Greetings from the Cotswolds!
Yesterday’s scheduled rest day in Chipping Campden gave me a chance to visit with a long-time friend of the family who lives in Moreton-in-Marsh, a village about ten miles away. Unfortunately, Gwen has been displaced from her home courtesy of the widespread flooding here in the UK. 
She is staying with friends she knows from her church, but it’s hard on her being uprooted, especially as she is 90-something years old! Fortunately, Gwen’s daughter was here on holiday when the flooding happened, so she was able to make sure things were handled as best as could be, and the couple that Gwen is staying with are truly pleasant. I don’t see how she could be in better hands.
All told, Gwen has been lucky. The flooding in her house was only about four-inches deep, but that is enough to require that all her downstairs carpeting will need replacing, plus much of her furniture and nearly her entire kitchen. It is enough to be giving me flash-backs of what other friends went through courtesy of Katrina here in the States. Flooding is such a messy business, and what has been reported on the news, even here in the UK, understates just how widespread and disastrous the damage has been.
As far as my adventures in Britain are concerned, today I begin Phase II of my Walking
Holiday as I meet up with other walkers, abandoning independence and becoming part of a group of strangers to be shepherded across the Cotswolds, then later down to Bath. Of my new, temporary “clan” of walkers, I only know our guides, Beck Cunningham and Anne Lloyd. They were the guides for Country Walkers last year when I went to Wales so I know that while in their care we shall receive nothing but the best that British hospitality has to offer.
Not only is my status altered, but the character of the countryside is different, too. The greens here are richer and deeper and the weather (when it’s not flooding) is gentler and more temperate. The people here are different, as well. Because the Cotswolds are a very popular tourist stop, the locals are more jaded than those in the Northern countryside. It’s not as bad as being in the city, but there is an initial distrust extended toward strangers that makes me miss the warmth of pub life from the villages along the Wall. (You should have seen the look this one woman gave me when I was smelling a rose in one of the gardens! Talk about giving someone the evil eye! Sheesh!)
Gotta run - Cheerio!
B
August 14th, 2007 at 2:39 am
Welcome Home
I am at Heathrow as I wait for my flight at 12:40. On Sunday I went to Bristol for the day and then to London on Monday.
Best
Ned
August 14th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Glad to see that you made it to my bailiwick - the Cotswolds. My nephew lives in Chipping Sodbury! My cousin lives in Gloucester, my niece right close to the Staverton aerodrome where I worked during WWII. That was where refuelling in flight was invented (I worked for the inventor, Sir Alan Cobham). Also, Sir Frank Whittle who perfected the jet engines flew his planes over the aerodrome. It was weird seing black smoke emanating from the rear and absolutely sure that he was crashing another plane! He worked for Gloster Aircraft, so did my twin brother. Little did we know what he was test flying. Sorry you had the experience of jaded villagers due to too much tourism. But it is called the Garden of Britain for very good reason, it is beautiful. And they have the ancient Roman Fosse Way that we cycled to Belas Knapp. Am proud that you saw it anyway - I belonged to the Ramblers Club when I lived there. Thanks for sharing.
August 18th, 2007 at 4:17 am
What a treat to hear from you! As two of the Country Walkers Clan, we enjoyed immensely our time in the Cotswolds with you. What a great group we were and our guides were wonderful. Our best to you until we meet again.
Earl and Pava
August 29th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Thanks, you wrote wonderfull.