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Susan's ScrapbookMemories of Tetbury
Okay..so we left Bethie's late wednesday afternoon & headed over to Kendal,
Cumbria, which is on the west coast. My grandpa's cousin lives there, so we
stayed with her for 3 nights...We did a few tours of the area, absolutley
gorgeous!! Lakes, hills, trees, sheep, heather, you name it!! Everything you
would expect the countryside of England to be. I kept thinking of Elton's
lyrics about Diana's footsteps  on England's greenest hills, for I am sure
that is where they would be...
Do you know how much it cost for internet access there?? 1 pound for 10
minutes & 2 pounds for 30 minutes!!! Outrageous!!!!
There wern't any Diana things to see there, although my relative gave me
some old clippings she had saved from the wedding & a spoon from the
wedding. Once she saw all the stuff Bethie gave me she felt her gift was
pathetic..But I told her I love it all the same!!
We headed south from there on the saturday morning, we were heading for a
town called Shewsbury, Shropshire??. A very old city with tudor style
buildings, cobblestone roads, ruins of a castle, etc.
after getting lost numerous times, & even ending up back at Manchester
Airport, (don't ask!!) We found our b&b & got settled in there for two
nights.
It was a lovely town, so old England! We had a great time exploring all the
little streets!! I even found a tree planted in Diana's memory that was
basically a stump..that didn't impress me.
From Shewsbury we headed south again on the following monday morning, this
time headed for Tetbury, Gloucester. Now you all must know what is near
Tetbury...Highgrove house of course!! That is why I told mom to go there!!
We found our way there just fine..I stayed at a b&b in Didmartin, which is
only a few miles from Tetbury & Highgrove. As soon as we got settled I
headed off to find Highgrove. The lady at the b&b told me what to look for,
but said I wouldn't see the house as the trees are all grown up now. When
they were first married you could see the house from the road. So we headed
off down the road. The entrances (there are two of them) are right off the
main road, no wonder they had no privacy at first. the roads are so narrow
you can't pull over...& there are pilons in front of the gates so you can't
pull over in front of the gates, either. So I had mom pull into the busstop
up the road, then I walked back to have a look. She was right ..all you
could see was trees, no sign of any house!! But I took pix of the gates &
grabbed some leaves & pebbles for souveneirs!!There is a high stone fence
all along the road as well, very private.
Then we headed into the town of Tetbury & wandered around there. I kept
imagining Diana popping into town for sweets & things. The lady at our b&b
told me she would see her often in town, one time she was waiting for a lady
to leave so she could get her parking spot..& noticed how striking the lady
was...Then thought oh my gosh it's Diana!!
She also said that Charles often walks alone along the roads near there, &
even attends church in their town, some of her guests have bumped into him
on their walks. That's when mom said "Oh wouldn't you like that" & I said
"I'd rather see Diana.." but I had to watch what I said about Charles as
these are his neighbours & all...
As we wandered about the town I noticed the royal warrants above some of the
buildings...They receive it if a member of the royal family deals there for
5 consecutive years. So that was interesting.
We went in the bakery that also sold sweets & I said to mom.."I bet this is
where Diana bought sweets, I have a photo of her coming out of a sweet shop
here". I didn't ask because it was a young girl working who would no nothing
about the 80's!!
I'm going to finish this here..when I come back I will tell you about the
local man we met who told me some Diana stories...
keeping you in suspense!!
Here we are in good old Tetbury!!
We were on the main street looking across at the church, !! when this old
fellow stopped & asked us if we had visited the church. We said yes, & how
lovely it was, etc. Then he started rambling on about how a certain
landowner in the area has given instructions that the trees are never to get
too tall, as he wished to see the church steeple ...
from his bedroom window...
I wasn't really paying attention to him, as I was too busy picturing Diana
walking down the street...until he laughed & said how Prince Charles is such
a wonderful man, & has done so much for Tetbury, etc. So then I realized
that Charles was the landowner he was talking about!!
Then he said that Tetbury is known as "Diana's town", but what a lovely
couple he & Camilla are , & that they love to see the steeple from THEIR bed
etc etc. So I told him that I was in Tetbury because of Diana, but I didn't
want to bad mouth Charles ..you can get more info that way!!
I then asked him if the bakery I had just been in (& across the street from
us) was the one Diana would visit, & he said yes it was.
He lives directly
across from the bakery, in an upstairs apartment, & he told me whenever he
had company over on a Sunday,  he would tell them to look out the window at a
certain time, & they would see Diana pull up in this great big range rover,
with a huge bodyguard in the back (trying to be inconspicuos). She was
bringing the boys in for icecream..did it on a regular basis.
I asked if they see the boys around much, & he said they do come into the
town, but with alot of security. If you happen to see them you are to look
the other way. Charles & William both come into "the Snooty Fox"  the hotel's pub
for a pint now & then. That's also where Harry got in trouble for drinking,
he said.
He also told us how Diana would hide around the side of the church on a
Saturday & watch the weddings come out, no one in the wedding knew she was
there!!
He went on again about Camilla, blah blah blah.
I said Diana & Charles should never have married, but it was a fairytale at
the time, everyone got caught up in it. He agreed. Then he mentioned about
Charle's gates being a wedding gift from Tetbury. etc.
He also said how they had a lady working at the tourist info who would tell
people Charles didn't live there! He said they got rid of her,( of course
their star resident would increase the tourism & $$ in their town, which is
my feeling).
So then he bid us good day & was off...I really enjoyed that bit with the
local!!
So then I had to go back into the sweet shop & buy an icecream after all
that!! I just stood there & couldn't believe she had done the same thing! We
also bought some scones...I saved the bag!!
From there we headed back to the car..had a good look at the pub where he
said the boys & Charles go
!! Really neat!!
We ended up going in there for supper the next night, had fish & chips in
the pub!! Didn't see any princes tho! There is a back room where we sat to
eat, I'll bet that is where they go for privacy. I didn't want to ask...I'll leave off here, & continue later!!
~~Susan~~
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