Day 7a: Give my regards…

We’re up to Thursday now… only today and tomorrow before we have to end our English holiday and return home.

Today’s morning and afternoon adventures take us through the beautiful Cotswolds region of the English Midlands. The Cotswolds are to England what the Hill Country west of Austin is to Texas… if you throw in a number of really cool little villages with pubs, shopping, and scenery!!!

Kathy and I toured a number of the Cotswold villages the last time (Broadway, Chipping Campden, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, etc.), but we’ll be concentrating on the first two of that list this time with the kids. So… we make it to Broadway mid-morning and park. It’s another glorious English summer day – although a tad bit hazier than it has been earlier in the week.

So… up and down Broadway’s “High Street” we go!

There’s a very interesting memorial in the middle of the village for those lost in WWI.

The individual names were inscribed around the bottom of the memorial.

Since we purposely had a very light breakfast and were planning a later lunch, we stopped for a mid-morning cream tea (tea with scones plus clotted cream and jam!!!) at a great little shop in Broadway… here’s what’s left!!!

This is what it looks like before-hand… from our 2001 visit!!!

The houses, shops, hedges, and gardens are all picturesque… so I “picture-esque” them:

Most of the buildings had authentic slate roofs!!

In 2001, I… um… “acquired” a street sign from Broadway. Everywhere in England you can see “No Fouling”, “Please do not allow your dog to foul”, etc. signs… they’re effectively a “if your dog poops, pick it up” reminder!

I loved how polite they were… so… I own one from five years ago.

When we walked past the spot where the sign *USED* to be… I noticed… Wow! The spot was still “sign-less”. I feel only slightly guilty.

Julian wanted his own sign, but they’ve gotten smarter and now have them strapped with metal bands to the light poles… ha!

Good advice:

… and a variation on “Mind the Gap!”

Some more touring (and pictures) later, we head to the Horse and Hound pub for lunch!

… and bid farewell to the village of Broadway. Next up is the famous Broadway Tower and the village of Chipping Campden.