New Inns, please!

On Friday night we slept at the Fleece in Cirencester, which was very lovely and only mildly expensive. The staff were charming and there were many nice touches such as the flask of fresh milk on the coffee tray in my room. The food was excellent, too, and if we enjoyed breakfast to varying degrees on Saturday morning, this was due more to Friday night than anything else. (My own smugness at my hardy constitution was abruptly dented when someone mentioned the Thai meal we'd been for, which I'd temporarily forgotten!)

After breakfast we took a short, non-pub related stroll around Cirencester and, having quickly exhausted its pleasures, we set off for Gloucester. After some confusion and comedy arising from the fact that our next hotel was on a pedestrian precinct - a fact we hadn't taken account of when confidently programming our satnavs - we finally arrived at this hotel.

Bob had kindly made all the arrangements and I think he was a little nervous about what we'd find at this (significantly) cheaper hotel but, actually, whilst it didn't match the standards of The Fleece, I rather preferred it, mainly due to this courtyard.

Gloucester, I must say, is an odd place. At first impressions, it's quite beautiful: the docks, the cathedral, the ide streets of the shopping precinct. But then you notice that all the shops are variations on Poundstretcher and suddenly it seems a little ragged and tawdry, as if this town has been dealt a harsh economic blow.

But we enjoyed our walking 'round and even punctuated our research of the pubs in the town centre - varied and interesting - with a brief trip to the cathedral. There's nothing more to report than that; another day in the splendid company of friends. Perfect.