Warwick Castle

Visited 6th July 2003--------

Report by Shimmer

Warwick castle has recently been voted best castle in UK on a TV programme. It also hosts special event days at certain days throughout the year. We had booked our trip to Warwick Castle three months before, and as luck would have it, the day we had booked turned out to a special event day and also was the day after Warwick was announced best castle! Consequently there were a lot more people than usual, and as we had come to just look round the castle we found this a little difficult! (He said luck, he didn't mean good luck! - Midgey)

Ooh, it's like queuing at a theme park. Strange that.

 
I struggle to see how it won the best castle award, it's certainly a nice place, well maintained with displays of interest, but as it's owned by the Tussauds groups it's at times more like a theme park than an historical place of interest. They've even used some of the old waxworks from Madam Tussaud's in inappropriate places, e.g. a waxwork of Princess Diana amongst suits of armour in the great hall! Gave Midgey a bit of a fright that did. I bought her a neat but expensive little bear in chainmail to make up for it though. Although, we got accosted by castle security trying to make our way back into the castle after visting the main gift shop as the person at the gate failed to tell us we needed our hands stamped if we wanted to come back into the castle grounds. After a few sharp words, we were allowed back in and went for a walk around the relaxing but none too impressive garden.

For those of you wondering (hello Jackie!), the bear isn't actually the size of the castle!

 
I got quite a fright myself when I was charged £7 for two jacket potatoes and beans in the castle restaurant, but I didn't get a furry animal in consolation. The meal was adequate though, and the staff coped well with the influx of visitors, although the hotdog stand wasn't prepared and sold out too quickly.

The medieval tournament wasn't a joust as I was expecting but was a few blokes in dodgey armour hitting each other with bendy swords and pretending to give each other a kicking. There was also some bloke from Essex telling stories and juggling beany baby rats.

He took a dive! Cheaty bast!