My English readers might be surprised to find out that Stratford on Avon lies on the road connecting Gloucester and Stroud. Well, it does in Australia! Dot and I were travelling to Sydney for a few days when we passed through Stratford and I felt compelled to record the event photographically.
It lies on the Bucketts Way just south of the little town of Gloucester (pop. 2,500) in the rural hinterland of the Mid North Coast. The pictures show the bridge across the Avon, the river itself and part of the village beyond, and the sign proclaiming the grand entrance to the village. I doubt that the settlement has more than 200 residents and admit that it doesn't look like the original. Obviously, the whole locality was settled originally by people from Gloucestershire. That said, the location is very beautiful - a mix of mountains, pastures and historic (by Australian standards) townships and villages.
The Bucketts way is named after a striking range of hills just outside of Gloucester called the Bucketts. The look a little like parts of a sand-castle on the beach, though that's not immediately apparent from the attached photo taken across the fairways of the local country club. On taking the photo I was reminded of a geography teacher I had at school fifty years ago. Mr Playll was nicknamed 'Bucket' - for reasons you might care to guess.
AS
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