The Nest of the Devil

Sounds like an episode of 70’s Tom Baker Who but no...it’s the recreation of the Bards Globe Theatre. Nicknamed the Nest of the Devil by the residents of the time the re-created Globe is a beautiful and open working theatre. Although the opening run for their Spring/Summer series won’t be on my must see list – a word by word reading of The King James Bible. The tour takes you through a thorough exhibition of the who, how, what, why’s of the recreation and ushers you into the body of this working theatre. The 40 minute + tour was worth the small admission fee. With the Tate Modern next door and St Paul's Cathedral opposite this is a precious little pocket of London. Onto Oxford...via the train... Quick Tip – get your ticket at the ticket office rather than using the ticket machines. Although the machines are convenient we saved ourselves 30 pounds on the tickets by getting various discounts via actually ticketing office. ...after passing through Slough and Reading we disembarked at Oxford station and toddled off into the city to do the obligatory self-guided walking tour (and pub lunch). Highlights included the stunning Radcliffe Camera, the view from the St Mary of the Virgin Church (even Dad managed to get up all the internal spiral steps) and the picturesque grounds of Christ Church Cathedral famously known as the place where Lewis Carroll penned Alice in Wonderland and housing the Great Hall which acted as a setting for the Dining Hall scenes for Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Tomorrow things start in earnest as we hit the road and Stonehenge, Avebury and Bath beckon.