Bartimaeus

Tewkesbury Abbey was prominent on the sky line so was almost our first tourist destination though we had to pass bridges, old mills and some timbered buildings to get there. The abbey was immediately impressive with it's lofty painted roof - there was a mirror to help those who didn't want to strain their neck looking at it.

Formerly a monastery, it is now a parish church since the Dissolution, but maintains the name of abbey. As well as all the memorial plaques, banners, dignitary cenotaphs, and chapels, the current active church was evidence in seasonal adornment. The font was decorated with a harvest thanksgiving theme. 

There were fresh flowers by the very fine altar screen, not that much adornment was needed. The organ there was amazing too. 

Many stories and items were explained around the church, a chapel to Queen Margaret of Scotland with the Pelican of Piety (a strange connection), a display of fragments of medieval painted stone sculptures and random pieces of preserved stonework, that looked like it had been left lying around except that it had a notice describing angels depicted with harp and bagpipes, describing how the pipes are being incorrectly held.

One story struck me as particularly poignant. During the War of the Roses, the Lancastrians sought sanctuary in the abbey, when the battle was lost. The Yorkists came in and continued fighting until the Abbot stepped in. 

We found that there was a cafe near the abbey, to refresh us before heading for more history. It was run by volunteers with home baking, called the Touching Souls Cafe. Outside was a statue, also called Touching Souls.

A museum in a row of timber framed houses, the longest unbroken row of its kind in the country apparently had three museums. The first was about a local naturalist and author, John Moore, who had advocated for nature and wildlife and against pesticides as well as written many fictional pieces. The upper floor had many exhibits to interest the naturalist, as well as tools of those caring for the land and  hedgerows. I enjoyed looking at all the skulls and stuffed animals and reading more about them. The introduced American mink is chiefly responsible for the decline of the water vole, the fastest declining mammal in Britain.

We were then led through attractive gardens to another house in the row which is made into The Merchant's House museum which was filled with interesting exibits of daily life and crafts. Visitors were allowed to handle items, lie on the bed and try on clothes. Our genial guide, after a short talk, stayed around and answered any questions we had. When we were done, he locked up and went for lunch. 

The Jelly Roll cafe attracted us by it's name and gave us a splendid lunch. I hadn't ordered frittata before, but had heard of it from a recipe in a book compiled by the the towsfolk of where I grew up to celebrate it's bicetenery in 1976. I remembered my primary school art teacher had put the entry of a frittata, which included capers, rather adventurous for rteh '70s and not in our kitchen, in The Manse. I had never attempted it. The waiting staff wasn't sure what it was, but I very much enjoyed it - so much so I recommended it to ladies at another table, who also were wondering what it was. I have that recipe book on board but the ingredients were not quite the same as at The Jelly Roll - no capers - a variety of flavours can be added I am sure.

Another museum was nearby but close to closing but the lady let us stay as she wasn't rushing home. We liked the fairground exhibit and I liked the small room about brownies, not cakes, but a display of uniforms through the decades, badges and handbooks. The first two early uniforms explained what type of Brownie  Six they belonged to, a pixie and an elf, from the badge but the third only gave the era. It was just my era and also my Six so I was able to identify the Gnome badge, brandishing a broom. 'We are the little gnomes, helping people in their homes". 

Upstairs was a detailed description of the Battle of Tewkesbury. The queen, Margaret (not Queen Margaret of Scotland) had arrived from France, hoping to regain control, to find her husband the king imprisoned and the man who had been her main support and ally, killed. She led her army, towards the battle. It did not go well, a decisive defeat. Her only son, only 17 was killed in the battle. Fleeing troops drowned in the Severn, not much surprise if they were armoured. The imprisoned king Henry IV, her husband died (possibly murdered) soon after. The monks helped her get away, on horseback, but she was caught and imprisoned then ransomed to the king of France and sent back there. 

We also, the next day had a walk to the site of the battle and followed some of the trail.  I don't think it helped us understand it any better. We were unsurprisingly beside the Severn. I was surprised at a sign, beside one about fishing in general need for fishing permits, that specifically referred to elvers. I thought they would be covered by the fishing rules but they had  their own rules. I didn't even know it was a verb. 

It was one of several walks by the Severn, over the visit. We had already gone on our first day and been there again in the morning to take in The Bore that Shane predicted. 

Back in town we managed to go to the Baptist Church, the last of the museums that we had already paid for the day before, but not seen. It was in a different building and we were taken there by the woman who had sold us the tickets. We had no receipt but they looked like they would have trusted us anyway. She had to go to the chapel to set up for a school group the next day. She had a rubber dismembered hand. I sensed a Halloween theme. She told us she'd had two children faint at her talks so she said she might have to tone down her talk. The old building had been dwelling houses or businesses but had been bought and used as a secret Baptist  or non-conformist church. There was a hole in the floor with steps going down, not a crypt or wine cellar, but a full immersion baptism pool. They became able to worship publicly with the Act Of Toleration.

On this floor was a lot of history of religious differences, changes and punishments, through the centuries, usually led by the monarch, but also influencing who could be monarch, including the Civil War which included fundamental religious differences.

We were encouraged to explore ourselves after her short talk and upstairs again we could handle items and put clothes on. I donned a few items. I was having another trip back to school days remembering an action song learnt in German class, Mein Hut Der hat drei Ecken ("My hat that has three corners") Somewhat like "Heads, shoulders, knees and toes", there are actions and with each successive verse one less word is sung and is replaced by the actions. I resisted doing the whole routine. It would have made a great addition to the Brownie uniform though.