of ‘GIVEN THE time of year — late October — and the distressing reports of torrential rain and floods in Britain, 1 did something I have never done before. 1 packed an ura- brelia. That, I have decided, is the secret of finding good weather in England. From the time my British Air- ways flight landed in bright sun- shine, until I left (same sun), the weather was perfect. Therein lies one of my best travel tips — visit Britain in the off-season. The summer months are hell — thousands of visitors flack over, clogging every atcraction. Probably the ‘worst is swarms of kids, let toose for the holidays. -They are warned not to get lost and they will stay with their leader even if it means tramping over your prostrate body. : In October, you rarely have to -contend with busloads of adults, cameras protruding from their navals and swinging big purses. : [hate waiting in line for any- thing axtd this last visit was com- . ‘pletely’ free of it. .- Look for all sorts of money- ‘saving packages in the off-season, One of the best is British Airways’ “London Show Tour.” . For the visitor, this is a laid- back part of England. It’s mostly rural — the largest city is Shrewsbury —- and the countryside is simply lovely. ’ One of the major draws for visitors is walking tours, both or- ganized and do-it-yourself. The county is dotted with small towns and villages — you can walk at your own pace and be sure of lots of places to stop. To plan a walking tour of this part of England, your best bet is to contact the Shropshire Tourist Promotion Department of the County Council (The Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND).. _ Although I don’t enjoy driving on the left, I’d not hesitate to rent acar in Shropshire. The traffic is } t J | L arbara ; MeGreadie TRAVELWISE light and it would make it very easy to reach really unspoiled parts of the county. Shropshire is unique; progress, in the form of wrecker’s balls, missed most of the historical ar- chitecture. Never a wealthy county, they didn’t have the money to destroy. things. For example, Shrewsbury has the most extensive Tudor buildings in England — the black-and- white structures so often mimicked by housing contractors. These aren’t museums — they’re shops and homes. Probably the best bed-and- breakfast offer in the whole country is in Shropshire! This is a package designed by ’ the tourist board to bring visitors to the rural area around the town of Clun — and trust me, this is rural!” You can stay at any one of 14 selected homes — some of them on farms — in the Clun Valley for £50 (two people, two nights). Any one of them will pick you up at the train station and you can ' become part of the village life for a few tranquil days. ‘Thad tea with Joyce Williams at Hurst Mill Farm — what a lovely spot! | also got her recipe for Welsh cakes so watch for it in an ‘ upcoming food column, Joyce has been operating a B&B since 1956, Off the record, I don’t think”. Joyce does it for the money. She’s had visitors from all over the world and I think she needs the break from tranquility. 1 asked Joyce if she had any cats. ‘‘Sure — they come to the back door to be fed but they prefer to live outside.’’ I went out back and tried my best: ‘‘Here, puddy-puddy’’ — nary a cat but I was nearly bowled over by a flock of hens, screeching and flapping from all over the four corners. My favorite spot in Shropshire is Ludlow. This small town is the sort of place where you can prow! through the old castle, shop in small markets for your picnic lunch and enjoy buildings hardly changed from the 1500s. Ludlow is one of the finest centres in England for quality an- tiques — I’m told that dealers from London buy here and you’! Lats histon do far better than you will in classy shops in Chelsea. There are 27 antique shops in Ludlow. Two that | visited were in those Tudor structures -— all the beams, fireplaces and planking were unchanged, just shored up where necessary. It’s worth going in, even if you don’t intend to buy. Visitors come to Shropshire for any number of reasons. The countryside is said to be full of ghosts. Rural England is noted for all sorts of historic sightings but what's a visit to England without a few hauntings? Pick up a booklet, ‘Ghostly Shropshire,’’ and drive the loops on both sides of Much Wenlock. Don’t miss a visit to the Wenlock Priory, featured in the Brother Cadfael tales. And then there’s Camelot. 44 I hate waiting in line for anything and this last visit was completely free of it. ¥F Recent discoveries seem to point to Wroexeter and the Roman ruins there as the ‘‘real’’ site of Came- ot. , Somehow, the whole place hasn’t much of the atmosphere - you associate with Richard Bur- ton’s King Arthur but this bit of. speculation has a lot more in its favor than the many “‘real Round Table’”’ displays in other parts of England. If you’re a D.H. Lawrence fan, spend a little time in Easthope, his birthplace. You can visit his first home. It’s a museum and shop but don’t ex- pect to find much enthusiasm for. the writer around town: Lawrence offended many of the. Jocals by using their characters, |. loosely disguised, in his novels — with, or mostly without, permis- sion. He hated the mine owners’ and those who worked in the offices. For example, a Mr. Chatterley was employed in the mine office and was of fhandedly told that his name might be used in a story. This didn’t bother Chatterley at the time but it upset him — and his daughter, Connie — not just a little when the book hit the stands. Incidentally, the model for the character of Lady Chatterly is said to be an unfortunate Mrs. Barber, the wife of the mine owner who employed Lawrence’s father. Mrs. Barber, unlike the fictional Connie Chatterley, wasn’t given to mating with gameskeepers. Other writers — Housman, Mary Webb, Wodehouse, Sir Walter Scott, to name just a few — have immortalized the Shrop- shire countryside. It’s a great place to visit if you love literature. And if you’re on the trail of family roots in any part of Shropshire, write to Jacky Brookes, the tourism promotion officer for Shropshire. She will personally assist you in any way that she can. Cruise For the 50+ Fully Escorted DELUXE 23 DAYS Overland Coach Tour $186 CDN per day ‘a, Jan. 29 - Feb, 20/94 La) Centennial Fravet Souice 1183 - 56 St., Delta, B.C. 943-8248 or 1-800-661-9630 SAVE UP TO $1600 per couple | Book BEFore Fen. 14/94 f 7 days or 10 days CALL TODAY 1126 Lonsdale Ave., N. 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