28th May 2015
This May, Year 6 embarked on The Manor’s annual trip to Stratford upon Avon to submerge themselves in the world of William Shakespeare.
First stop was Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Gardens, where a young Shakespeare courted Anne, his future bride. With stunning gardens and beautiful original pieces of furniture, the cottage was a splendid way to start our Shakespeare adventure.
Next was a picnic lunch at Mary Arden’s Farm. Mary Arden was Shakespeare’s Mother and this beautiful Tudor farm gives you a wonderful insight into how a farm would have been run during Shakespeare’s younger days.
We then travelled into the heart of Stratford and a tour of Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Shakespeare was born and grew up in this beautiful house where his father made and sold gloves. We were even treated to a very speedy live performance of The Taming of the Shrew by resident actors in the courtyard.
After a spot of shopping and dinner we then spent a very enjoyable evening at the Royal Shakespeare Company watching a contemporary version of The Merchant of Venice. Having visited so many interesting places throughout the day, we were ready for our beds.
The next morning we were joined by Brenda Leedham, former RSC Head of Wigs & Make-up, for a talk about how the costumes and make up make live theatre come to life.
Our last stop on our visit to Stratford was a trip down the river Avon for lunch and a relax before we headed back to Abingdon to re-join our friends at The Manor.
Thank you to all the staff involved in organising the trip and to those who joined the children in Stratford. We look forward to returning next year.
Miss Kerry Arnold
Admissions and Marketing Assistant
