Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross?

We never did make it through Banbury Cross, only kept circumnavigating it, but it did make me think of the nursery rhyme. We also never made a visit to Stratford, for a couple of reasons.

After a lovely supper in Warwick we arrived back to the car to find a note left on the windscreen with a name and number, and an apology that our wing mirror had been knocked and partially smashed.

We were amazed that someone had owned up to it and duly text the number. A little more complicated as first thought as it was done by the gentleman's swiss friends who were driving a hire care!

Anyway, we can send his insurance company the bill when we get it fixed apparently . Lucky we can still use the mirror otherwise it would have made driving on the motorways a little tricky.

We left Warwick the next morning planning to stop off in Stratford upon Avon and view a few sites, but the weather wasn't good at all, and we knew we had limited time once in Oxford.

The decision not to visit Stratford was taken by me, ( from the back seat) as after 20 or so minutes of driving south we realised we'd left an important piece of equipment at the the hotel and had to turn around and go back to retrieve it .......

I'm not going to say what it was, but it belonged to my husband.

Keeping calm and carrying on "we"therefore decided to drive straight into Oxford, we had a small B and B booked with parking just outside the town, and thought that we would make the most of town sites particularly as it was still inclement weather.

A drift down the river on a punt, we timed it beautifully , managing to outwit the 60 or so young students who rocked up after us, and a wander around Oxford castle , mount and a bit of the town.

Obviously everywhere is busy as its half term and exam week, but a lovely place to spend time in, and Steve visited a few haunting grounds as he spent time there with his best friend, way back 40 years ago.

Leaving Oxford the next morning in better weather we detoured around the farm and villages that Steve had worked on whilst at College, although landscapes have changed the quaint little villages were much the same, it's a beautiful part of the country, particularly at this time of year with all the fresh green growth.

Down into Bath, and again it's a lovely place, as usual we are drawn to the river and after only being in town for twenty minutes decided to take another little trip upstream to Bathhampton Mill.

Tried to keep a look out for kingfishers or otters, but no luck, did however see a heron, mind you I often swim with them around Bel Val in Jersey, those and egrets.

Back at the hotel Steve jumped in a taxi and headed out to Bristol airport , he had a flight to catch back to Jersey as he is in court tomorrow being sworn in for another term as Deputy of St Martin.

This leaves Bex and I for some girl time, and we used the opportunity to catch up with a young friend and her two lovely daughters. We enjoyed a cup of tea in the gardens before the heavens opened and everything got very wet!!

Not bothering to eat out again last night it was a picnic in the room, ( lovely view over the river, not like us to actually get a room with a view!) and chilling out together.

Today we will see what the weather does but possibilities are an open topped hop on/hop off bus ride, an art gallery, or possibly the old Roman baths .

My husband promises he will be back to 'rescue ' the two maidens locked in the tower by this evening when he flies back into Bristol. Failing that I shall drive down to Dorset with my co navigator ......

Or not.

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