To be or not to be, that was the question. After an away break in France, I had perhaps 48 hours free before returning to work when I got wind of a play I knew had to see, being performed in William Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon - where the Royal Shakespeare Company holds court.
Knackered as I was, I took the two-hour train journey, determined to see my play of choice, as well as get a feel for Stratford, a town whose whole purpose seems to revolve around the famous bard. Travel was easy using Chiltern Railways, and I'm pleased to report that accommodation is also pretty affordable and easy to access in the town centre.
Stratford is a beautiful town, full of Tudor-beamed buildings, with bars, restaurants and shops clamouring to serve groups of tourists from all over the world. In particular, I spotted several large groups of students from Japan queuing up to visit Shakespeare's three famous homes in the town. But even for casual visitors, Stratford is a charming and pleasant destination for a weekend away, although undoubtedly, it faces the same challenges as high streets everywhere.
Walking in Shakespeare's footsteps
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is charity which looks after three famous Shakespearean sites in Stratford - Shakespeare's birthplace and the site of his home at New Place, both in the town centre, and thirdly, his wife Anne Hathaway's beautiful cottage on the western edge of Stratford.
Visitors can gain a pass to visit all three for £27, with closing times of 4pm in the winter months, changing to 5pm (with last entry at 4.30pm) in spring and summer. Booking online offers a fast-track entrance without the need to queue.
Even among Stratford's other beamed ancient houses, Shakespeare's birthplace on Henley Street stand out for its obvious antiquity - you can't miss it and, let's be honest, it would be sad not to go when you're in town.
Inside, the 14th century house has been lovingly restored with panels detailing the everyday lives of Shakespeare's parents John and Mary. In the upstairs bedroom - the room where Shakespeare was literally born - a tiny wooden cradle rests on the floor next to a rustic wooden double bed.
A five minute walk takes you to the site of Shakespeare's home at New Place which he purchased in 1597, and later died at in 1616. The building was torn down at the beginning of the 18th century, and is now a plush garden, but enthusiastic historians are on site to regale visitors with images showing a reconstruction of the building - once the biggest private home in Stratford.
Anne Hathaway's cottage, the birthplace of Shakespeare's bride, is a beautifully picturesque farmhouse about a half-hour's walk away on the western edge of Stratford. It's a romantic spot said to be where the bard charmed his future wife, surrounded by lavender fields.
Surprising shop closures
A walk along Stratford's streets shows a town that's almost a theme park devoted to the bard, with Shakespeare memorabilia and a fair bit of tat being promoted using his name. But it also has one worryingly familiar trait - empty shop units. For a town with so much footfall from tourism, this surprised me. A glance at the local Stratford Herald shows a pattern of restaurant and hotel closures, many of them appearing to be quite high end.
I was intrigued by a restaurant named The Edward Moon, only to discover it shut its doors for good two months ago. Eerily, its tables are still laid out with wine glasses and cutlery, as though it were abandoned at a moment's notice. It makes you wonder, if an affluent town with a steady stream of well-heeled tourists and theatre-goers can't avoid shop closures, what hope is there for everywhere else?
Pubs and restaurants
Among Stratford's many pubs, several of the best-known - The Garrick Inn, The Rose and Crown, The Green Mill and the Dirty Duck are all operated by Greene King pub company. The Garrick Inn is visually arresting, with its oak beams, diamond-pane windows, and obvious antiquity. But inside, I felt it was a disappointment, lacking warmth and character.
I was much more charmed by The Rose and Crown, where I enjoyed a three course meal (with a pint of Estrella) for £27, and the Dirty Duck pub is situated quaintly on a canal near the Swan Theatre. The Dirty Duck is famously a thespian's hangout, it includes a tiny "actor's" bar where the likes of Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren and Charles Dance are all said to have knocked back a drink or two after playing barnstorming performances around the corner.
My number one favourite bar in Stratford? I can't believe I'm saying it, but the local Wetherspoons pub The Golden Bee is absolutely ace, painted white and feeling at once very traditional, while abuzz with throngs of drinkers. Definitely worth dropping in if you're in town.
The Royal Shakespeare Company
Unsurprisingly, Stratford-upon-Avon stages more Shakespeare plays than anywhere else in the UK outside of London, with the Royal Shakespeare Company maintaining three permanent theatres in Stratford: the Royal Shakespeare Theatre - a 1,060-seat theatre with a thrust stage, the smaller Swan Theatre with a thrust stage and capacity for 461 people, and studio theatre and rehearsal room The Other Place.
I went to see Christopher Marlow's play Edward II, being performed at the RSC's Swan Theatre, the first time the play has been staged since 1990 (it's a jaw-droppingly brilliant production, with RSC co-director Daniel Evans on fire as the impetuous, ill-fated king). The play has received a flurry of four-star reviews (which should in my opinion, be five stars across the board), and runs at the Swan Theatre until April 5.
Accommodation and how to get there
Accommodation is Stratford-upon-Avon is relatively affordable and is easy to get hold of, most of it is situated within the town centre. Stratford is a small town, only around a 45-minute walk from one end point to the other, meaning you're unlikely to find yourself too far from the action. Prices do however, go up in the summer months.
For two people visiting for a weekend from Friday, August 8, until Sunday, August 10, a stay at the 'superb' Avoncot Guesthouse, rated 9.4 out of 10 by users of Booking.com, will set you back £220.
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Another highly regarded town centre B&B, Courtland, is rated 8.5 out of 10 by Booking.com users, and will cost £180 over the same period. Elsewhere, Green King's Pen and Parchment Inn costs £306 for those dates, and boasts a charming terrace.
Stratford-upon-Avon is precisely 101 miles northwest of London and takes around two hours to drive via the M40. Chiltern Railways offers a rail service from London Marylebone station, with a changeover at Banbury, with off-peak singles priced at £39.90 (rising to £62.60 at early evening rush hour) and off-peak returns priced at £63.60, rising to £148 for an anytime-return.
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