We arrived in the breakfast room to find that the advertised continental breakfast was exactly as advertised, unlike our previous hotel where several components of the continental breakfast were missing. I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity even though the vegetarian breakfast was also tempting. I wasn’t disappointed.

After breakfast, as planned, we had a chilly but leisurely mooch around the town before having lunch in Huffkins. I chose a Belgian bun, which was tasty, but I had forgotten how sticky the icing on top is! Surprisingly one of the Waitresses recognised us from our previous visits.

Our planned adventure for the afternoon was the Butterfly Farm which was busier than on our previous visits. I felt a bit crowded out when we first arrived which wasn’t helped by a gentleman who followed me round as I was trying to take photographs; he too was looking for perfect photo opportunities. I think it might have been the half term holiday which starts a week earlier in Stratford than in my local schools.

There were lots of interesting creatures hiding in plain view in the tropical house, including a red kneed tarantula who unusually was at the front of his safe cave and slowly moving his fangs. The cayman, once again did not realise that I had come to visit and was hiding away in his sleeping quarters.

We returned to Brook Tavener where Mr C had purchased a jacket the previous day. He bought the same jacket in a different colour. It was now time to return to the hotel for a warming cup of tea and a chill out before pre-theatre dining in the Giggling Squid. I chose sticky chicken which was delicious and chose the appropriately named (for Valentine’s Day) Melting Heart Chocolate. Unfortunately, when it arrived it was the full-sized version rather than the small portion ordered, reminding me that the service had been a little bit quirky on our previous visit there. We had a date with Hamlet at the RSC so there wasn’t time to rectify the mistake.

Photo copywrite of the RSC (Hamlet promotional material)

The stage was stunning in the shape of a ship with water around the bows and a video of waves and horizon to the stern. The first half is scene setting where the story is told. The second half, which is more dramatic, saw the stage tilt back and forth with the stormy sea and dramatic culmination of the story.

We returned to the hotel to have a nightcap in the bar to find that our favourite seats had just been taken, as were all the other seats in the bar area. We retired to another seating area which is lovely, albeit quieter than the bar area.

We were joined by others including two gay couples (including an American and a German) who discussed the recent election of Trump and related politics of the situation. Their discussion was to loud to tune out, but at least it was interesting.

It was nice to have a lie in after a week of early mornings. I was able to do some cleaning of surfaces and appliances in the kitchen. The fitter had thoughtfully reconnected the washing machine so I was able to put in a load of washing.

We had lunch at home before visiting mum. She was in bed and not in a happy place but mostly ‘herself’ which meant she can’t understand why she can’t go home yet.

After our visit we went to Ikea to purchase some draw liners for the kitchen cabinets. We found an ideal rack for the chopping boards but it was out of stock, but we could get one on Tuesday! We called in at Boundary Mill for a cup of tea and cake so that Mr C could browse the kitchen shop. I had other ideas, the clothing department called me. Luckily for the bank account we came away without making any purchases.

Later we dined in Giggling Squid, a favourite chain restaurant of mine which we first discovered when we were on holiday in Chichester. We were seated upstairs where it was cozy and warm with a lovely buzzing atmosphere. The food lived up to our expectations.

We navigated our way around the breakfast menu which somehow didn’t quite work, for example there was no bread to accompany the meat and cheese that are part of the continental breakfast.

After breakfast, our first destination was Shakespeare’s birthplace where the room guides’ explanations and stories added to the experience. We then visited the nearby MAD museum, The Museum of Mechanical Art and Design which displays such things as kinetic art and automata.

Before deciding on a place for lunch we browsed the Sunday market which had been recommended to us by the hotel receptionist as we were checking in. I was tempted by a scarf and went back to the stall after we had done a circuit of the market. As luck would have it the stall owner was demonstrating the scarf that had taken my eye to another couple and then went on to demonstrate a second scarf to them. This was one that Mr C had pointed out to me. I joked with the couple that they were picking the same scarfs that I liked. They left with one of their choices and I came away with both of mine…

For lunch we both had a delicious chicken Waldorf sandwich in the Fourteas 1940’s tea room. The place had a lovely atmosphere, with the ladies wearing appropriate dresses of the ’40s and the menu was presented as a ration card. The Tudor museum, just across the road from the tea room was our next destination.  The visit was interesting but left us with time on our hands for another adventure.

We decided on a second visit to the butterfly farm but first I needed to go back to the hotel to change out of my yellow butterfly-attracting jacket. During this visit to the butterfly farm, we were treated to the delightful sight of one of the iguanas who had climbed down from his high perch to mingle with the humans. In-between snacking on the greenery he posed for the cameras.

After our busy itinerary we returned to the hotel to chill out.  Before dining in the Giggling Squid, a Thai restaurant, we ordered Proseccos in the hotel bar which avoided the complications we had been experiencing with the gin. The food in the Giggling Squid was delicious as it always is in this restaurant chain. For some reason we were not offered a dessert and I had not seen any desserts coming out of the kitchen so I thought perhaps they were not available that night. That was until just after we had paid our bill the next table were offered the dessert menu…

Mr C chose a nearby pub to finish of our evening. It was small place that locals frequent and it was live music night. The place was full and it took me a while to find a seat (I hate standing at the bar). The live act was George Wilson, he was amazing. He did two sets, the first being of a vintage era and the second bringing us up to more modern times. His rendition of Bad Manners took me back in time to when I saw them performing live.

We arrived back at the hotel to find the door was locked and there was no-one to be seen in the reception area. We pressed the intercom button several times and nothing happened! Mr C had the presence of mind to Google the hotel website where he found a phone number for the hotel. To our relief the phone call was answered immediately and the member of staff apologised most profusely, explaining that there is no hotel porter on a Sunday. This is the first time I have ever found myself locked out of a hotel. I have stayed in some rather dodgy hotels over the years but even those made it clear how to access the hotel when the doors were locked.

After a satisfying breakfast we visited the Bishop’s Palace Gardens which are next door to No. 4 Canon Lane. The gardens are beautiful and free to enter. After touring the gardens we drove to the Weald & Downland Living museum, arriving just as it was opening for the day.

The museum is home to rescued rural buildings which are set in a 40 acre wooded landscape. We found the museum to be excellent and spent almost 4 hours there. Lunch was taken overlooking the pool, watching dragonflies flitting around. We had an informal talk about the watermill by one of the guides. The mill and machinery were working and the guide, sporting a finger bandage, sheepishly told us how he had managed to place his finger in a part of the machinery where it shouldn’t have been.

Walking the distances around the landscape had racked up my daily step count and I was well on my way to reaching a personal best of 20,000 steps in a day, so, when we returned to Chichester, I accompanied Mr C in the quest to find suitable restaurants for the rest of the week. This is something he normally does on his own.

After all that walking we stopped for a refreshing drink in Wetherspoon’s before we returned to the B&B to relax and freshen up before dining in the Giggling Squid. The food and service in this restaurant, which serves Thai cuisine, was excellent. After our meal, we had a drink in the Boar’s Head before returning to the B&B for the night.