The good, bad and ugly sides to Stratford-upon-Avon – hometown of William Shakespeare
- The English town’s most famous son brings in close to 10 million tourists a year
- Twin town Fuzhou, in Jiangxi province, is building replicas of Shakespeare’s birthplace and marital home
The good
Stratford-upon-Avon is a quintessentially English market town of cobbled streets flanked by handsome Tudor buildings, traditional family-run shops, inviting olde-worlde pubs and a river that meanders its way gracefully through the centre. And if that’s not enough to lure legions of tourists, it’s also the birthplace of the world’s most distinguished playwright.
Records show that William Shakespeare was baptised at the Warwickshire town’s Church of the Holy Trinity on April 26, 1564 and although the exact date of his birth is not recorded, it’s widely accepted that he had been born three days earlier, on April 23, which is also the date, in 1616, on which he died.
To mark the anniversary, characters in period costume join students from Shakespeare’s old school and an assortment of VIPs in a procession that wends its way to the church where flowers are laid on his grave. A service honouring the celebrated scribe is followed by a programme of community activities and family entertainment. Central to the festivities is the annual Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival, which this year runs from April 27 to May 5.
To get your bearings and learn a little local history, head to the Swan Fountain at 11am and join the guided two-hour town walk. The Shakespeare-related sights come thick and fast; as do tales of fire, plague and the mystery of whether the great man’s skull was stolen by 18th century robbers – despite an ominous graveside warning penned by the man himself: “And cursed be he that moves my bones.”
The walking tour doesn’t include entry to any of the Shakespeare family homes so forward planners will be glad they ordered a Full Story ticket online. The pass offers access to five properties, including the Bard’s birthplace and the thatched childhood home and manicured gardens of his wife, Anne Hathaway, where the pair spent the first five years of married life.
Also not to be missed is a visit to the half-beamed schoolroom where the playwright was a pupil in the 1570s. The experience is especially popular with youngsters, who can join a Tudor-era lesson and try their hand at writing with a quill. Back in the day, classes would have been in Latin, although other subjects were taught. With the hindsight of history, it’s fair to say that Shakespeare’s English teacher, Thomas Jenkins, did a pretty good job of nurturing his star pupil’s love of the language.
Stratford has more to offer sightseers than Shakespeare, however. Book a boat ride along the scenic River Avon or visit Europe’s largest butterfly farm. At the newly opened Shakespaw Cat Café, customers can enjoy afternoon tea while stroking the resident felines. Real ale enthusiasts, meanwhile, should paws for a pint in one of the town’s atmospheric pubs. The Old Thatch Tavern dates back to 1470 and the walls of the Dirty Duck are adorned with signed photos of celebrated thespians who have performed at the nearby Royal Shakespeare Company. In fact, no trip to Stratford is complete without a visit to the distinctive riverside home of the RSC, which hosts performances throughout the year.
Stratford’s twin town of Fuzhou, in Jiangxi province, is in the process of constructing replicas of Shakespeare’s birthplace and marital home as part a project to commemorate the Bard as well as Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu and Spain’s Miguel de Cervantes, both of whom also died in 1616. The joint venture between the Chinese city and the British Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is due to be completed in 2022 and to cement the deal, a decorative Chinese pavilion has been offered to Stratford as a gesture of goodwill.
The bad
Well-intentioned the cultural gift may be but some residents have voiced concerns. The issue is less about the pavilion itself, rather its intended location, in tranquil Firs Gardens. Locals fear it will lead to an increase in antisocial behaviour and encourage rough sleepers into the area. But a minor bout of British Nimbyism is nothing compared to Shakespeare’s meddling role in the ongoing Brexit fiasco. Stratford-upon-Avon’s electorate mirrored the national 52-48 referendum result and with feelings running high, representatives of both groups are claiming the great playwright would have sided with them, based on clues gleaned from his plays and poetry.
The vote to leave is also creating uncertainty in the Stratford hospitality industry, just as annual visitor arrivals are approaching the 10 million mark. Residency restrictions are likely to make Britain a less desirable place in which to live and work for European Union citizens at a time when the number of locals seeking a career in tourism is falling. Still, at least the buskers are making a few quid (as much as £50/HK$510 a day, according to some). The problem is, many are cranking their amplifiers up to 11 and quite literally fighting over the most lucrative locations. A new busking policy has been introduced that includes sticking to designated pitches and putting a sock in it by 8pm each evening.
Most people enjoy their time in Stratford although not everyone feels the need to prolong their stay – if TripAdvisor headings such as “Nice Town, Not Worth a Long Visit” are anything to go by. On that basis, it’s probably a good thing that day trips that combine Stratford with Warwick Castle, Oxford and the Cotswolds don’t linger at each destination. The marathon 10-hour excursions are generally well-received despite some passengers saying they felt rushed. “There was very little time to either explore these attractions or to even eat a lunch.”
Those who do spend longer in Stratford have online gripes and grumbles of their own. Many complain that entry fees to the five Shakespeare Family Homes represent poor value for money. The Full Story ticket isn’t much use if you haven’t got enough time to visit each individual property. And cheerful reminders that tickets are valid for a whole year, “… so I do hope you choose to come back and maybe give us a second chance” don’t cut any ice with day trippers from the other side of the world.
The ugly
There is much debate among historians as to whether Shakespeare remained faithful to his wife, Anne Hathaway. Proof of an affair with an Italian translator has never been established but if true, the Bard was merely setting a precedent. In 2018, Stratford was revealed as the British town whose inhabitants were most likely to commit adultery, based on an “infidelity index” compiled by IllicitEncounters.com, a dating website for married people.
