Chipping Campden

by

What a day! “Today is a many-cups-of-tea-day“, Selma pointed out when this tearoom in the countryside appeared.

Was für ein Tag! “Da helfen nur noch Tee und viel Süßes“, rief Selma aufgeregt, als wir diesen bezaubernden Tearoom auf dem Land sahen.

We have been to Stratford-upon-Avon. What a disappointment that was. Such a fuss about nothing. The tour of Shakespeare’s house gave us nothing but bad feelings.  It was overpriced, overrated and underwhelming. “Have you ever been in such an unlovingly organised museum?” asked Siri. No, we haven’t, it’s unique in this respect. Unique is also the fact that Dina was not in the mood to take any photos.
It all started with the lady at the counter. Seeing the shock on our faces about the entrance fee she murmured “You can revisit the house for this price a whole year!” Siri’s comment after ushered through Shakespeare’s birthplace: “We should get some money to visit this place again.“
Actually we wanted to stay in Stratford for a whole day but in the end, we could only stand it there for half a day. Most of this time we spend in the only shop without tourist trash, a lovely bookshop where we bought too many books, like always.

Wir hatten Stratford-upon-Avon besucht. Was für ein Reinfall! Das so überbewertete wie überteuerte Shakespeare Hause machte uns echt schlechte Laune. “Habt ihr je so ein lieblos arrangiertes Museum gesehen?” fragte Siri. In der Hinsicht ist es schon einmalig, war unsere einhellige Meinung. Einmalig war auch, dass Dina verärgert keine Foto machte.
Alles begann gleich am Eingang mit der Kartenverkäuferin. Als sie unsere schockgeweiteten Augen beim Hören des Eintrittspreises sah, murmelte sie verlegen, dass wir das Museum mit der Karte ein ganzes Jahr lang immer wieder besuchen könnten. So ein Quatsch. Nachdem wir durch die Räume von nachfolgenden Gruppen gehetzt worden waren, meinte Siri, “wir sollten für einen Wiederbesuch bezahlt werden.”
Eigentlich hatten wir einen ganzen Tag für Stratford geplant, aber letztlich blieben wir nur einen Vormittag, wovon wir die meiste Zeit in dem einzigen Laden ohne Shakespearekitsch verbrachten, einem Buchladen, in dem wir wie gewöhnlich viel zu viele Bücher kauften.

Drinking our second – or was it the third? – cup of tea we decided to end our day with a ‘happiness-trip’. Selma and Dina had read praises about Chipping Campden. So we went to this ‘Jewel in the crown‘ as this market town was called.
Off we drove towards Gloucestershire through an early winter’s landscape. Siri and Selma were working with their FairyPhones to find out what’s all about these chocolate box places.
“‘Chocolate box’ is a phrase used for art and design and for places nowadays as well”, they found. “Such places are like the over-idealised pictures on chocolate boxes which were introduced by Cadbury in the 19th c. Some folks call Chipping Campden a ‘chocolate box town’. Let’s have a look if it’s kitsch or beautiful!”

Bei der zweiten – oder war’s die dritte? – Tasse Tee beschlossen wir, den Tag mit einem gute-Laune-Trip zu beenden. Selma und Dina hatten Loblieder auf Chipping Campden gelesen. Also auf zu dieser Markstadt, die als “Juwel in der Krone” bezeichnet wurde.
Durch die frühwinterliche Landschaft, die von mildem Frost gezeichnet war, ging’s gen Gloucestershire, wobei Siri und Selma auf dem Rücksitz wild mit ihren Taschentelefonen hantierend herausfinden wollten, was es mit Chocolate Box Orten auf sich habe.
“Der Ausdruck ‘chocolate box’ wird für Kunst und Design und heutzutage für ganze Orte benutzt”, berichteten sie. “Sie wirken wie die sentimentalen Abbildungen auf Schokoladendosen, die im 19. Jh. von Cadbury eingeführt wurden. Manch einer bezeichnete Chipping Campden als ‘chocolate box town’. Und nun schauen wir mal, ob das nun Kitsch oder schön ist.”

Driving down the terraced main street to find a parking space our dear Master was absolutely taken by this place. We had to warn him to watch the traffic. But, oh dear, Siri and Selma were too late to put down their ‘Road Closed’ signs for Dina’s car-free photography. The British historian G.M. Trevelyan wrote that this is the most beautiful main street that’s left on the whole island. After a little stroll we 100% agreed. Nearly all the buildings, most in honey brown limestone, are from the time between the 14th and 17th c. Nevertheless, the town doesn’t appear like a museum or backward. It’s busy there and the shops are tastefully presenting their fine articles. After the eye-offending kitsch at Stratford, this had an almost healing effect.

Als wir die terrassenförmig angelegte Hauptstraße auf der Suche nach einem Parkplatz entlangfuhren, war unser Masterchen hin und weg. Wir mussten ihn eindringlich mahnen, auf den Verkehr zu achten. Aber oh weh, wir waren zu spät, Siri und Selma konnten ihre ‘Road Closed’-Schilder für Dinas autofreie Fotos nicht mehr aufstellen, da bereits zu viele Autos in der Stadt parkten. Der britische Historiker G.M. Trevelyan bezeichnete diese Straße als die schönste Hauptstraße, die auf der Insel übrig geblieben ist. Nach einem Rundgang stimmten wir dem voll zu. Fast alle Gebäude meist aus gelbbraunen Kalkstein stammen aus der Zeit zwischen dem 14. und 17. Jh. und doch wirkt der Ort nicht wie ein Museum oder gar rückständig. Er ist belebt und weist anmutige Geschäfte auf, die nach dem augenbeleidigenden Kitsch in Stratford geradezu heilend mit ihrem geschmackvollen Angebot wirken.

Immediately we felt well in Chipping Campden.
All the travel guides mention the market hall from 1627 where we parked our Volvo. “‘Chipping’ goes back to the old English word ‘ceping‘ which means market”, Siri told us. This market hall was the most important one in this area. But how small it is. There was not much space for presenting goods. Wool trade took place here. It was the wool like in all Cotswolds places that brought wealth.

Wir fühlten uns in Chipping Campden sogleich wohl.
Alle Reiseführer erwähnen die Markt Halle aus dem Jahr 1627 neben der wir parkten. “‘Chipping’ stammt vom Altenglischen ‘ceping’, was ‘Markt’ bedeutet”, wusste Siri zu berichten. Diese Markthalle soll eine der wesentlichsten dieser Gegend gewesen sein. Aber wie klein sie ist, wunderten wir uns. Da war nicht viel Platz, um Waren auszubreiten. Hier wurde mit Wolle gehandel. Es war die Wolle, die diese Markstadt wie viele Orte der Cotswolds reich machte.

We understand that Chipping Campden was called ‘chocolate box town’. But what do you think? Would you call this town kitschy? We agreed that it’s too individual to call it kitschy because kitsch serves the onlooker’s expectation. And none of us had expected such a beautiful place.

