History & Pizza

Yesterday we wanted to grab the last minutes of the summer holidays before the Bun's and I go back to everyday routines again. I hate the feeling of having to grab time again rather than it lazily stretching out before us. The knowledge that if we don't do something today then never mind we'll do it tomorrow has gone for another summer.

We all agreed that a trip to Pizza Express with dollops of history thrown in would be a good choice. We parked on the far side of the city and followed the river in so Mr Bun and I could show them hidden places and how time has changed the city. We started at a Victorian Water Plant and off we went towards Bullard's Brewery which is no longer in business.

We passed this building covered all over with Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man. From a distance it looks like the pigeons have been busy.

In the middle of flats and car parking is the Bullard brewery well dated 1578. When you scratch about it's great to find bits of history in the oddest places.

Now our tummies were rumbling so we headed off to St Benedicts for pizza. Along this road are four maybe five churches all within shouting distance of one another.

I didn't think you would want to see our delicious pizza's and they didn't stay on the plates for long anyway. While we ate we decided we wanted to visit Strangers Hall, a Merchants House which is now a museum set out as a home of differing periods. I find it a very creepy place even though it's interesting to see.

This is the open courtyard that you enter by and then up the steps where the Bun family are waiting.

For the first time we could see the knot garden which was a treat.

I didn't take any pictures of the rooms as most have dark wood panelling with small leaded windows. As I couldn't use a flash the pictures would have been dreadful.

I did take a few of the exhibits which weren't so gloomy. I could have happily put my hand in the cases and taken a few of the toys.

Having married an M.Smith (different name now though as he merged with mine) we loved this teapot.

Out of the kitchens and just before the undercroft was a room storing all sorts of old shop signs.

An Eagle for the bank.


The ram for insurance.


Golden balls for the pawnbrokers.


This one's pretty obvious.

When we got to the last staircase I stood waiting for Mr Bun. The Bun's had raced off ahead so I was on my own and it was freezing, so I moved. Mr Bun has worked with the curator before and she had told him a tale that involved her in that same spot it turned out. It was creepy enough for me to think it might be time to get back in the C21st again.

Now the fun is over and it's the last day before my little gang leave me to work on my own again. We've sorted pencil cases, just need to label everything and bake some buns for lunchboxes and I think we are there.