Janet, The Happy Wanderer: From Worcester

Worcester was an interesting time. I visited the "Tudor house" where a lady regaled me with stories of characters and icons of the town. When I think of Worcester my mind goes to the China. I spent quite a few hours going through the Royal Worcester China museum, sounds boring I know, but was actually very interesting. Sadly though, the China is now longer manufactured here, but has been outsourced to somewhere in Asia.

As a child we used to have what we called hot sauce, otherwise known as Lea and Perrin's Worcestershire sauce. It wasn't till my visit here that the penny dropped that this is where it comes from! The sauce is still shipped all around the world, and apparently there are only four people at the factory who know the recipe. Worcester was also famed for its cloth and for glove making.
People reading this of a certain age would know of Vesta Tilley and the Tilley girls (dancers). She was born in Worcester. We lived next door to one of the original Tilley girls when we lived in New Zealand, a tiny wee lady well into her nineties at that time.

Leaving Worcester I followed the River Severn and back lanes to Kempsey, only five miles down the road. This short distance meant that I didn't have to make an early start and so I went to church, making an unintended grand entrance! On the Friday evening I wangled my way into the carol service at the cathedral. It was ticket (free) only, but I turned up announced that I was an Australian and had only just arrived and thus didn't have chance to get a ticket. They let me in and I got a seat right down the front where I was able to see the choir and the conductor, and was treated to some beautiful Christmas music. Thus on Sunday I decided to attend the only Methodist church in the city which turned out to be very similar to the central mission in Adelaide.

Unbeknownst to me the entrance to the church was at the front, and as I had got caught up with the wheelchair basketballers taking a selfie, which made me about 5 mins late, I made a very prominent entrance complete with my pack etc! I had hoped I'd know the hymns, but apart from Silent Night that was not to be. I didn't even know the Charles Wesley one! Still, I was made very welcome and eventually hit the road at midday.

I started by following the River Severn, but when I got to the muddy part I decided to give it a miss and headed off on some back roads, taking the long way but the day was so pleasant I didn't mind.

I have become a great fan of the garden centres which I have passed along the way, for three reasons, none of which are connected to plants or gardens. The first is that they are on the way and don't require me to detour to access them (mind you, it could be said that in many cases I'm already on a detour!), the second is access to toilet facilities, and the third is that they are generally a source of tasty, cheap food (and coffee). They usually also have WiFi, and on several occasions I have been able to Skype family. On this day I managed to get a Sunday Roast at the garden centre (I'm also a fan of the Sunday lunch, a roast - available at most pubs on Sundays, and as I discovered, even the garden centre's!).

The next day, just as I was feeling quite jaded, I came across another garden centre. Coffee and a snack was the boost I needed for the last few kms into Tewkesbury, an absolutely delightful little town. Apart from the lovely half timbered buildings peppering the village it's claim to fame is its magnificent abbey which was across the road from my very old hotel.

The night before the locals couldn't really help me with suggested paths to take, and so using google maps I wound my way along back lanes. Having seen how muddy the Severn Way was I decided that, though it might be more direct, it would take considerably longer to slip and slide along this way. I still had about six miles to get to Tewkesbury, when I came across a couple weeding a future Christmas tree patch. They gave me directions to follow the footpath across the fields thereby cutting about two miles off my route. I had to negotiate a couple of mud patches, growing several inches as it clung to my boots, but it was considerably shorter.

The nezt day I decided to follow a man's advice that I met in the pub and follow a little of the Severn Way. Negotiating the mud at the beginning was fairly easy, and then the path kept pretty well to a sort of levee bank with fairly firm ground underfoot............. until a fence with a locked gate. The only way through the fence was down by the river through a little pedestrian gate, with the only access an ankle deep mud puddle! Needless to say, after that I stuck to the back lanes heading into Gloucester, stopping at the beautiful saxon parish church of St Mary at Deerhurst, where I had a good sing! The. River Severn is prone to flooding, and it is quite high a present. Apparently last year it flooded with many buildings (including a pub I stopped in) being inundated.

I have enjoyed spending a few days rest here in Gloucester, but will tell you more of that in the next post. I have done well over 1,500 kilometres, and now feel as if I am on the homeward stretch.

Worcester Cathedral (above photos)

Heading out of Worcester along the River Severn. The tall spire on the right is all that remains of a church, and is known as "the glovers needle", in reference to the glove making industry that once flourished in this city.