Man kann Chipping Campden als ‘chocolate box’ Ort bezeichnen. Was meint ihr, ist dieser Ort als kitschig zu bezeichnen? Wir finden ihn zu individuell, um ihn als kitschig zu diffamieren, denn ist nicht Kitsch die Einlösung der Erwartung des Beobachters? Und solch einen anmutigen Ort hatten wir nicht erwartet.

Kind regards
Mit lieben Grüßen von
The Fab Four of Cley

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© Text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers and Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

274 thoughts

  1. So beautiful…. everything (in photographs) seems to me like a fairy tale, but this country is like that (except the mega cities)…I couldn’t have said no, to drink tea there all day long 🙂 Thank you, your travel is being my dream now, Love, nia

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

    • Dear Nia
      you are very welcome.
      These villages and market towns in the Cotswolds are fairy tale like and Chipping Campden is one of the most beautiful ones.
      Thank you very much for your comment 🙏🙏
      With warm greetings from the cold sea 🌊
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  2. Dieses Jahr im August geht es für mich in die Cotswolds. Wie schön, dass ihr mir hier mit Chipping Camden und mit den vorhergehenden Berichten aus den Cotswolds bereits den Mund mit Vorfreude gefüllt habt 🙂

    Liebe Grüße aus Freiburg an die fab four

    Achim

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Guten Tag, lieber Achim,
      herzliche Grüße von der sonnigen Küste Nord Norfolks.
      Du kannst dich auf deine Reise in die Cotswolds freuen. Wir waren erstaunt, wie viele idyllische, schnuddelige Orte es dort gibt. Siri und Selma meinten, dort sei England am englischten. Genau das Richtige für einen England-Fan wie dich.
      Mit lieben Grüßen zu dir in die Stadt der Bächle
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 3 people

    • Wie schön, Achim. The Cotswolds sind im Sommer bestimmt noch schöner. Es ist einfach traumhaft dort. ❤ Rosen und Wisteria blühen und machen die Dörfer noch romantischer.
      Hast du einen Besuch im Stratford-upon-Avon geplant? Wir finden diese Touristenfalle nicht empfehlenswert und im August muss man auf stundenlange Wartezeiten im Shakespeares Haus vorbereitet sein. August ist sowieso prime Urlaubszeit in England, dann empfiehlt es sich die beliebten Cotswolds Dörfer früh am Morgen oder am späten Nachmittag aufzusuchen, wenn die großen Touristenbusse weg sind.
      Liebe Grüße
      Hanne

      Liked by 2 people

    • Hallo Achim,
      da wuensche ich Dir jetzt schon eine gute Reise und viel Spass. Im August wirst Du dann wohl wesentlich mehr Leute dort antreffen, aber das laesst sich nicht vermeiden. Ein Tipp: wenn es Deine Zeit und Deine Planung erlauben, dann wandere doch einmal von Lower nach Upper Slaughter und zurueck. Ohne Probleme an einem Nachmittag machbar, prachtvolle Gegend, und fast gaenzlich ohne Tourtisten.
      Liebe Gruesse,
      Pit

      Liked by 5 people

  3. My dear friends
    I am busy therefore just a short message.
    This market town looks absolutely stunning! Not kitschy at all, rather fashionable.
    Thanks for showing those pictures. Dina did a great job!
    With lots of love from Stockholm from your friend
    Annalena

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Dear Annalena,
      we loved it in Chipping Campden so much that Siri and Selma wanted to stay there.
      We are off tomorrow going to Cornwall for celebrating Dina’s birthday there. She wants to photograph the rough sea breaking on the high cliffs.
      We’ll phone tonight 🙂 🙂
      With lots of love ❤️💚💜💙
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • This town is the ideal place for a civilised stroll, it’s inviting you for strolling up and down the High Street.
      You are so right, we needed something especially lovely after awful Stratford – Shakespeare would have been furious about what they made of his birthplace. Very un-Shakespearean!
      Thank you very much and have a happy day
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  6. Nein, gar nicht kitschig, das wäre wohl anders hätte oder würde man die Fassaden “aufhübschen”, wie es in D so oft gemacht wird…
    Wieder feine Bilder von dir, liebe Hanne und ein schöner Berciht von Klausbernd, Siri und Selma, ich danke und grüße euch herzlich
    Ulli

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Guten Tag, liebe Ulli,
      wie geschrieben, wir fanden den Ort auch nicht kitschig, sondern eher stilvoll, geradezu edel. So waren auch die Geschäfte dort. Siri und Selma wollten glatt dort bleiben.
      Wir freuen uns, dass dir unsere Post gefällt und bedanken uns lieb 🙏🙏
      Ab morgen sind wieder unterwegs zu neuen Abenteuern. Diesmal geht’s nach Cornwall ans raue Meer, das wir so lieben. Deswegen veröffentlichten wir auch heute statt am Freitag wie üblich.
      Mit ganz lieben Grüßen von uns
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Es ist echt toll, liebe Ulli. Unser lieber Master hat uns schon soooo viele tolle plätze gezeigt, wo er vor Jahren sein Buch verfilmte. Wir finden das ganz toll. Und das Wetter ist fein rau, wie wir es lieben, und keine Touristen sind unterwegs.
      Liebe Grüße vom wilden Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Das freut mich sehr für euch! Und wildes Meer klingt auch spannend, lasst euch noch den Wind um die Ohren sausen, aber aufgepasst: Siri und Selma 😉
      herzliche Grüße an euch Vier,
      Ulli

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I think Chipping Camden is too substantial and vibrant to be called a ‘chocolate box’ town. As always, you have lovingly captured the feel and spirit of the place, with your lovely photos, and interesting words. I think the market halls did not have to be too big. There were not that many wool traders at the time, as they had to be wealthy to trade heavily in wool, so not many places would be needed. 🙂
    I agree about Stratford. It has been ruined by commercialism.
    Love from Beetley, Pete and Ollie. X

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  9. This looks entirely pretty and charming, not at all kitschig. Absolutely great photography and i enjoyed your thoughts and comments very much, Fab Four! Amy convinced me join a tour of England once and we spent half a day in Stratford-upon-Avon, half a day in and at Blenheim palace and also we were rushed through Oxford. Now I wished we’d have more time for the Cotswolds. I agree wholeheartedly with you on Straford-upon-Avon, not at all worth the time and money. We were there in June and so were plenty of tourists. It was not only very crowded, but also, like Beetleypete writes, totally ruined by commercialism.
    Greetings from NY,
    Paul and Amy

