Party Like Jay Gatsby

or

"an exploration of Bourton-on-the-Water"

It's a weird old thing, being from the Midlands. Especially when you go to university and the North vs South wars start, and everyone tells you "the Midlands doesn't exist!" "Pick a side!" "Do you have curry sauce on your chips or gravy?!" etc ...to the Northerners you are Southern and vice versa.

Yet that fierce loyalty to your home town / city / region so prevalent in the extremes of North and South doesn't seem to exist, really, in the middle bits. Cos we're kind of equidistant to everywhere. Wales? Two hours ish. North? Two hours ish. South? Two...you get me. Anyway, I am a homebody, always have been. I might not be chanting "Worcester 'Til I Die", but I do feel privileged and (whisper it) a little proud to be from a county which is so full of countryside and natural beauty, and in such close proximity to other pretty places. One of the most beautiful, and one of my personal favourites, the Cotswolds. 

The Cotswold Hills are in Southwestern and Central Western England, the district being in Gloucestershire (don't worry I'm not going to try claiming that's in the midlands!) but beautiful towns made of Cotswold stone stretch right into surrounding counties. Basically, it's very charming.

As part of an attempt to explore the places closer to home this summer, on a warm day this July my famalam and I hopped over to Bourton-on-the-Water. I have been to a few Cotswold towns, and this was by far the most tourist-orientated I've seen. But its sometimes fun to be a total tourist so close to home!

It has a model village. This, apparently, is famous. I googled it and found that an Oasis video was shot there. I don't think this is why it's famous, but it was an interesting fact to me! It's in the back of an old pub, and to be fair was an amusing 45 minute excursion - maybe that is because I was with my ridiculous family and the larking about possibilities in a model village are almost infinite. "You wanna be a big cop in a small town?" etc...

There are other tourist attractions there, but we plumped for here (this is what happens when boys are in charge) - the Motor Museum. Which actually turned out to be, if nothing else, a pretty nifty photo op for a fan of vintage everything.

 I was as besotted with the floor-to-cieling (literally) old tin advertisements as I was with the cars! (Although the cars were pretty stunning. I wanted to do a Daisy Buchanan and speed off in one wearing something beautiful and beaded. The whole museum was obviously very well cared for.)

It is also the home of Brum! Actual Brum! Nineties kids will be with me on this.

There were also some pretty nifty props hanging around the place...

 We made the most of the endless selection of teashops and bakeries, before heading home. It's a very pretty place even if a little tourist-trap-y... the river runs right through the village centre so you have to walk over lots of footbridges to get to the shops on either side! I'll be making the effort to go discover more gems like this (although admittedly this may not be so much fun in the depths of winter!)

Have you discovered any close-to-home treasures recently? 

xoxo

ps. found this, nearly died of laughter and cuteness