Windsor - the ROYAL experience and other United Kingdom General Tips

Favorite Thing: What struck me first when getting off the train at Windsor Royal Station was the lovely setting and quaint cobble stone and stalls. It's not so much of a train station then landing bang in the middle of a very attractive market & shopping area.... cobble stones and all. There is mostly a great perfume in the air as "Crabtree&Evelyn" Perfume store is right at the corner of the rail tracks...
and then you turn the corner swinging by Cafe'Rouge, Cafe Nero with a sweet scent of almond croissants and cappuccino... (yummi)... so it's a sensual experience actually :)!

Then you got the castle on the hill which you will see - throning above the river Thames as you take the last long turn with the train into Windsor... it's like out of a fairy tale... swans and geese (to the thousands!!!) in front of it and all images worthy of a postcard.

Windsor has a slower pace (even though so close to London) it reminds one more of a village - a posh one nevertheless. Year round tourists are crowding the streets and trying to spot the Queen or at least some of the royal guard.

My top tips when in Windsor:
Best coffee > Cafe Nero (Royal Train station)
Best music> Crosses Corner Pub (Monday nights)
Best shopping> Daniels on High Street
Best wine bar > Blondes (St. Leonards Str.)
Best book shop > Oxfam downstairs!!!
Best massages > "Essence World" over the Bridge in Eaton ahhhhhhhhh
Best place for spotting the Queen > in her chambers hihi
Best eating with a view>House on the Bridge £££ pricy but worth it
Best dancing > Liquid Club
Best coffe n' cake chat > Cafe Blu
Best hidden secret > Windsor Arts Centre Cinema

... and there is always the "long mile" to walk to the "Copper horse" at the Castle !

Fondest Memory: ... my fondest memory...hmmm... Sunday morning walk on the 1st of January @ 8am and I had alllll the swans and geese and ducks ALLL to myself :)!!!
Spent a fortune that day on bread... ;)

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Favorite Thing: The Witches of Windsor
On the 26th of February, 1580, four Berkshire women were tried at Abingdon for witchcraft. The accused were Elizabeth Stile, of Windsor, Mother Dutten, of Clewer, Mother Devell, of Windsor, and Mother Margaret, who lived at the Windsor Almshouse.

They were said to have had meetings at the rear of Master Dodge's house in The Pittes. At these meetings they were joined by two other witches - Father Rosimond, a widower from Farnham, and his daughter. The leader of the group was supposed to have been Mother Seidre, another resident of the Windsor Almshouse, but she had died some time before the trial. Margaret Murray, an influential writer on witchcraft considered this shape-shifting as pointing to Rosimond being the chief of the witches. If this was so, it is surprising that he was not arraigned with the others.

Fondest Memory: .... continued.... Also at the trial an ostler gave evidence that after a disagreement with Elizabeth Stile he had suffered aches in his limbs. He consulted a wise man who advised scratching her and drawing blood, which he did and immediately recovered. The name of this wise man was given as Father Rosimond.
According to Elizabeth Stile's confession, the withces had been responsible for the deaths of the Mayor of Windsor.
Each of the witches was accused of having an evil spirit of familiar - like a black cat or rat. Mother Dutten's was described as being like a toad, which she kept in a border of green herbs in her garden and fed on blood from her flank. Mother Devell's spirit appeared as a black cat called Gille, which she fed with milk mingled with her own blood. Mother Margaret fed her spirit, Ginnie, with crumbs of bread mixed with blood, while Elizabeth Stile kept a rat called Philip, described as "in very deede a wicked spirite", which she fed with blood from her right wrist. It would seem that some people were not above using the witches for their own ends. George Whittyng, a servant of Mathew Glover of Eton, was said to have asked the witches to harm a man called Foster. This they did by making an image and also by Mother Devell sending her familiar to "plague him and spare him not". Apparently Foster sickened but when he was close to death Mother Dutten restored him, although one of his cows was killed.

The accusations may sound unbelievable to us today but as was usual in those times, the women were all found guilty and executed.

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Favorite Thing: Hi!

Well "the crack" is THE free paper to all the events in the North East of England.
So watch out at the coffee shops or tourist centres to get your copy.

The info in it ranges from gigs to theater and local events... a really cool resource :)

Enjoy
Iris


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