I continued to sample the various breakfast options choosing different items from the hot cooked buffet selection. It was only after I had made my selection that I noticed crusty bread was on offer to accompany the continental breakfast options, unlike the previous days.

After breakfast we took a leisurely walk through town in the direction of the Railway station here the BBC studios are located, we had a tour booked. Our walk took us through shopping arcades where most of the outlet brands were unfamiliar to me. The most familiar brand we noticed was John Lewis where we both enjoyed a mooch around the gift section and Mr C had to check out the cookshop for something we might just need in the kitchen.

We arrived at the BBC studios earlier than our scheduled tour so we retraced our stops the arcade, and the Costa Coffee shop where we could put our feet up and wait for our timeslot.

We still had to wait outside the BBC studios until 15 minutes before our timeslot. We had to go through airport-style security before the tour took place. The tour was excellent and it shed the light on BBC documentary and news broadcasting. We were even able to see a live broadcast, a BBC Cymru news bulletin, whilst standing to one side hidden from the cameras.

The secrets of green screen recording were explained. What you see on screen for broadcasts is quite often not actually in the studio but added in digitally. We also went in a “dead room”, where radio drama is recorded and all sound is deadened to prevent echoes and ensure perfect sound quality in each recording.

We glimpsed the Tardis and a Dalek on our way to learn about how programmes queued up and how the voiceovers linking one programme finishing and the next one started are prepared and broadcast.

By the time the tour had finished it was time for a late lunch. We opted to dine in Pret a Manger, next to the BBC studio, after which we walked back into town through the shopping arcades. Back in town we returned to the Castle Arcade where we had another mooch around the board game shop. This time we came away with a game called Viticulture, a game about cultivating and harvesting grape vines for winemaking.

I thought we were going to sit in the lovely café that we had enjoyed on our previous visit to the arcade, but instead Mr C took us to the nearby Blue Bell pub instead. Rather than the apple juice I had in mind from the café I opted for a glass of wine which turned out to be quite bland compared to other wines that I had sampled during our stay in Wales.

We chilled out in our room before walking to the Parkgate Hotel, which was further away than Mr C had expected leading us to route march through town to arrive in time. The receptionist who showed us to our table was a bit stuffy and slightly unwelcoming rushing us to sit down.

Next, we were welcomed by a lady who brought us menus and later our wine selection. We were subsequently served by a delightful waiter, Mo who was courteous and attentive to our needs. The food was beautifully presented and delicious making this dining experience to be a perfect last meal to our holiday.

Before returning to the hotel for the evening we paid a return visit to The Cottage for a nightcap where once again we watched a silent film highlighting locations in Wales. After watching it for the second time we still weren’t able to identify all of them.

History of the hospital quoted from a sign on the gateway that enters the courtyard:

“Take a moment to imagine coming home to me more than 500 years ago for very little here has changed. Founded by wealthy wool merchant and benefactor William For, I began life in 1509, the same year Henry VIII ascended to the throne…. I wonder did he ever visit during  his dissolution of Coventry’s monasteries?

I am proud to be a Grade I listed building and generally considered to be one of the finest examples of 16th century domestic building in England.

I was originally built to house 5 elderly men along with a lady housekeeper but with later endowments I grew to accommodate ii couples all of whom would also receive a weekly allowance. Presently I have 5 residents of “good character” under my roof. along with many of my neighbours I suffered badly during WWII. My matron, her assistant and 6 residents taking shelter in the matron’s chamber all perished when on 14th October 1940 I took a direct hit during an air raid. While searching through the bomb damage Coventry historian John Shelton discovered some 14th century floor tiles, one of which bore the Black Eagle, a design of the Earl of Leofric. It is now believed that even before me a Chapel once stood on this site.

By 1953 I had been resorted, using wherever possible original materials and I remain an attraction to many visitors to the city today.

So as you look through the iron gate into the courtyard you are witnessing the site of a meeting between two of the nation’s great literary figures. Dr Who meets William Shakespeare!! Yes in 2006 David Tennant and his crew filmed and episode right here in my yard.

Who knows what else the future, or the past may hold for me?”

The stay at home and working from home policies due to Covid 19 led to lunch time dates with Mr C with his TV choices. One of the later choices as we came out of the lockdowns was the rebooted Dr Who starting with Christopher Eccleston. We avidly watched all the episodes of ‘New Who’ leaving me with a nostalgic feeling and memories of the original episodes.

I sought out the old episodes on the internet to find some of my childhood memories, enjoying my journey back through time. Some of the original video footage no longer remains but the audio tapes still exist allowing recreations through original photos and animation.

For the 60th anniversary of Dr Who the original episodes were published on Youtube, along with this book. The words from the back of the book describe it better than I can:

Six decades may only be a handful of heartbeats to a Time Lord, but for Doctor Who it’s the adventure of several lifetimes. Evolving over 60 years, the world’s longest-running sci-fi TV show has gifted us a universe of menacing monsters and unforgettable heroes. You might even call it a ‘Whotopia’.

Now you can roam free through the Doctor’s dimension as never before in this special commemorative book for Doctor Who’s diamond anniversary. Join all the Doctors as each tells their own story. Learn about their legions of legendary allies – and hear from the monsters’ own mouths about what makes them tick. Find danger on alien worlds and threats here on Earth in all eras. And explore the gadgets, robots, spaceships, computers and mind-blowing creations that crowd the never-ending corridors of Whotopia.

This book was a Christmas present and I have enjoyed dipping in and out of my ‘Geeky’ nostalgia.