An afternoon in Evesham

We finally broke down and rented a car this week. I'm glad we waited awhile, as its given Ronnie time to become somewhat familiar with the area on his bike rides and also to get an idea of what to expect, road and traffic wise. And it was definitely a good idea to take a lesson first. It's not only learning to drive on the "proper" side of the road, but learning to keep it in the middle of a very narrow lane without knocking a mirror off either side! And every bit as important, it's learning the rules of traffic and what the different road signs mean. And last but not least, many of the roads are only wide enough for one car at a time, so drivers must know when to stop or pull off and when they have the right of way. Needless to say, it's important to know this stuff before jumping behind the wheel and driving into traffic.

our temporary wheels - Vauxhall Astra

Anyway, these last 3 days we've had so much fun driving around the countryside and visiting different villages and towns, each with its own personality. The narrow streets (even the two lane highways) and speed of the drivers make it somewhat risky, though not nearly as risky as being on a bicycle with cars coming from both directions and no shoulder or bike lane!

Regal Theater, Evesham

Today we drove over to the town of Evesham to see a movie at the Regal Cinema, a very old, but recently refurbished theater. Evesham has quite a long and interesting history, being founded around an 8th century abbey (see link at bottom). It was much larger than we expected, with a population of more than 23,000.

welcome to the Regal

The foyer of the theater was small and unimpressive. Decor consisted of an abundance of framed movie prints displayed up the winding staircase. There were no concessions, but light meals could be purchased in an adjoining eatery. We weren't interested in antipasto or a cheese or pate tray and nothing else looked even remotely appetizing so Ronnie settled on a bag of "store bought" popcorn for 3.50 pounds (about $6).

2 seniors, please (one of the perks of getting old!)

We had a choice of either sitting at one of the candlelit table downstairs or climbing 3 flights of stairs to the regular theater seating. We chose the regular seating and I must say the chairs were roomy and comfortable and there was none of the musty odor that many theaters have, especially the older ones. Even the bathroom was large, modern and clean with a huge bouquet of white lilies! There were probably a dozen people in the entire theater including us. We saw "Belle" and I'm giving it 2 thumbs up. That's saying a lot since I find very few movies worth the price of a ticket these days.

climbing to the top floor

new seating, new everything

tables and chairs on lower level, theater seating upper level

After the movie, we crossed the bridge over the Avon River and walked up High Street to find something to eat. Neither of us was in the mood for traditional British food but we were about to settle on fish and chips when I spotted a Subway!! It was the first chain restaurant we've seen since leaving the states so we bee lined it right in. Ronnie was thrilled to have some "real" dill pickles, something he's really missed here.

now that's some old technology!

view from 19th century Workman's Bridge

hmm...

Ronnie ruled out pasties

kidney pie? no, thanks

lose 1/2 stone?

After a late lunch, we headed back toward the theater and our car, stopping at several food stores along the way in hopes of finding some good dill pickles. No luck, but we did have fun browsing in a polish grocery store where there were no recognizable brands and all packaging was written in....you guessed it....polish. We picked up a few things and drove back to Stow, calling it a good day.

 

view up High Street

Gents Hair Stylist

I wish we'd had time to visit the Abbey but it was getting late and Ronnie was worried about getting in heavy traffic. I hope to learn more about the style of architecture pictured below. I have heard it called both Tudor and chocolate box. I read that Tudor style architecture was "the final development of medieval architecture in England (Tudor period 1485-1603)" so it's safe to say that these are not only old but pretty remarkable structures!

look crooked? it's not your eyes!

PS We probably had to go through 8 or so roundabouts today and Ronnie did great! All mirrors intact and not even one close call. Thank you, Lord!!

For more on Evesham click here.