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Paul and Amy,
      Chipping Campden is in a way the opposite to NYC, isn’t it 😉 As we wrote before it’s quite elegant, charming and very posh with fine shops and inviting for a stroll.
      Actually, we think that travel guides should warn people to go to Stratford, they will be very much disappointed.
      We haven’t been to Blenheim as our dear Master isn’t that much into palaces and into Churchill neither. We had some relaxed days in Oxford. We liked this atmosphere of the colleges and all the students busily running around.
      With warmest greetings from the sunny coast of North Norfolk
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Ich finde auch, dass es überhaupt nicht kitschig ist, sondern einfach nur bezaubernd! Nur schade, dass Stratford so ein Reinfall war – gut, dass ihr vier mich vorgewarnt habt, denn als Shakespearefan stand das schon lange auf meiner must-see Liste! Und ich bin froh, dass ihr dann in Chipping Campden den perfekten Ausgleich gefunden habt!
    Liebe Grüße aus dem verschneiten Berlin! 😄

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Miss Gentileschi,
      du hast recht, Shipping Campden ist bezaubernd. Du wirst es lieben.
      Startford und das Shakespeare-Haus ist absolut fürchterlich. Der gute Shakespeare würde einen Schlag bekommen, wenn er sähe, was aus seinem Erbe dort gemacht worden ist. Auch wir lieben Shakespeare. Unser lieber Master wurde gerade zum Sommernachtstraum interviewt (für eine Uraufführung eines Balletts nach Shakespeares Stück in der Semperoper/Dresden) und so sahen wir uns vorher einige Filme von Theateraufführungen von Shakespeare-Stücken an. Mit der rechten Inszenierung wirken sie immer noch zeitgemäß und sind feinste Unterhaltung. In Stratford dagegen wird Shakespeare im großen Stil verkitscht, und er verkommt zur Massenware für asiatische Touristen. Wenn dir Shakespeare lieb ist, meide Stratford.
      Mit lieben Grüßen ins verschneite Berlin – da sind wir neidisch – von der sonnigen Küste Nord Norfolks
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Ich hatte befürchtet, dass Stratford ein Opfer des Massentourismus und der Kitschindustrie geworden ist – vielen lieben Dank für die Warnung! Ich schätze, ich ehre den Barden mehr damit, weiterhin seine Stücke zu lesen und aufgeführt zu sehen, als mir seinen Geburtsort anzusehen. Der Sommernachtstraum ist eins meiner Lieblingsstücke von Shakespeare, zusammen mit Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice und Hamlet natürlich. 🙂
      Inzwischen ist der Schnee wieder geschmolzen und ein Sturm fegt über Deutschland und Berlin hinweg – also kein Grund mehr, neidisch zu sein. 😉
      Alles Liebe! 😀

      Liked by 2 people

    • Sag ‘mal, ist dein English so gut, dass du die Shakespeare Texte im Original verstehst? Ich benötige stets Kommentare dazu und Worterklärungen.
      Wir vier lieben auch die Buntheit und zugleich den Tiefsinn seiner Stücke. Die meisten lasen wir jedoch in der Schlegel-Tieck-Übersetzung. Hier sahen wir einige Aufführungen in den Parks edler Häuser. Da geht es zu wie in alten Zeiten, Zwischenrufe der Zuschauer, viele Pausen und Picknicken wähend der Aufführung.
      Mit lieben Grüßen
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Ich bezweifele, dass abgesehen von ein paar wenigen Experten irgendjemandes Englisch so gut ist, um Shakespeare im Original ohne begleitende Kommentare zu lesen. 😉 Sogar Engländer haben damit ihre liebe Not. 😄 Aber wenn die Schauspieler ihr Handwerk verstehen, ist dies zum Glück überflüssig. Ohnehin macht es viel mehr Spass, seine Stücke aufgeführt zu genießen als im stillen Kämmerlein vor sich hinzulesen.
      Was die Übersetzungen seiner Werke ins Deutsche angeht, muss ich gestehen, dass ich damit nie richtig zufrieden bin und deshalb immer die Originalversion bevorzuge. 😄
      Habt ein wunderschönes Wochenende, ihr vier! 😊

      Liked by 2 people

    • Sorry, dass wir erst jetzt antworten, aber wir sind unterwegs in Cornwall. Du hast wohl recht, das Shakespeare Englisch ist fürchterlich schwierig. Da finde ich das Englisch der älteren Canterbury Tales weitaus einfacher zu verstehen.
      Habe du eine wunderschöne Woche
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Ahoi, dear Lisa,
      happy sailing!
      Thanks a lot for liking Dina’s pictures and our dear Master’s writing 🙏🙏
      Good luck, have a strong breeze on your back and always enough water under your keel
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Margaret,
      we suppose you know Chipping Campden. It’s lovely, indeed! Thanks for telling us about Chipping Sodbury. We missed it on our trip in November/December. But next time …
      Thanks and have a happy day
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  16. Quaint might be a better word. In Maine, especially on the coast, we have plenty of quaint little towns. Sometimes a town can be too quaint, but that would be a subject for a whole post. Too bad about Stratford-upon-Avon. What a disappointment!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Laurie
      because of those quaint little towns, we loved it in Maine that much. We suppose we wrote it before that for us Maine, parts of Vermont and Upstate New York are the most beautiful places in the US. We couldn’t have lived in other parts of the US.
      Anyway, if you ever visit our part of the world you would love the Cotswolds but avoid Stratford.
      All the best and thanks for commenting
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • I did not know that you have been to Maine, Vermont, and upstate New York. I am fairly new to your blog. Glad you liked it here. And I look forward to reading about your part of the world and, of course, seeing the beautiful picture. I have been to the beautiful Cotswolds. England is one of my favorite places. Period.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Laurie,
      I was teaching at the McGill University in Montreal but lived in Maine and Vermont for about 4 great years and I travelled around quite a bit in your part of the world. Now we live at the North Norfolk coast where we love it really much.
      With lots of love
      Klausbernd and the rest of our gang

      Liked by 2 people

  17. I wouldn’t say “chocolate box,” I’d say “lovely.”
    That mellow stone is wonderful, as you said, honey-colored, or perhaps vanilla toffee.
    (It is a terrible disorder, to always be thinking about food.) What an inviting album of photos, and one of the final shots, of the old weathered door, is my favorite.
    It’s too bad about Stratford. And it occurs to me, that Shakespeare never experienced chocolate, I don’t think that craze reached England until after his death, that might have generated another fantastic play, like Bach’s “Coffee Cantata.”

