Louisa’s Walk has been going for three years without any sort of a break so, Chris and I decided that, this Southern Hemisphere winter, we would close the business down for a couple of months during July and August. We are both English born, with Chris’s mother & six brothers between us to go & visit, so, accommodation over in UK, is never a problem!
We had a wonderful time and, apart from catching up with all those family members (plus sundry cousins) we also wanted to see what the tourism scene is up to over there. Specifically we really wanted to see if anyone is doing anything like “Louisa’s Walk” over there. Well, admittedly we didn’t go everywhere & see everything (you’d need a lifetime for that!) but we didn’t find anyone who is interpreting history using the medium of Strolling Theatre as we do on “Louisa’s Walk.” There were plenty of dressed up tour guides taking tourists around stately homes and very lovely they were, but nowhere could we find a play-on-the-move like ours. The nearest thing we found to “Louisa’s Walk” was “Bizarre Bath” which, interestingly, is one of the top recommended things to do in Bath on the TripAdviser site as is “Louisa’s Walk” for Hobart on the same site. It just happens that Chris’s mother lives just 25 minutes drive from Bath so, we were determined to do “Bizarre Bath” before we left. It was described as “a Comedy Walk” and I have rarely laughed so much! Stu. the Rabbit (or should that read “Stew”) will always remain in my memory as he floated limply on the murky waters of the River Avon. The precious ring, belonging to some luckless punter, floating up into the sky, later miraculously returned by a resurrected Stu. the Rabbit. Then oh!- then – the poor punter (ME!) marched off to the stocks to have carrots thrown at me and my head (almost) cut off! “Bizarre Bath” deservedly earns its “best activity to do in Bath” ticket, as decreed by Tripadviser. So, it is with some pride to see that “Louisa’s Walk” also features very highly on the “Best Things to do in Hobart” TripAdviser Site. If we can equal “Bizarre Bath’s” professionalism and entertainment value we are more than happy – they have been operating for 17 years!
Apart from “Bizarre Bath” what were our highlights? The wonderful city of York (where I was born) and the Undercroft of its Minster, Derbyshire and the High Peaks District, Bath itself, glorious hanging baskets, the thatched cottages of Bratton or Stonehenge seen through the morning mists as we drove to Heathrow on the morning of our departure? Who knows? All I do know is that it’s wonderful to be home, on the most beautiful island in the world, Tasmania, where Louisa is once again showcasing our convict women’s history.
