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| Bury has the usual assortment of British stores for a town of its size--Debenham's, Boots, M&S, and the usual trendy franchises that 70-somethings no longer countenance--but the first place in Bury that caught our attention was the Adnam's, apparently a beer and booze franchise that advertises classes and facilities for making one's own flavored gin |
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| Obviously the flavored gin thing has gone too far, and I do wonder whether this recent craze had something to do with the Brexit vote |
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| Well, maybe it wasn't just the gin |
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| Smith's does the PO in most British towns (all?), here in a beautifully restored old building |
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| The old Victorian PO right next door |
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| Corn Market |
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| British town markets are quite different than those in France, where it's largely food, clothes, housewares, maybe some brocante; in the UK there is rather less food, but then plenty of most anything else that can be hauled in a van and set up on a street; the brocante is best found in the innumerable charity shoppes; nonetheless, there is always much of interest |
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| For example, foot stools |
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| We were attracted to this one but thought maybe we should buy the van first |
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| Random Bury street scene |
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| Ivy League hotel |
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| Bury, I suppose, was a neolithic settlement originally; Roman artifacts have been found there; but the present town, known among Saxons as Beodericsworth, originated mostly from the 11th century Benedictine abbey that rose and flourished here; and is most famous for being the site where the barons confronted King John and made him sign the Magna Carta (the first time) |
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| Most of the abbey is gone now, thank you, Henry VIII, but the abbey gate tower remains |
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| Actually, apart from the monks, the rich abbots, and the pope, nobody much liked the abbeys |
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| "Bury in bloom" indeed |
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| New entrance to an old dwelling; note the funny face has been retained, re-installed |
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| Another random street scene |
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| Hardly a relic; but requires a credit card |
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| We were Unitarians in Dallas years ago: seeking a minimalist religious association, a place where our daughters could receive religious education (not indoctrination), and where Vicki could sing Xmas carols |
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| Bury's late 18th century Unitarian meeting house; open to all Bury residents for public meetings |
