On the banks of Avon

      

Shakespeare's Statue

The Gower Memorial

Prince Hall

  

Statue of Hamlet

   
















  As we came near the heart of the newly developed town, we saw a huge square enclosure with the statue of Shakespeare sitting in a ruminating posture on a pedestal . On the four corners around, the bronze statues of Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, Falstaff and Prince Hall (later Henry IV) are seen. These four characters represent tragedy, philosophy, comedy and History-- the four varieties of characters through whom Shakespeare expressed his views on human nature coupled with his lofty flights of poetic imagination in dramatic verse. This memorial called Gower Memorial is located in Bancroft Gardens. This monument was sponsored by a Scottish aristocrat, Lord Ronald Sutherland Gower, who donated it to Stratford in 1888. This is located in the scenic setting of beautiful Bancroft gardens which was once actually used as a grazing land for cattle.


   

Lady Macbeth

John Falstaff

      

By the riverside

Bancroft Gardens

Later we went to an Indian restaurant just a few yards away from Henley Street. What a surprise! I found  South Indian dishes of various kinds in this Elizabethan town where none might have heard of these Indian refreshments. Just opposite our restaurant there was a pub where traditional English ale with meat and bread were served. Stratford has become a meeting point for denizens of various cultures and races. But the unifying element is Shakespeare's universal appeal and his everlasting poetic freshness and unforgettable characters.

As we came to the banks of Avon, a beautiful view of green pasture surrounded by elms and willows emerged with a row of colorful houseboats moored to the bank. Flocks of geese and swans floated freely on rippling waters of Avon. Some entertainment shows were going on near by while a vehicle stood with counters selling ice cream. We lay down on the soft grass watching the scenic beauty of Avon which had fired the imagination of Shakespeare to break into rapturous lyrics in midst of lengthy dramatic soliloquies and descriptive dialogues. Actually his picturesque descriptions compensated much the conditions of the Elizabethan stage which lacked sophisticated scenery and dramatic accessories. Some people stayed in the house boats as their temporary dwelling, perhaps out of desire and love to live amidst beautiful surroundings or just to spend some time where their beloved poet used to spend his leisure time along with his friends . Grandfathers and grandmothers were seen watching their children play in the cool evening breeze. Some were throwing crumbs of bread into the river and were watching with glee as the swans dived in to catch the crumbs with competitive speed and skill. Mothers with kids in prams were sitting as their older children were lapping up ice cream from cones. Young couples were loafing around making jovial remarks amidst peals of laughter. Some were just sitting on the soft grass with a lot of junk food and bottles of coke to satisfy their appetites. 



  

Cruising on Avon

House Boats on Avon

  

People relaxing in Bancroft gardens

Ice Cream Van

In one corner I noticed a young couple completely absorbed in their amorous dream world unmindful of others and surroundings. A young African (as strong as Othello yet good-looking) was relaxing on the lap of a white lady with lustrous golden hair and rosy cheeks (Desdemona-like), who with a sense of immense affection was wiping the remnants of the iced cake from the thick, sensual lips of her dark lover. I thought how Shakespeare would have portrayed this unusual union of lovers in his verse. Even in Elizabethan times some ladies married moors for some reason or other, which might have fired the imagination of the bard to come up with his famous play "Othello" where the poet showed the valiant and emotional nature of the moor, who easily yielded to jealous feelings duped by his subordinates. Of course his credulous nature had been exploited by a malicious person like Iago on flimsy grounds. Now by looking at this modern couple I felt and wished that nothing of that sort would happen.

      

Floating swans and geese

Row of house boats on Avon

In the fading light of the darkening evening we bid good bye to Avon crossing the Clopton Bridge and casting our parting glances with a sense of heaviness. We bid farewell to Shakespeare's hometown, but our minds were loaded with so many sights and scenes associated with his life and plays which we would never forget.

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      13th June, 2014                                                                    Somaseshu Gutala

On Old Taverns, Pubs and Theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon

Interior View

The White Swan Hotel

Interior view

The Emblem 

The Black Swan Hotel

                            




                             

