Did You Miss the Winchester Trip?
Well, if you did miss the "Winchester" trip you missed another most enjoyable day - that`s what all the passengers said!
We left St. Margarets Bus Station in Leicester as usual and travelled Southwards, with the weather getting brighter and kinder as we proceeded.
I always stop for coffee during the morning, at a place other than motorway services. This time it was a new stop, which had been recommended to me by one of my coach driver friends.
It was at The Wharf in Newbury, beside the canal and close to the town centre and market place. Most of the party had coffee etc at the tea shop here, and some had a look at the Tourist Information Centre next door, as well as looking at the pretty canal with its resident swans.
From Newbury it was not very far to Winchester, and as normal I led the Guided Walk straight away. This is an excellent old city, with a great deal of historical interest. For example it was an important Roman town, and preceded London as capital of England.
I showed the party Winchester Cathedral, obviously, but also some real gems such as the unique (I believe) St. Swithun`s Church above Kingsgate, the hidden St. Lawrence`s Church and the Round Table on the wall of the Great Hall.
I personally had coffee and a scone at the excellent cafe in the Cathedral Visitor Centre, and so did lots of others on my recommendation.
Later on, I had a stroll along the water meadows to St. Cross Hospital and back, and had a coffee at the pleasant department store known as C & H Furnishings.
On the way back, we stopped at Newport Pagnell Services.
My Visitors` Book attracted such comments as "enjoyable and informative", "many thanks for a wonderful day", "Winchester had something of interest round every corner" and "a very enjoyable day, indicative of the effort put into the preparation".
Some of the forthcoming trips that you will not want to miss are "Norwich"; the fabulous "Maldon and the Dengie Hundred"; "Warwick and Coventry"; "Southwold" and "Fosse Way Tour".
Posted by colin on Thursday 5th February, 2009 at 9:13am