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Robert,
      yes, let’s agree on ‘lovely’ 🙂
      Well, well all these food-related metaphors …
      Actually, this last photo is Dina’s favourite as well.
      What a pity for dear old Shakespeare having lived just before chocolate arrived England. Otherwise, he might have written a play how the fairies seduced simple folks with bars of chocolate. And there is a danger that mankind will die out because people prefer eating chocolate to sex.
      Warm greetings from the cold sea
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  18. It’s years since I’ve been to Stratford but your reaction doesn’t surprise me. As for Chipping Camden, it has a special place in my heart as it’s where I spent my honeymoon during a rainy November weekend in the ’80s! We stayed at the King’s Arms which had the most magical food imaginable. Thank you for letting me enjoy the beauty of the place once more. It’s definitely not kitschy!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • We are very happy that we reminded you of your honeymoon. What a great place for celebrating the honeymoon! By the way, we have been there in November as well. We stayed in Broadway, also a beautiful Cotswolds village. What a pity that we didn’t eat at the King’s Arms, but next time …
      Thanks a lot for commenting
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Gunnar
      yes, the Shakespeare Theater in London is quite a different cup of tea!
      Usually, we love museums and find quite interesting ones most of the time. We actually like museums and libraries and therefore we were that shocked about the Shakespeare House.
      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Hallo you four adventurers who go out on an exploratory trip, when others huddle around the comfort of a wood stove. Too bad that Shakespeare’s birthplace was such a disappointment. But the rest of the day brought rewarding compensation. Kitsch? No, kitsch is always associated with a cheap product for the masses. And this amazing place, the chocolate box town of Chipping Campden is definitely not kitsch. The photos as always are superb! Peter

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Peter,
      we should have taken photographs of Stratford. Kitsch wherever you look, cheap products for the mass tourism. So Chipping Campden was just the opposite, stylish and posh.
      Tomorrow we’ll go on another trip. We will make it to Cornwall and Dina will photograph rough seas, breakers and wild cliffs.
      We love to travel in late autumn and winter as there are not that many tourists around.
      Thanks for your commentary.
      We wish you a great time and that you get better every day
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you for adding additional details on your travels in late fall and winter! I am looking forward to the impressions you will gather when you go to the Cornish coast. I am sure Dina will have a heyday collecting new master pieces. Thank you also for the good wishes! My doctor said yesterday she is very pleased with my progress.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Marylou,
      actually, we think it’s a scandal that such an important museum is not only overpriced but also unlovingly set up. If we compare it with Goethe’s house in Weimar, what a huge difference.
      Thanks for commenting and cheers
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Die Fotos wirken zum Teil “unwirklich”…diese Kompositionen aus altem Mauerwerk, grauem Himmel und Autos wirken fast wie ein Spuk.
    Der Oldtimer wirkt wie drappiert, wie hinzugefügt.
    Auch eine Spur Unheimlichkeit kommt auf. ich assoziere solch alten Gebäude auch immer mit alten und dunklen Zeiten.

    Chocolate box vielleicht deswegen, weil sicher umfangreich restauriert wurde. Solcherart kann eine Stadt natürlich künstlich oder “kitschig” wirken.

    Trotzdem beeindruckende Bilder – sonst hätte ich nicht solange darüber sinniert. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dass Chipping Campden nicht wie eine Kulisse, also unwirklich, wirkt, ist dem lebendigen Leben dort zuzuschreiben. Es gibt ausgesprochen schöne Läden mit edlen Waren, aber auch mehr oder weniger normale Lebensmittelläden, die aber alle für die Drapierung ihrer Ware preisverdächtig sind. Der Ort hat eine lange Tradition ein äußerst wohlhabender Ort zu sein, was bereits mit dem Wollhandel spätestens im 17. Jh. zusammenhing. Diese Gegend war damals eine der wohlhabendsten in Europa. Noch heute strahlt der Ort eine gediegen wohlhabende Atmosphäre aus. Und wenn man etwas auf sich hält, fährt man auch eine Auto (als Zweitwagen natürlich), das sich fein vor seinem Hauseingang macht.
      Wir fanden den Ort überhaupt nicht unheimlich, sondern fühlten uns sehr gut dort. Allerdings überredete uns die Atmosphäre, dort viele Weihnachtsgeschenke in individuellen Läden einzukaufen. Chipping Campden wäre ein Ort, in dem wir uns auch wohlfühlen würden, nehme ich an.
      Alle Gute und Danke
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  26. It seems to be a very charming place, Chipping Camden, but what a fright with Stratford-upon-Avon. Marvellous shots. I must admit I don’t think I have been much in those parts of England. In the 70’s I went to Stratford for the love of Shakespeare, but I do not remember much about it. Oh, the places we all could visit…one life span is not enough. Thank you for taking us!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Leya,
      well, one doesn’t need to see all the attractive, idyllic places. We suppose it’s much more fun to have time enough to enjoy the atmosphere of a beautiful place one has found. We agree one can’t visit all the scenic places. We suppose that would be a kind of consumerism and not funny anymore.
      Stratford-upon-Avon is horrible whereas Chipping Campden is charming, indeed!
      With lots of love
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • “Campden”, I think I spelled it with London in mind…sorry. Of course you are right – it is impossible to visit all the places you want to see. But consuming them with help of ones blogging friends is wonderful! My best wishes and flowers to you all ♥♥♥♥

      Liked by 3 people

  28. A lovely place and great photos by DIna. I especially liked the pale blue Morris Minor – memories of our first car in the UK over 50 years ago! When we lived in the south of England, we never visited Stratford… Oxford and the Cotswolds, yes! Thanks as always for beautiful images and interesting commentary!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Peter,
      for liking our post.
      That parking Morris Minor was a great gift for Dina’s photography. But you wouldn’t believe it there are still quite a lot of these iconic cars around. They must have been very decently made.
      We wish you all the best from the sunny coast of Norfolk
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Well, we did both 🙂
      We had a stroll the High Street up and down and explored all the minor streets, the church and the churchyard (worth a visit) and we had our cups of tea as well.
      Thanks and cheers
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Sally,
      yes, isn’t it?
      At such a place one has to behave civilised 😉 strolling up and down the High Street and having one’s afternoon tea.
      Thanks and love
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Janet,
      thanks a lot for reblogging 🙂 🙂 We feel honoured.
      We suppose that Chipping Campden hasn’t changed much, actually not for more than hundred years – at least not the High Street. And that’s the charm of it, it hasn’t changed much but is nevertheless a lively town where modern people like to live.
      With lots of love
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Wonderful processing of your photos. I especially like the first two. As an English major I was sad to hear your thoughts on Stratford-upon-Avon but happy for your sake that the next town made up for it.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear David,
      thanks for commenting.
      Yes, we didn’t like Stratford at all. When we talked to other visitors later they all had the feeling that one can forget about Stratford and the Shakespeare Museum as well. It’s so behind a modern museum that radiates the feeling of the time and the person. We know f.e. the Goethe Haus in Weimar or Brecht’s birthplace in Augsburg they interest you for the person who lived there and those museums are not surrounded by shops offering horrible kitsch. Stratford seemed to us really downmarket. We were more than happy to leave it.
      Chipping Campden was a place we really like, we could even imagine living there (but we are happy living on the North Norfolk coast).
      All the best
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  34. I have only driven through this town on the way to one of my favourite gardens – Hidcote – but it does look lovely (and expensive). We liked Moreton-in-Marsh as it appears less touristy and still holds a regular market. I hope you have packed some warm clothes for your trip down to Cornwall, at the moment it is very cold and very windy. Hopefully better by the time you both arrive. Hope to see you next week 🙂
    Jude xx