 There are many old taverns and pubs which existed since Shakespeare's time. Some of    t             them have been remodelled with addition of modern comforts and amenities. "The White
Swan Hotel" in Rother Street dated back to 1450's. It was used as an inn since 1560. 
The owner, Robert Perrot's granddaughter, Susanne Woodward, was the wife of a young 
officer called Richard Taylor who was a close friend of Shakespeare. So it was possible
that Shakespeare used to frequent this place to have a drink and have a merry chat with
his friend. Even now the low wooden beams and antique furniture bear testimony to the
fact that it is at least five hundred years old. Another oldest pub is "The Black Swan
Pub",later nicknamed as "The Dirty Duck", located just a hundred yards away from the
"RoyalShakespeare Theatre'. It dates back to sixteenth century. It attracted many
 theatrical persons since it became famous when Robert Garrick, the eminent actor
of the eighteenth century, used to visit this place whenever he came to Stratford. When
some American girls were stationed here during the First World War, the name of the
hotel was changed to "The Dirty Duck", perhaps due to mistaken identity of the black
swan with the dirty duck. "The Old Thatch Tavern" is also one of the oldest taverns
dating to 1470's. It is the only thatched building in the whole town. Located in the Green
Hill Street, just three hundred yards away from the bard's birthplace, it offers hand-baked
bread and traditional ale in the typical Elizabethan ambiance.

The Old Thatch Tavern

Interior View

The Old Thatch Tavern

Interior View

           



               On the side of the river one can see three theatres managed by the Royal Shakespeare
Company established in 1961. The first real theatre in Stratford was built in a temporary
wooden building in 1769 by David Garrick to mark the Jubilee celebrations of the bard.
But it was washed away during floods. In 1879 due to Charles Flower's earnest efforts
the first Shakespeare's Memorial Theatre was completed. It was effectively managed
by the famous actor, Sir Frank Benson. The theatre was burnt down in 1926. The new
theatre "Royal Shakespeare Theatre" with a seating capacity of 1040 people, designed
by the famous architect, Elizabeth Scott, was opened by the Prince of Wales (later called
Edward VIII) in 1932. This theatre was built on the site adjacent to the remains of
the old theatre destroyed by fire. TheRoyal Shakespeare Company also ran two small
theatres . The first one was 'The Swan"(1986), modeled on the Elizabethan type of the
stage located just beside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Four hundred and fifty people
can sit on three sides of the deep thrust stage. Both these theatres were developed as a 
part of the Transformation Project and opened in 2010 after a period of three years.
The second one was the "Other Place Theatre" which was first opened in a shed in 1974.
In 1989 it was closed and after two years of renovation, it was re-opened in 1991.
A temporary "Courtyard Theatre" was built on the adjacent car park to stage perfor-
mances when the"Other Place Theatre" was closed again for the sake of renovation
works. During Shakespeare's time there were no theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon. The
people had to see the the plays performed by the touring groups of actors whose
welfare was taken care of by town councils or by trade guilds.

Renovated R.S. Theatre

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Swan Theatre

Inside the Swan Theatre

The Other Place Theatre

The Courtyard Theatre
      

The Dirty Duck

The world-wide fame of the immortal bard rejuvenated the spirit of drama  and inspired the people to set up theatres in his memory in the town where he was born. Really a glowing and fitting tribute to the great bard of all times!

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 3rd June, 2014                                                                     Somaseshu Gutala

My Visit to Mary Arden's Farmhouse at Wilmcote

Front view of Mary Arden's Farmhouse

Courtyard

     











                                                                                              

Living Room

backyard

The kitchen

              

View of garden

Cotswold sheep

                          





  
                                        My Visit to Mary Arden’s Farm at Wilmcote

  We continued our journey to Wilmcote, eight miles from Stratford-upon-Avon to see the well-maintained Mary Arden’s Farm House , where Shakespeare’s mother , Mary Arden, was born and brought up. The original name of this farm house was “Glebe Farm”. It was a big Tudor type of  two-storey mansion surrounded by vast grounds and woods where one can get an idea about a rich landlord’s way of life of those times with various activities like breeding different types of animals and birds, cultivating  gardens, milking cows, threshing corn, making butter and enjoying country sports . Mary Arden(1540-1608) , the youngest of Robert Arden’s family of eight daughters, inherited this estate after her father’s death in 1556. She married John Shakespeare, who was working as a tenant in her father’s land, in 1557. She belonged to a rich Catholic family of nobles who served the kings like Henry VII and William, the conqueror.

This House has two storeys built in Tudor style with a thatched roof . Though the exterior walls were rebuilt in brick, the construction of  the  rooms were kept in their original state as they had been in  1514.The living room meant for entertaining guests leads to a parlor where old-fashioned wooden furniture is seen. In the kitchen various utensils and household tools are seen. The room for making butter was added in later times.

