Friday: using our bargain pass
We started our Friday morning as we do every morning: The Mister makes us quite tasty American-style coffee in a French press (there's no coffee maker in our cottage) and we sit in bed drinking our coffee and planning the day.
Friday we used our National Trust membership cards for the first time.
The National Trust is a conservation charity which protects places around the UK -- manor homes, gardens, and other country side places. An annual membership gives you free admission to all the National Trust locations, and with the "thumbs up" from our friend Kate who purchased her own membership for her trip to England, we got our membership in February.
Our first use of the pass: Snowshill Manor, located in the Cotswolds.
It is a sixteenth century country house, purchased by Charles Wade, an eccentric man who amassed an enormous collection of objects that
interested him. He gave the property to the National Trust in 1951, and
his collection is still housed there.
Outside, the grounds are gorgeous and you can stroll anywhere...
But inside the manor is quite bizarre! Charles collected things -- keys, masks, armor, kiddie conveyances, musical instruments, bicycles, black kettles -- and it was room after room of sometimes very odd assortments, presented exactly as he wanted it to be displayed, before his death.
He had over 4,000 items of costumes, and you were allowed to try on some but I just pretended to give myself a Jane Austen look.
Earl tried some armor!
We enjoyed Snowshill Manor ... and had an interesting talk about the drive to own THINGS THINGS THINGS over tea in the town of Broadway, which we visited next.
Broadway is a sweet town -- I told Earl it's the "Oakwood" of the Cotswolds. My local friends will understand the reference.
BTW, you might noticed we had to wear winter coats Friday but at long as it's not raining (which it hasn't done since we arrived) we don't complain.
Before I say goodnight, I want to show you this sign I spotted at an outdoor display at a market store in Broadway -- the Brits have their own way of expressing themselves.
One last entry, by special request from my grandson, Andrew. Here is a photo of some of the old-fashioned keys in the collection at Snowshill.
Friday we used our National Trust membership cards for the first time.
The National Trust is a conservation charity which protects places around the UK -- manor homes, gardens, and other country side places. An annual membership gives you free admission to all the National Trust locations, and with the "thumbs up" from our friend Kate who purchased her own membership for her trip to England, we got our membership in February.
Our first use of the pass: Snowshill Manor, located in the Cotswolds.
Outside, the grounds are gorgeous and you can stroll anywhere...
But inside the manor is quite bizarre! Charles collected things -- keys, masks, armor, kiddie conveyances, musical instruments, bicycles, black kettles -- and it was room after room of sometimes very odd assortments, presented exactly as he wanted it to be displayed, before his death.
He had over 4,000 items of costumes, and you were allowed to try on some but I just pretended to give myself a Jane Austen look.
Earl tried some armor!
We enjoyed Snowshill Manor ... and had an interesting talk about the drive to own THINGS THINGS THINGS over tea in the town of Broadway, which we visited next.
Broadway is a sweet town -- I told Earl it's the "Oakwood" of the Cotswolds. My local friends will understand the reference.
BTW, you might noticed we had to wear winter coats Friday but at long as it's not raining (which it hasn't done since we arrived) we don't complain.
Before I say goodnight, I want to show you this sign I spotted at an outdoor display at a market store in Broadway -- the Brits have their own way of expressing themselves.
One last entry, by special request from my grandson, Andrew. Here is a photo of some of the old-fashioned keys in the collection at Snowshill.
Andrew wishes he could see some of the old keys! What a neat place to visit.
ReplyDeleteTell Andrew I added a photo of the keys at the very end of the post!
DeleteAndrew says, "Thank you!"
Delete