Decided to go to Chester with Allan and Dot – this is an old Roman town which still has the ruins of the Roman Gardens visible.
We walked around the quaint, narrow streets, browsing in various shops and buying some bits and pieces. We were walking up one of the streets when we heard a bell clanging – it was the Town Crier! He stopped in the town square and proceeded to regale the crowd with tales and jokes, and asking questions. I answered one correctly and he called me over, went down on one knee and kissed my hand! He asked Ron (who was videoing) to walk up some nearby steps and then asked the crowd to wave and cheer (to liven up Ron’s boring video, he said!). At the count of three the crowd waved and cheered as instructed and Ron captured it all on the camera. The Town Crier then told us that the Romans had given Chester the Amphitheatre, the Normans had given the cathedral, the Victorians had given the clock and the Americans had given……MacDonalds!
Later we went for lunch and then another wander. The shops are fascinating and there are lots of little alleyways all around. Chester used to be a walled city and it’s possible to walk along the part of the wall that remains, which we did. The River Dee runs alongside the town and we had a lovely, relaxing walk ending in yet another cup of coffee in a nice, shaded courtyard – probably the best cup of coffee we’ve had since we arrived in England (we’ve been sticking to tea because most of the coffee has been unpalatable and in enormous mugs).
On the way home, we called into a wholesale shop called Coscos – wonderful array of food, clothing, electrical goods etc. etc. – a mecca for the serious shopper!140608