Hereford cattle

Courtyard

          

                                                                                               

the hawk in the Farm

Pigs in the Farmyard

Baggot goats in the Farm

The white owl

Longhorn Cattle

  

Shirehorses in the farm

Whenever the dreaded disease, plague broke out in Stratford, Shakespeare might have spent some here along with his mother and other siblings. The beautiful gardens, agricultural activities and rural sports impressed his mind so much that one can find descriptions of country sports and pleasures in his plays and poems. Just outside the kitchen we found ladies attired in Tudor fashion baking bread on mud-built ovens holding a pair of tongs. A young girl was stacking hay in a wheel barrow to feed horses in the stable. The Cotswold Sheep are kept in a shed. In Elizabethan age people consumed sheep milk often than cow’s milk. We also saw a huge cider-press with an enormous revolving wheel. Two shire horses of gigantic size were led by two short ladies . A horse carriage was nearby.  As we passed through farm land we saw two huge hairy creatures with dense curly brown hair resting in the dark hollows below. They are a special Hungarian breed of pigs called Mangalitza pigs. In those days pigs were in immense demand and every Englishman kept pigs for consumption  We also witnessed the feats performed by a large white owl which obeyed the commands of the trainer. Hawking was a popular pastime in Elizabethan times. We saw various types of birds like hawks, owls, wood peckers, falcons, geese and hooded vultures. We also saw other special breeds of animals like Baggot goats with snow-white backs and black front, long horn cattle with bent curved horns, Tamworth pigs with brown shaggy skin, geese and Gloucester cattle with white patches on their backs.

 The life of a prosperous landlord in 16^th century with age-old customs and practices is brought before our very eyes, and I could not but feel the impact of this type of life on Shakespeare’s plays which abound in lyrical descriptions of Nature, country pleasures, queer beliefs and superstitions  and folklore of those times. The custodians of this building organized nature trails, and demonstration shows so as to re-create the atmosphere those times and give a wealth of information about that age. Just beside this farm there was another farmhouse of Arden’s neighbor, Adam Palmer, called now “Palmer’s Farm”. It was acquired by Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1930. At first the authorities mistook Adams Farm as the residence of Mary Arden and only in 2000 they were able to find out the authentic building of Mary Arden. Arden’s Farm was taken under care by Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust in 1968 just as an adjoining building to Arden’s Farm. After 2000 they found out that it was the real residence of Mary Arden’s family. The rural Farm House with a spacious garden surrounded by woods and with enclosures for various animals and birds and the practical demonstration of country customs and various household activities enlighten and entertain all visitors irrespective of age and temperament.

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    25th May, 2014                                            Somaseshu Gutala

My visit to Anne Hathaway's Cottage at Shottery

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Anne Hathaway

   
           

Approach road to the cottage

Side view of the Cottage

Garden around the cottage

        

Anne Hathaway'a couch

Buttery

Parlour

 Just one mile away from Stratford-upon-Avon, located in the hamlet of Shottery,-- a picturesque spot with green woods and trees—is seen. That spot has become a tourist centre not just because of its natural beauty but because it was the native village of Anne Hathaway, the charming rustic lady, who made the famous bard fall in love with her and marry her, though he was younger than her by eight years. The marriage took place in a hurried manner as she was pregnant and the families on both sides wished to avoid getting bad name.

 We saw Anne Hathaway’s cottage—a farm house in Tudor style—built with walls of puddle mud, wattles and horse hair plaster with a thatched roof, having many jutting chimneys. The house has twelve rooms surrounded by beautiful gardens on both sides bordered with woods. The entrance hall served as a drawing room. Beside the fire place there was an elm-boarded settle (bench). It is said that Shakespeare used to sit here while courting his rustic mistress. On either side of the hall there is a kitchen and a room for buttery. There is a room for storing ale and provisions. The Elizabethans often drank ale instead of water as the water was not pure and they thought that it would make them sick. In the kitchen one can see a oven built into the brick wall with a wooden door in front. There are six bed rooms on upstairs. In one of the rooms there is a wooden bed with decorative carvings where Anne used to sleep. Next to Anne’s bed there is a plain-looking chair called “Shakespeare’s Chair.”

  Anne, the eldest of the eight children, though illiterate, learnt domestic work and other types of work. Her father, Richard Hathaway, a prosperous landlord and friend of Shakespeare’s father, had not lived to witness his daughter’s marriage with William Shakespeare. He died in September, 1581. Anne, already pregnant with a child, married in November, 1582 at Temple Grafton, a place just five miles from Stratford. This farm house called at that time as “New Land Farm” was later labeled as “Hathaway’s Cottage”. This spacious house was built in 1460s and was later extended till 1623. Nearly ninety-six acres of land were attached to this house. One can find the typical model of a country landlord’s house of Tudor times with simple furniture, farming tools and wooden beams supporting the roof. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust acquired it in 1892. Many plants along with a sculpture garden make this place more attractive and fascinating to the visitors.
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     17th May, 2014                                                                  Somaseshu Gutala