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Hi, dear Jude,
      we are very well equipped for cold weather and wind, even for snow. Thank you very much for reminding us, that’s very kind of you. But you know we love cold weather and we can cope – at least we think so. We are very much looking forward seeing you next week.
      Unfortunately, we don’t know Moreton-in-Marsh, but next time … Thanks for mentioning it.
      Chipping Campden is indeed posh and expensive. On the other hand, it has very nice individual shops we liked (and where bought some beautiful Christmas presents much too expensive).
      See you next week xxx
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  35. Dear Fab Four,
    I agree with you on Stratford, I didn’t like it very much either.
    Glad you had a great compensation with the tearoom and beautiful Chipping Campden. The Cotswolds must be England’s cheekbones as well as its heart! ❤ And that gorgeous Morris minor!! ❤ Gives me the right Downton Abbey feeling right away. 🙂
    Have a wonderful trip to Devon and Cornwall.
    Talk soon…
    Klem
    Hjerter ❤

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Hjerter,
      we didn’t meet anybody who likes Stratford as town and the Shakespeare Museum as a museum. It’s all horrible!
      You are right, Chipping Campden radiates this Downton Abbey feel.
      We are looking very much forward going to Cornwall and Devon tomorrow.
      With lots of love xxxxx
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  36. Wonderful Chipping Campden, so nicely presented with words and images. Isn’t it a pity that Stratford has lost the grip.
    I have just finished a biography on T.S. Eliot by Peter Ackroyd. Unlike Graham Greene, Eliot did not like Chipping Campden, saying rather unpleasantly that “with its olde worlde atmosphere stinking of death”, the town suited Emily’s (his wife) uncle and aunt, who had lent them the cottage.
    He was rude about other places, too. “I hate university towns. . . Oxford is very pretty but I do not like to be dead”.
    Anyway, T.S. Eliot was nevertheless a regular visitor to Chipping Campden and often went walking in the Cotswold hills with his friend Emily Hale. His poem Burnt Norton, the first of a set of four poems in Four Quartets, was inspired by a visit to Norton House, a manor house near Aston Subedge in the Cotswolds. Trespass is a favourite metaphor for writers, but Eliot took the word more literally while on a walk in the Cotswolds. 🙂 Eliot was a city dweller and unused to the country. Peter Ackroyd says that on one walk the Nobel Laureate was nearly trampled by a boisterous cow and escaped by diving into a mulberry bush. To commemorate the event he composed a comic poem called The Country Walk, which reminds us of his most famous legacy — the musical Cats: “Of all the beasts that God allows/In England’s green and pleasant land/I most of all dislike the Cows.”
    This is now more Eliot than Chipping Campden, but I can’t help myself when I’m all full of a good book. 🙂
    Love, Sarah x

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for telling us about T.S. Eliot and Chipping Campden and the Cotswolds. We have to admit we didn’t know about his connection to the Cotswolds – but now we know. great!
      Especially Siri and Selma love this story with the cow.
      With lots of love ❤️
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  37. Genteel. Elegant. A little old fashioned? It all looks very agreeable. Good that we can all find beauty to suit us. I was last in Stratford on a school trip. I remember staying in a very draughty old guest house. I guess that was before tourism became an obsession 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Dear John,
      thanks for liking Dina’s photography.
      The blue car is an old Morris Minor, called Moggy, it’s iconic for England. This car is from the 50th and still going strong. There are still quite some of these cars on British roads.
      With warm greetings from the cold sea
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  41. Fab Four of Cley,
    All I’ve ever heard about Statford-on-Avon had to do with Shakespeare, but as always you fail to come up with an interesting post and unique photographs. You know it’s going to be a good day when I see ‘The World According To Dina’ pop up on my Reader page!!
    Thank you once again for a wonderful time here.
    GP Cox

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  44. Wonderful photos. We don’t see buildings like this in western North America. The only thing that spoils the composition is not in Dina’s control, and that is the cars parked on the street. They seem not to belong in a picture like this. Like an anachronism.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Anneli,
      oh dear, we have been too late at Chipping Campden. There were already such a lot of cars in the town that Siri and Selma didn’t dare to put up their “Road Closed” signs.
      Actually, we liked it with the traffic – very moderate – showing that this isn’t a museum but a town where modern folks live their life. But, we agree for photography it would have been better without cars.
      In the Cotswolds, there are quite some towns and villages equally beautiful as Chipping Campden.
      We are living in a Norfolk coastal village that is similar beautiful (nothing has changed since the 19th c). It’s great living in such a place – at least we love it.
      Thanks and cheers
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • It does have that old-time look of a place with history. I can understand how you wouldn’t want to be having to take a horse and buggy to town, but for the photo, it would have been perfect (even if not accurate for today) to have no cars in sight. Lovely photos just the same.

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Anneli,
      now Siri and Selma know to have been early out for placing their ‘Road Closed’ signs on all the streets and roads where Dina wants take pictures.
      Love
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Here are Siri and Selma writing! 👭
      It’s not so bad as it sounds because we get quite some fairy dollars pocket money for doing it and it’s an adventure. We have a kind of routine already doing it and not to get caught, because we are clever Bookfayries!
      Lots of finest fairy dust
      Siri and Selma 👭 the clever Bookfayries

      Liked by 2 people

  45. Hallo Ihr Lieben,
    schon in 2011 fanden Mary und ich den Eintrittspreis “ganz schoen happig”, wie man so sagt, und auch wir waren der Meinung, dass es wenig nutzt, wenn man dafuer 1 Jahr lang rein kann. Klasse Werbemasche, das. “Marketing Strategy” nennt man das heutzutage wohl. Das Beste an Shakespeare’s Geburtshaus war, dass Mary dort eine Penny-Press Maschine gefunden hat 😀 [s. hier: https://wp.me/p107Dr-eo%5D. Zugegeben: es gibt interessanter (auf)gemachte Museen, aber ein wenig aufschlussreich war es doch.
    Zu Chipping Campden: ein historisch gewachsenes und dann in dem Zustand “konserviertes” Dorf kann m.E. nicht kitschig sein. Und im Uebrigen: “Kitsch is in the eye of the beholder”. Was Kitsch angeht: vor langer Zeit war ich in Schottland absolut ueberrascht, als ich in Glamis Castle die Sammlung der Nippes-Figuren von Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, der spaeteren Queen Mum [als sie als junges Maedchen und junge Dame noch dort lebte], gesehen habe. Vielleicht habe ich ja keine Ahnung, aber ich haette das als “Royal Kitsch” bezeichnet. Es kommt eben auf den Betrachter an.
    Zum Thema “Kitsch” gab es vor ein paar Monaten uebrigens auch auf Susanne Haun’s Blog eine Diskussion [https://wp.me/p107Dr-eo und https://wp.me/ptJ7E-79A%5D.
    Wie auch immer: Dina hat einmal mehr ganz fantastische Fotos eingestellt, die ihr ganzes Koennen als Fotografin aufzeigen. Danke, liebe Dina!
    Habt’s fein, und liebe Gruesse an alle Fab Four im kleinen Dorf am grossen Meer,
    Pit

