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Published: July 18th 2011
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Having known that there wouldn’t be very much transport available in the Cotswolds on Sunday, we had decided to visit Gloucester on 19 June. We caught the No.94 bus from Churchdown, a few minutes walk from Strayleaves on Gloucester Road.
After arriving at the bus terminal, we headed to the Historic Docks. The scene of the canals and brick warehouses reminded my parents of visiting Otaru in Hokkaido last year. As well as the remains of the Victorian warehouses which have been converted to the restaurants, museums, and shops, there were several pieces of equipment and vehicles, e.g. tractors, carts, and the remains of the rail where the trolley was steered in the past. The historic docks also contained the church, which was dedicated to the mariners.
National Waterway Museum
After walking through the Docks, we reached the National Waterway Museum. After paying the admission fees, we went to the first exhibition room. We were shown the models of the lowland area including the marshland, Severn River, canals, and details of the livelihood at the first exhibition rooms. We were then instructed to go up to the 2nd floor. There were a number of vivid boats and containers painted
with bright colours, details of flowers and the owners’ initials, and floral patterns. We learnt that each owner or family decorated their boats and containers to distinguish from others. We didn’t see these exhibitions the last time we visited in 2009.
Following the route, we moved to the room where various types of boats used by women, children, engineers, ship builders, and maintenance people. There were cutleries, porcelain, clothes, tools, measuring items, and accountant books displayed alongside the relevant boats. The maintenance people undertook a wide variety roles including digging out the mud and removing weeds on the riverbed to make the river navigable and laying on the boat on the sides of the boat and moving it with their legs while going through the narrow tunnels.
We went to the 1st floor, and saw exhibitions of the time Gloucester acted as a main harbour. There were containers, boxes, bags, and carts which the workers used to convey materials unloaded from the badge boats. The types of exhibitions were similar to ones we saw at Otaru’s Museum last year. More exhibitions had been added since 2009. We saw paintings of the Gloucester Docks, Severn River, painted in the
19th century, the 1930s, and the 1960s, and 2000, and portraits of the people who contributed to the development of the barge industry in the past.
Finally, we went down to the ground floor where old engines and working engines were displayed. My father and Mark tried the simulation games to steer the miniature boats floated on the race tracks in the sink. My mother bought some postcards. We had lunch near the museum. We saw the pleasure boats running on the canal and suspension bridge opening. Unfortunately, the experience of the cold and rainy day’s cruise in London discouraged my parents. They didn’t agree to get on the boat on the Gloucester Canal.
Gloucester Cathedral
Next, we went to Gloucester Cathedral. The Cathedral was free entry. I showed my parents the Nave where the general church members sit, Quire, where the Cathedral’s choir perform singing during the church services and Christmas services, stained glass, tombs and effigies of the people and King Edward II who were associated with the history of Gloucester Cathedral, Lady Chapel, and other chapels. We then looked round the cloister and courtyard, which was used as Harry Potter’s film scene. I showed my
parents the Chapter House where Bishops hold meetings. Having had a good look at Gloucester Cathedral, my mother learnt details of the Gothic architecture, furniture and monuments of English churches. We walked round outside the Cathedral to see the building from the different angles.
We popped in the Tailor of Gloucester Shop near the Cathedral. There were exhibitions of Beatrix Potter’s Tailor house on the 1st floor and shops on the ground floor.
We remembered doing a short walk along the Severn River and nature reserve and walked a bit on the course. Unfortunately, we couldn’t remember the route very well and encountered the off-limit signs, and decided not to carry on. We caught the bus back to Cheltenham at 16:00.
We walked to the town centre via Honeybourne Railway’s footpath and had an Indian meal at the Namaste Restaurant on St George’s Place in the evening. We tried to choose non-spice meals for my parents. Mark chose the fish meal containing green chilli, which was hot and spicy. Nevertheless, we all enjoyed the southern Indian style meals and appreciated the reasonable price.
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