I like to think that I live in "Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon" - but in truth I'm stretching my own capacity for romance!
First off, the river that runs through the town is called the Upper Avon, rendering the "Upon-Avon" bit that I love so much, defunct. In fact, in Shakespeare's time the town was simply called "Stratford" which doesn't have the literary rhythm that I so often enjoy rolling off my tongue.
I don't even live in the town itself as Shakespeare would have known it. Although my home is fairly close to the town centre, it would have been beyond the town boundary in Shakespeare's day.
And the final nail in the coffin? Well, it's sometimes hard to remember when living in a town that's not too far removed from a giant Bard Theme Park that Shakespeare didn't actually do any of the stuff he's famous for while living here!
Sure, he was born, bred and died in Stratford, but everything I love him for was done in London.
Well ... I might as well move!
Photo © Peter Scholey / Getty Images
Comments
I live far away from UK where English is the Second Language.People here even with little education frequently remember and use Shakespeare along with Tagore(Nobel Winner) and Nazrul(Rebel Poet).We would ignore the mysteries behind life history of Shakespeare but simply desire to declare that a person called Shakespeare was born at/in Stratford , who was a peculiar versatile genius and got to exert himself with the circumstantial advantages of London. A good plant in a favourable atmosphere bring up an exceptionally good tree whatever type it might be.Shakespeare could not manage to born in London but his birth and initial life in Stratford managed to nourish his mind and body to become the emperor of the literary world in future, where ever might be the capital.