Yesterday, Clare and I met some friends at Cherry Reds in Kings Heath for breakfast. The cafe was busy but it didn't take long before I got my veggie breakfast and lovely it was too! It was a really nice way to spend a Saturday morning.
Our friends suggested a bit of trip out and after some deliberation we settled on Tewkesbury. We all piled into the car and headed off. I can't remember if I've been there before and as we looked for somewhere to park I was looking forward to having a wander around the antique shops and delicatessens.
Unfortunately, as we didn't arrive until the afternoon, our time there was limited. We browsed around some of the antiques shops and I bought a couple of chilli sauces from a deli. The one, Spontaneous Combustion, actually has a warning printed on the bottle!After having a look around a great antiques place (fantastic assortment of vinyl records - I could have spent a fortune!) we found ourselves in the bar at The Bell Hotel. A lovely little place that dates from around the 17th Century. As time we getting on, after a quick drink, Clare and I popped over the road to have a look at the Abbey.
The Abbey was consecrated in the 1121 with further works in the15th Century. It boasts the largest Norman Tower in the world at some 14m square and 45m high. On the inside it reminded me of Hereford Cathedral albeit a bit smaller. It's an impressive building and I stood and watched the sun going down behind the West window. It was a beautiful sight to see, the sun in the bottom left hand pane, the rest of the stained glass lit up. The window itself dates from 1886 and was made by John Hardman and Company. It depicts the life of Jesus Christ.
The grounds around the Abbey are lovely and after a quick walk around we popped back over the road to have a look at the river. Unfortunately the view wasn't as nice as I'd hoped.
With the shops closing it was time to make our way back to the car and head home.