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Guten Tag, lieber Pit,
      ich glaube nicht, dass Kitsch nur eine subjektive Sichtweise des Betrachters ist. Besonders die Prager Strukturalisten (Nachfolger der russischen Formalisten) beschäftigten sich damit, was Kunst zur Kunst macht und was Kitsch ist. Für mich die klügsten Köpfe dieser Gruppe waren Tynjanow, Mukarovsky und Eichenbaum, die man als Begründer der Rezeptionstheorie ansehen kann. Kurz gesagt, sie definierten Kitsch als das, was die Erwartungen des Massengeschmacks einlöst. Ich finde das eine sehr nachvollziehbare Definition. Lang, lang ist her, da schrieb ich eine wissenschaftliches Buch über diese strukturalen Ästhetiktheorien (erschien in der Reihe ‘Europäische Hochschulschriften’). Mich hat das stets interessiert, wie ästhetische Beurteilungen zustande kommen. Goethe versuchte auch zuvor, darauf mit seiner normativen Ästhetik eine Antwort zu finden. Für ihn galt als ästhetisch wertvoll, was das Ganzheitsprinzip erfüllt (das prägt maßgeblich seine Farbenlehre).
      Vielen Dank, dass dir Dinas Fotos gefallen 🙂 🙂
      Wir sind on the road nach Cornwall und gespannt, welche Abenteuer wir dort erleben werden.
      Ganz liebe Grüße an dich und Mary, macht’s gut
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Lieber Klausbernd,
      hier nur kurz [bald mehr] und auf die Schnelle: gestern haben wir hier eine Sendung ueber Cornwall gesehen, und da wurde Cape Cornwall empfohlen, als Alternative zum ueberlaufenen Land’s End. Sah echt gut aus – und vor Allem: LEER!
      Habt’s fein, und liebe Gruesse auch an die restlichen 3/4 der Fab Four,
      Pit

      Liked by 2 people

    • Ganz herzlichen Dank, lieber Pit. That’s very kind of you telling us about Cape Cornwall. We are very happy, now no tourists are around, even not at the most famous places. Vor vielen Jahren filmte ich ja hier für einige TV Sender und deswegen kenne ich die Gegend sehr gut. Ich würde nie im Sommer nach Cornwall fahren, aber jetzt im Winter ist es toll, menschenleer und fein rau.
      Ganz liebe Grüße an Mary und dich
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • You’re most welcome, dear Klausbernd. I agree witj you: seasons without (many) tourists are to be preferred, and now that both Mary and I have retired, it’s easy for us to choose these. When I visited Cornwall in the 1980s, I waas not in that lucky statues yet and had to endure my fellow tourists.
      Enjoy Cornwall, both of you,
      Pit

      Liked by 1 person

    • Lieber Klausbernd,
      danke fuer Deine Ausfuehrungen. Klar, dass Kitsch nur alleine in der subjektiven Sichtweise des Betrachters beruht, das habe ich zu eng gefasst.
      Viel Spass in Cornwall, undl iebe Gruesse,
      Pit

      Liked by 2 people

  46. Stunning photos as always, Dina. Love those softly rolling hills in the landscape. I’ve certainly enjoyed these views (since my own travels in the U.K. in 1976 & 1978). As you stroll down the lovely old streets, it’s not hard to picture carriages, horses and carts winding their way between the old stone houses.
    I vaguely remember Shakespeare’s house from my 1978 trip around the U.k. (by car with 2 friends), but can’t remember a single thing from the interior.

    (Living on a frugal pension these days makes me more aware of entrance fees,…….even in the city here).

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Vicki,
      actually, we think that entrance to museums should be that low that everybody can easily afford them. Education should be affordable for every person. From the continent we are not used to such high entrance fees but, of course, museums are there subsidised by the EU.
      We wish you a happy time
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  47. I always remember the woman from the National Trust who wanted me to join–and when I told her I didn’t live in the UK, she said, well, that I could certainly use it while I was there–and it was a pretty astonishing amount I thought. Well, I’m glad you traded up for a better experience in your day. Chipping Campden is really beautiful and your photos catch the glow of the light on the stone I will try to go there when next in the UK.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much for your commentary.
      When you will visit the UK the next time don’t miss the Cotswolds. You’ll find a lot of beautiful little towns and villages there. You’ll love it!
      All the best
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Anne,
      indeed, we were so happy being in Chipping Campden after horrible Stratford 🙂 🙂
      Thanks a lot for commenting.
      Have a happy day
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  50. When I think of “kitsch,” I think of the ghastly work produced by Thomas Kinkaid. So many subjects in his work resemble these scenes from Chipping Campden, but of course it’s the artistry of Hanne’s photographs which make the place seem timeless: not to mention approachable and elegant. I especially enjoyed the muted palette throughout, and certain details are compelling: the blues and browns in the first photo, accented with the foliage in the window boxes; the red-leafed tree that outshines all the cars in the third.

    If I had only a day to spend inside one of the photos, though, it would be the landscape. It’s like a door pushed open; it feels as though I could step through it and walk forever.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thanks a lot for liking Dina’s photography.
      What’s kitsch and what’s art, this was the basic question of the Prague School of Structuralists. Mukarovsky, Tynjanov and Eichenbaum found an answer that became generally accepted in art history. To make it short: kitsch is serving the taste of the masses. This taste is dependent on their horizon of reception.
      Anyway, we don’t think that Chipping Campden is kitsch, it’s posh 😉
      We think the design of colour and lines makes a good picture. In Chipping Campden we had the ideal situation with the right light and the honey coloured stones contrasting the foliage.
      We did some hiking in the Cotswolds as well and loved those lush rolling hills there.
      All the best
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  51. Chipping Campden is a lovely place, made even more beautiful by Dina and her skill as a photographer. I have never been to Stratford on Avon but I have heard how commercial it has become. What a shame! Have a wonderful birthday, Dina and I hope you all have a fantastic holiday in wild Cornwall xx

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  53. Guten Morgen, ihr lieben vier,
    ihr schürt unsere Sehnsucht nach England. Mit weit offenen Augen haben wir die Fotos betrachtet und von diesem schönen Ort gelesen.
    Ich war vor 30 Jahren einmal in Stratford und habe kaum Erinnerung daran. Ich weiss nur, dass wir auch in dem angeblichen Wohnhaus Shakespeares waren und ich sehr erstaunt war, wie klein es war.
    Nun steht ersteinmal Afrika an und wir sind schon sehr aufgeregt. Vier Länder (Südafrika, Namibia, Botswana und Simbabwe) werden wir bereisen und sind schon sehr aufgeregt.
    Ich scanne schon fleißig Literatur, die ich mit ebook im Urlaub lesen möchte. Was für eine grandiose Erfindung für unterwegs.
    Ich sende euch viele, liebe Grüße nach Cley, in Berlin ist es noch dunkel und die Lichter der Osramhöfe geradeüber offenbaren kleine flinke arbeitende Menschen.
    Susanne

