Steve Fey's Live From Las Vegas!

Well, if you've ever visited here in the past, you know that I write. Well, heck, I'm writing as I write this, aren't I? Confusing language usage aside, Tami and I both wanted to pay homage to the greatest writer in the history of the English language. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Avon is the river that runs through the town. It's a quaint town, and was also decorated for Christmas. But England is crawling with quaint towns. There is only one birthplace of Shakespeare, and here it is:

Yes, that is just a house on a street. It's tempting to think of it as a modern "fake Tudor" building, but it's actually plain old Tudor. Henry VIII was king when the place was built. William's father was John Shakespeare, who bought the property after marrying into an influential family. Young Will must have had a pretty good childhood, growing up in a nice house right on the High Street. Some of the other buildings are also from the same period, so it's easy to imagine young Will getting a taste for adventure while messing about the town. He got in trouble once, for making a muck pile in the street. Muck is horse manure in this case. Kids, huh? The place was a B&B (Inn) for a while, but it's been a tourist attraction for centuries. Mark Twain paid a visit, so I feel that I'm in good company.

Shakespeare himself owned the house after his father died. He was a man of some means, and a deacon of the church. Which is why you'll find his grave inside Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. Here's a picture:

You can see a picture of the insription that you can read here. For the record, in case you have trouble with the plaque, the inscription reads as follows:

Good Friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here:

Blessed be the man that spares these stones,

And curst be he that moves my bones.

I doubt not that, my having paid homage, my writing will never again fail to inspire and entertain.

And, just because I can include it, here's a picture of the street on which Will Shakespeare grew up as it appears today:

Stratford is still a real, living town, with the usual things you'd find there, overlaid, of course, with a thick layer of tourist trap shops and facilities.

Oh, and very few roundabouts. Nice, that.