwich was to order it without butter. Whether you want mayonnaise, mustard, or other spread on the sandwich, one side invariably comes with butter!
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust houses are not the only timbered buildings in Stratford-upon-Avon. There are many others that are just as old,
and some that simply copy this older style.
Sometimes, it is hard to tell which buildings are older and which are newer. For example, surprisingly, the building on the corner (Crabtree & Evelyn) is 300 years older than the one two buildings down the block, housing WH Smith!
This building with the flagpole is noteworthy.
It was owned by the Harvards of Harvard University fame, and is known as Harvard House. Every Fourth of July, an American flag is flown from the flag pole!
While at Stratford-upon-Avon, I happened upon the 2013 version of Stratford-upon-Avon's Mop Fair, which dates back to the 1550's. Historically, laborers, servants, and craftspeople would work for an employer from October to October. At the conclusion of each year, the workers would show up at an annual, usually two-day, hiring fair. They would each carry an item indicating a trade. If the worker had no trade, he carried a mop. Employers made their way around the fair, choosing workers to hire. Once hired, a worker would receive a token amount of money to use at the many stalls erected for the event. In 2013, the Stratford-upon-Avon Mop Fair was held two weekends before I arrived. However, the tradition is that a "Runaway Mop Fair" is held about two weeks later. At that time, employers could reconsider and re-hire workers who had left their employ. I cannot be sure what happened at the 2013 Mop Fair, but, as was the case for the Runaway Mop, it has become a time for closing off streets, carting in rides, game booths, and food/drink stalls, and playing music. It reminded me of the Fun Zone and Midway at the annual Del Mar Fair!
By the morning after the Runaway Mop was over, the rides and booths were gone, and an outdoor market stood in its place.
On this particular weekend, the market combined with a "antiques" market, so there were a number of stalls with junk and/or treasure, depending on one's perspective.
Hmm. maybe I could use a used, empty perfume bottle. . . .
Sometimes, one really does need an extra plug, hook, or bottle brush!
I did not buy any of this stuff, but was still unable to keep all of my cash in my pocket! I found several items at the market to add to my small collection of gifts. "Shakespeareabilia" remains the domain of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust shops and other souvenir stores, and I indulged there as well. I daresay, the Shakespearean puns around town gave me a number of chuckles--for example, erasers (which are called "rubbers" by the Brits) stamped with "Out, damned spot!" (Othello) and t-shirts emblazoned with "Will Power" and caricatures of Shakespeare plays. The best pun was reported by the Stratford walking tour guide--a local camping store advertised a sale with a sign (referred to as a "notice" by the guide) that read: "Now is the winter of our discount tents" (Richard III)!
My visit to Stratford-upon-Avon also gave me the opportunity to visit a couple of National Trust properties in the area. Coughton Court is just a few miles beyond Anne Hathaway's farm.
The property was owned by the Throckmorton family since 1409--talk about healthy lineage! It helped that in the 1500's, the Throckmorton couple who lived at Coughton Court had 20 children who lived to adulthood (quite an impressive feat in those days--the adulthood part, not the 20 children!) and 100 grandchildren. The Coughton Court Throckmortons are remembered for their continued observance of Catholicism despite persecution of Catholics during Elizabethan times. They also played a part in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes and others conspired to blow up Parliament. In 1946, Coughton Court was given to the National Trust, subject to an astonishing 300-year lease to permit Throckmortons to continue living there! In any event, what made this National Trust property special for me was that the furnishings were actually the Throckmortons', rather than "period" furnishings found at many other historical sites.
The following bowl-looking item, which is not more than about 8 or 9 inches long, was known as a "Bordaloue".
According to one story, the bordaloue is named after a French priest known for his exceedingly long sermons. According to another story, the name comes from the French expression, "Gare de l'eau" (beware the water), a warning used when chamber pots were emptied from a window above. Either story leads to "loo", the British word for bathroom! In any event, I marvel at the dexterity women must have needed to maneuver this relatively small target!
The Coughton Court gardens and surrounding area were extremely attractive as well.
I also visited Charlecote Park, a few miles east of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Even more impressive than the Throckmortons, the Lucy family lived at Charlecote for over 900 years! Although the Lucy family built this manor house in the 1500's, Mary Elizabeth Lucy made extensive Victorian renovations in the 1800's, which are now reflected in the interior furnishings
and the outdoor gardens and parkland.
I am not sure when these stained glass windows were created, but the Lucys were intent on showing off their royal lineage, from King Edmund in 1016:
Included among the Lucy's impressive library collection (the third largest among the National Trust properties) is a 1619 edition of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor.
Legend has it that when Will Shakespeare was a boy, he was caught poaching deer on Sir Thomas Lucy's land. Shakespeare took his revenge by using Sir Thomas as a model for the character Mr. Justice Swallow in the Merry Wives of Windsor.
No more history and language lessons for this blog, except to finish with some interesting word/phrase origins: (1) "Upper crust" or "cut above" come from the practice of cutting a loaf of bread horizontally, with the lower/harder bottom crust going to the servants and the upper/softer part of the loaf going to the masters; and (2) "bed and board", "chairman of the board", "above board", and similar "board" phrases derive from the custom that the patriarch of a family sat at the table while others, particularly women and children, sat to the side; and from the fact that the tabletop consisted of a removable board, which could be used for multiple purposes, including a sleeping surface when placed on the floor.