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Guten Tage, liebe Susanne,
      da können wir nicht mithalten mit euren exotischen Reisezielen. Wir sind gerade auf unserem Weg nach Cornwall, wo wir auf neue Abenteuer hoffen.
      Euch wünschen wir ein gaaaaanz tolle Afrika-Reise. Wann geht’s denn los?
      E-Books sind ideal unterwegs, das finden wir auch, allerdings nach Cornwall nehmen wir richtige Bücher mit, da wir mit unserem geliebten Volvo fahren, der genug Platz bietet.
      Liebe Grüße von unterwegs
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi, Fab Four of Cley,
      ich bin auch sehr aufgeregt, es gibt viel zu bedenken.
      Für mich war England genauso aufregendwie es jetzt Afrika zu werden scheint. Und England steht für mich ganz oben auf der Liste für ein Wiedersehen.
      Diese Afrikareise ist Michas großer Traum …. mal schauen, wie es wird.
      Liebe Grüße von Susanne

      Liked by 2 people

  54. What a charming little town. Pity you didn’t get your “road closed” sign up, I can imagine the road without cars would be like stepping back into the past. The marketing of some places ie Stratford, can kill the original ambiance of a place and people swarm there to try and find an idea that has been over rated. Rotorua in NZ is another place like that.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for commenting 🙂 🙂
      Without cars Chipping Campden would look more like a film set than a real market town. One would expect then horses and carts.
      With lots of love
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  55. Hallo🧚‍♀️🌳🌈bei mir war es letzten Sommer so: in meinem Odenwaldhäuschen saß eine Lerche😅es war der Moment als ich den verschimmelten Kühlschrank sauber machen musste. Der Wind hatte scheinbar die Tür zugeschlagen und der Osterhase hatte unerklärlicher weise Eier vergessen ( die Kinder….) es war viel Schimmel und eine kleine verschreckte Lerche. Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung sah ich zuletzt mit einem befreundeten Männerpaar als Ballett. Die haben nichts von dem Stück kapiert!😂Was ich damit sagen will: es wundert mich nicht, dass es in diesem Shakespearemuseum nicht so geprickelt hat💚🙋🏻Wünsche euch eine wundervolle und angenehme Reise🌻🙏

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Herzlichen Dank, liebe Pia 🙂 🙂
      Nach einem mächtigen Sturm hier sind wir bei Sonnenschein auf den Weg ins West Country nach Cornwall. Die Stimmung ist bestens.
      Liebe Grüße
      💃🚶‍♂️👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  56. My father was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, and lived there for the first six or seven years of his life. As children, my three sisters and I were taken on visits there quite often in the 1950s and 60s. He told us the town was always overflowing with tourists even back in the 1920s. His father came from the small Gloucestershire village of Mickleton, hardly two miles from Chipping Camden. I am told by my sisters there were a couple of impressive gravestones in the village churchyard bearing the Hemming name.

    Incidentally, most sons of the family took the second name Chapman as a family tradition. My grandfather was baptised Henry Chapman and my father was baptised Thomas Chapman. It wasn’t a surname or double-barrelled name, as such, and my father didn’t christen me Bryan Chapman. I only mention it because in the same way Chipping indicated a market town, Chapman indicated a merchant or seller in former times. The English word ‘shop’ – both a noun and a verb – probably shares the same root as does the Norwegian word ‘kjøpe’.

    Coincidentally. though my father’s family had climbed the social ladder to become part of the local gentry by the time he was born, my father gambled and drank his own inheritance away to the point where he became a ‘chapman’ again, running a small shop in a Leicestershire village and a stall at Coventry market.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Bryan,
      thanks a lot for explaining the meanings of names. We didn’t know that Chapman was a name for a merchant going back to the Norwegian word ‘kjøpe’.
      We have been on this lovely churchyard with those impressive gravestones. Maybe we passed by the Hemming gravestone.
      Your family history seems to us a typical English one. Here in Norfolk, quite some families went down the social ladder because of gambling and drinking as well.
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Lieber Achim,
      wenn du es liebst zu wandern, dann können wir dir noch empfehlen von dem Turm bei Broadway (ich kann gerade den Namen nicht erinnern, der sich zu besichtigen lohnt, wegen der arts-and-crafts Ausstellung dort) nach Broadway zu wandern. Ein wunderschöner angenehmer Weg mit tollen Ausblicken über das Land.
      Mit lieben Grüßen nach Feiburg
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Lieber Achim,
      Dina hat’s mir gerade gesagt, der Turm heißt ganz einfach ‘Broadway Tower’.
      Und nach dem Gang empfehlen wir einen Tee im Lygon Arms Hotel zu nehmen, very civilised!
      Kb

      Liked by 1 person

  59. Pingback: Chipping Campden | The World according to Dina – Theo Herbots Love 💘,Joy 😃 And Happiness 💌

  61. Too kitschy? How can it, when it looks so genuine real from the day whenever it was? Yes, beautiful – almost over the top – but does that imply kitsch in any way… As to Stratford, I visited it probably 40 years ago – and I had the exact same response. Not a place to recommend. But I wouldn’t mind going to Chipping Camden.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Otto
      We are sure you would love Chipping Campden. Actually the whole Cotswolds are beautiful and very English, well, like the ideal of Merry Old England.
      Thanks 🙏 for commenting and have a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  64. I fear Chipping Camden will be inundated with visitors following your wonderful post of this idyllic town! 😀 I just want to get in my car and drive for a visit. I don’t find it kitsch at all and love the chocolate box description. Even the cars don’t detract from the lovely buildings, swing of the streets. It was interesting to learn where the term ‘chipping’ comes from -thank you for enlightening me! The comments here are a treat to read and I took my time savouring them whilst scrolling down to the reply box! Hope you’re all safe on the Norfolk coast following the battering from the unnamed storm and have a lovely weeknd. Xxx

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Annika,
      thanks a lot for asking. Well this gale was drastic. Fortunately we only left our garden gate which got blown away.
      We loved it in Chipping Campden but we couldn’t afford living there. The house 🏡 prices are exorbitant.
      Now we are in Cornwall where we have a great time.
      With lots of love ❤️ from the rough sea
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  68. We took the grandchildren to Shakespeare’s Birth place and Ann Hathaway’s Cottage a few years ago, they enjoyed the visits. Children do go free, I don’t know which ticket you where sold but you can buy one for entry into all five houses which is 60% cheaper than individual tickets. Sadly many of the shops you mention are aimed at the American and Japanese markets. When you next head in that direction you should visit Broadway, very ‘chocolate box’ yet good.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Hi, dear Brian
      When we visited the Cotswolds we stayed for a week in Broadway and loved it there very much.
      Now we are in Cornwall enjoying the rough sea.
      Wishing you a wonderful week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  69. Ihr Lieben, ich hoffe einfach ganz fest für dieses wunderschöne Chipping Campden, dass es jetzt nicht von den ganzen Touristen überschwemmt und zerstört wird!! Habt vielen Dank für diese eindrücklichen Bilder mit Kommentar. Cari saluti Martina

