Cricket season had arrived and to avoid a full Summer on the sofa, watching it on the telly 😬, we took ourselves off to Canterbury to see the England Ladies squad in a T20 against West Indies. 🏏.

 

It was our first visit to the Spitfire Ground, quite close to the City Centre. A lovely, relaxed atmosphere, with cheerful, friendly staff, from security, to ticket checkers to the youngsters behind the bar. Apart from the hospitality area, there was no reserved seating, so we could choose the view we wanted and move position at any point should we so wish. Others had brought their own seats and took their vantage points on the grassed areas around the ground. Kids were playing their own matches in the background, whilst their parents watched the main match. The best view of all, though was from the apartment block, with balconies that overlooked the ground. There were several match parties happening as they looked down on the pitch. Perfect 👌

This was the first game under their newly appointed captain and newly appointed head coach, so it would be an interesting evening. With the West Indies first in to bat, they put up a respectable score of 146 in the 20 overs. However it was pretty much a one woman show as one of their opening batters scored 100 of those runs. But they’d given the English girls a target.

Our ladies were on good form and with a glorious sunset, turning the skies above the ground golden, they knocked the ball across the boundary and ran between the wickets, slowly knocking off the runs required. The West Indies didn’t make it easy, but with just 3 of our batters scoring 150 runs between them in 16 1/2 overs, it was a comfortable win for the squad.

It was a lovely evening and the perfect start for the new captain/coach combo. As we strolled the short distance back to our hotel, we decided it might be just the ground  for more cricketing adventures for us in the future.

We always like to make the most of any overnight stays and the following day we were set to explore some of the town, we found ourselves in.

Knowing we had booked an overnighter, the Besties had gifted us a mystery guide book of Canterbury, which would help us explore the City. So after breakfast we set off in search of clues.

 

Our starting point was Christchurch Gate at the Cathedral. We walked up and down the cobbled street several times in search of the answer to the first clue, before realising it was behind the scaffolding and tarpaulin at the front of the gate. It wasn’t the best way to begin. The guide books however do cover these unforeseen issues, and avoid people disappearing into oblivion, by giving answers on the back page.

We had no option but to take a peek, to enable us to move on. We were off and as we solved clues, we were guided up historic narrow streets, discovering places we would possibly not have found ourselves, from ancient houses, their doorways decorated with wooden gargoyles to the firefighters badge above the doorway of which is now a supermarket 😳.

The story in this guide book, is about the author Geoffrey Chaucer and his famous Canterbury Tales. The tales are incomplete and our mission today was to discover the missing page of the Squires Tale.

Our journey also taught us about some of Canterburys other famous inhabitants from the playwright Christopher Marlowe, whom their theatre is named after, to the priest Thomas Beckett murdered in the Cathedral.

In Lady Wootens Garden, we were introduced to King Ethelburt and his Queen Bertha who reigned over Kent from 569-616 and are still watching over the City today. I’m not sure what they would think about the old public toilets we passed, shortly after we left them, that have now been converted to a luxury cocktail bar called the John.

Back in the City Centre, the Museum, built in 1573, and its stained glass windows, gave us the answer to our next clue. On passed a statue of playwright Aphra Behn, we discovered she was also a poet and a spy 🔍👀

A magnificent Chaucer stands proud in the High Street, attracting tourists and school parties alike as the secrets of this City are revealed.

History continued as we passed the Sun Hotel, in which Charles Dickens once stayed using it as inspiration for Mr Micawbers Little Inn in David Copperfield. Around the corner in Palace Street, we had to search for distinguishing features on the old building at No 8, before being directed to the crooked house at the end of the street, which bears a transcript written by Dickens in 1849.

We had now solved all our clues and were in need of refreshment. Fortunately our detective work had led us to the final destination, the Parrot pub 👍, where on the wall next to the bar, is what is said to be the final page of the Squires Tale.

A great place to finish our tour of Canterbury. We have now completed several of these mysteries. They are a fun way to explore a new town or city, learning some of the history along the way. Surprisingly there are usually a couple of pubs along the route in which to partake if you so wish, but the one at the end is always a welcome sight, to quench your thirst and rest your feet as you chat about the things you have discovered along the way.

What a fabulous way to spend a couple of days, enjoying some of the things we love, watching a bit of leather on willow, exploring a new City, with a little bit of history thrown in.

With such a lovely cricket ground, we will possibly return to enjoy more of both the cricket and the beautiful City beyond.