Books that Inspire Trips
My husband and I spent the month of April touring around England, one
of my favorite countries. We always enjoy the history but this time
one of my goals was to visit the settings of two of my favorite books.
The first was the Yorkshire Dales, the setting of the James Harriot
Veterinary Stories that have also been made into the TV series. The
veterinary surgery has been redone to look just as it did in the
thirties. The experience could not have been done any better, worth a
trip to see. The Dales, especially at lambing time, have a beauty all
of their own. We stopped at little pubs in remote areas and had a
wonderful time talking to the locals.
As an added bonus we stayed at a restored Georgian house called "Crab
Manor," a beautiful old house that has been impeccably restored. The
food was fabulous with spring lamb and the freshest of sea food. The
breakfast menu ran three pages. The owners were most hospitable. They
also had an ancient bulldog that had been cared for by the real James
Harriot, Alf Wright and have a new bulldog puppy that is being cared
for by Alf Wright's son Jim.
The second stop in search of a book setting was in Shrewsbury in
search of the Father Cadfile Mystery settings. The author of the
series, Elis Peters, has meticulously researched her books, and, with
the help of a guide you can place the settings. Part of the old
monastery has been restored with gardens and people reenacting the
11th Century when the stories took place.
Shrewsbury is an interesting old city with many half timbered
building. This stop was enjoyable but not worth a journey.
Carol
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