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  73. I share your disappointment with Stratford. I first visited more than 60 years ago. Then it still hada unique atmosphere – almost a place of pilgrimage. But we have an idiom about ‘killing the goose that lays the golden egg’ and I’m afraid the more recent emphasis on exploiting the tourist illustrates the saying very well.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Louis,
      the tourists ruined Stratford for sure. And it has turned to be a no-go-place.
      I have been there about 40 years ago. Then it just turned horribly touristy, but still bearable.
      Thank you very much and have a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  76. Most interesting about Stratford. We haven’t been there for many years, though I remember a pleasant summer’s day there, taking a rowing boat out on the river, then seeing a play in the evening (shamefully, I no longer remember which one…). But it sounds as though the smog from the ‘Shakespeare Industry’ has smothered the poor town. I hope it’s not unacceptable to say that this will not be because of tourists from Scandinavia… RH

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear RH
      Well, we were the Scandinavians adding to the tourism there. And wasn’t it since the 19th c. that tourists started to complain about other tourists. In Stratford there are masses of Chinese and Japanese tourists – and to express it politically correct, we would say they are quite different, especially their taste. You can’t imagine this Shakespeare kitsch.
      Anyway, now we are in Cornwall and enjoying the rough sea 🌊
      Thanks 🙏 for commenting and wishing you a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  77. “Such places are like the over-idealised pictures on chocolate boxes” I am sorry to put in a dissenting voice but places like Chipping Campden are not representative of the UK in general. I live in a very pleasant souh Devon town but it is a place of contrasts with many very rich people but also people sleeping rough on the streets.

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    Reply

    • Dear Philip,
      we live in a very pretty coastal village of the North Norfolk coast. We don’t have down-and-outies there, it’s like in Chipping Campden. It’s a pity that people have to sleep rough, there is no doubt about it, but we don’t need to see underprivileged people. Coming from Scandinavia and Germany we know that the UK is quite poor in comparison and especially that the social security provides hardly any security in the UK.
      Of course, we know that Chipping Campden is the ideal of Merry Old England and an ideal is never an overall reality.
      Thanks a lot for commenting. Wishing you a great week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  78. hello dina its dennis the vizsla dog hay that luks like another luvly playse to vizzit but for sum reezun my dada is like shuddering and saying sumthing abowt all the parallel parking!!! i hav no ideea wot he is tawking abowt as yoozhual!!! ok bye

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Dennis
      You can tell you daddy we found a parking space there quite soon, it wasn’t too hard.
      It’s very dog friendly there because dogs 🐶 don’t need to be confronted with the stinky cars 🚗 as there are two level of the main street.
      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Jacqui
      We know the UK quite well because our dear Master wrote a book about England that was filmed later with his help. Now he is showing Dina and us Bookfayries the most beautiful places he can remember. Well, his filming was 30 years ago, but he does well. Now we are enjoying the rough coast of Cornwall. One of the secrets is to go in winter time, meaning empty places and friendly folks. And it’s great in Scotland with lots of snow ❄️ making a magical landscape.
      Anyway we worked as guides for film crews, but that’s quite a while ago as well. But we Bookfayries are very special super guides!
      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  80. Such wonderful photos! Isn’t it a shame when you visit somewhere and it is disappointing. Sorry to hear that .. As for Chipping Campden not kitsch at all 🙂 Love the shot of the Morris, it was my very first car and the same colour!

    Liked by 3 people

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  81. I apologise for Stratford Upon Avon, although I’m not personally responsible. The only thing that draws me back there from time to time is the National Theatre. I really like the stage and it’s a prestige venue so it attracts all the best players (and some of the funniest mistakes). I see they are doing Cicero’s Imperium trilogy at the moment, which is a bit heavy going. Maybe next time?

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Frederick
      unfortunately we didn’t see a Shakespeare performance at Stratford. Now we are travelling around in Cornwall and we thought we would love to see a life performance at the Minac theatre 🎭
      Thanks and all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Charlotte
      We love ❤️ strolling with an ice cream 🍦 in such villages and towns – even in winter (well, what the English call winter)
      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Ganz herzlichen Dank, liebe Pia.
      Wir feierten sehr toll und stilvoll in Seeräuberatmosphäre in Penzance/Cornwall. Nun sind wir gerade wieder nach Hause gekommen.
      Liebe Grüße von uns
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Oh, wie lieb❣️❣️❣️Ganz ganz herzlichen Dank, liebe Pua❣️🤗😘 wir hatten eine richtig tolle Zeit im Westen. Wann kommst du nach Norfolk?🙃🙋🙋‍♂️🇬🇧

      Like

    • Dear Joanne
      Thanks a lot.
      Yes, Stratford is a waste of time. We have just been in Hardy’s cottage in Dorset that was sooooo much nicer, friedlier and more reasonable as well.
      Have a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Hallo, du Griechenlandfan,
      ja toll, dass dir Dina’s Fotos gut gefallen. Wir lieben England, es hat so viele schöne Landschaften und Dörfer, das Einzige, was wir vermissen, ist der Schnee. Aber dafür fahren wir dann in den Norden nach Norwegen oder in die Arktis (davon findest du auch Bilder auf diesen Blog).
      Mit herzlichen Grüßen vom Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Charu,
      thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂 🙂 Great that you like our blog.
      We four are Norwegian, German and Fairish (Bookfayrie country) and for us Chipping Campden sounds special as well, but not for the English.
      Wishing you a great weekend and happy travels
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Penne,
      yeah, it’s really a great place, it’s a time machine and very peaceful – at least in wintertime.
      Thanks a lot and wishing you a happy day
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Hi,
      indeed, these Cotswold villages and towns are quintessential English, well, an England that has nearly gone. We didn’t mind the cars so much and rather liked it that it was quite busy there.
      Thanks for commenting and have a happy day
      The Fab Four of Cley
      P.S.: Sorry, that we answered that late 😦

      Like

    • Dear Ute,
      it is very picturesque on one hand and fortunately on the other hand not like a museum, a real busy little market town. We liked it very much.
      All the best and thanks
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  94. I have also the feeling as if I’m in a fairytale when I look at the awesome pictures of the places Dina took! But pity about your disappointment of the Shakespeare museum. Fortunately, Chipping Campden brought some happyness!
    Best regards, Heidi

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Heidi,
      indeed, it’s like in a fairytale there. Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma didn’t want to leave.
      Wishing you happy Easter holidays and thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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