Day 25 - Return to Evesham

The title of today’s blog sounds like a movie title! Actually it was a day of practical accomplishments. Our flat in Moreton-in-Marsh (from now on I will refer to our new town as MiM) is furnished but it was in need of certain items to make it seem more like our own place.   While MiM has shops that provide most of the basic needs, we really had to go to a town where we could shop at the larger store chains. So off to Evesham (a 20-minute train ride) to find the B&Q (England’s answer to Home Depot) so that we could find a selection of drapes, duvet sets and other items to decorate the flat. We also dropped into some of the more-sizeable charity shops to find “the find.” What do I mean by that? Well, in Canada we have shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army stores which take donated goods and resell them at discounted prices, but in the U.K. there are many charity shop brands: Cancer Society, British Heart Foundation, Sue Ryder Foundation etc., etc., etc. These shops are iconic in this country; and one can find some real treasures, or as I refer to them, “the find.” For us, it was a lovely tea pot which we were in need of -- real china and made in England. 

As would be the case, the B&Q was a 30-minute hike from the centre of Evesham, but the weather was holding up for us, so why not? The location was part of what is termed in England as a “retail estate” but for us Canadians it is not dissimilar to our big box retailer locations where WalMart can be found with Canadian Tire, Lowes, Best Buy…you get what I am talking about. 

Like in Canada, these retail models have killed the High Street (most commercial districts in in the center of English towns are located along the Main Street – as our American cousins would say – and in the UK this section of the town is commonly called the High Street). In fact, in Evesham’s High Street, there is the Riverside Shopping Center which is an inside mall with various exits into the downtown area but it’s retail space is perhaps a third full with former tenants such as Woolworth’s long gone.

The one nice thing about having to venture that far to shop was the fact that it inspires one to fine alternative routes back. In this case, we chose a longer, but more picturesque route, through bike paths and foot paths adjacent to a small stream that made its way into the Avon River. We found the riverside walk and made our way back to the train station, shopping bags in both hands.  

I swear it was only 30 seconds inside our flat before Ange had everything out of the bags and sorted. By suppertime, the new duvet covers, pillows, curtains and various purchased items were in place. Our mark was made.

But one thing was still missing -- a post-dinner evening stroll through Moreton-in-Marsh under a light mist and stopping at the Bell Inn to peak in on the band playing live music. The town was enjoying its Saturday night but at the same time it seemed more tranquil than during the day when it is typically bustling with shoppers and traffic. We stopped at the Black Bear pub for an evening drink and some joking around with the Landlord. I wonder if he realized that he will have six months of these crazy Canucks!

Ale of the Day: Cotswold Gold, Donnington Brewery, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire