Written, so we are led to believefrom the very heart of Shakespeare Country, Stratford upon Avon, The Stratford Strumpet strives in its own perculiar way to show us that all is not well at thebirthplace of the World's Greatest Writer.
With a view that the
Town Council wants to keep Stratford upon Avon firmly locked in the 1950's, the author of this Blog, Ron Lyre, rails constantly about the lack of facilities, the unusual decisions made by the powers that be and oddly enough, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre'shold over what is and what has always been in Ron's opinion, asmall market town.
Ron however, does accept that the William Shakespeare idustry is here to stay and makes clearthat if we (the citizens if Stratford upon Avon) are, as it were, to be 'cursed' with being the home town ofWilliam Shakespeare then at least
let'scelebrate it properly, with style and panache. Let's get rid of the huge traffic congestion, let's dispense with a culture that wants to fleece the
tourists and replace it with an industry that recognises their contribution to the well being of Stratford upon Avon. Let's remember, says Ron, that without these people (the tourists) we would be nothing. However, let's do it with good grace and above all, class.
Ron's Blog lets us into the seamier side of Stratford too. Withthe Town Council's planto make Stratford upon Avon 'World Class' (a plan that as a reader surprised me - I thought it already was), Ron laughs out loud at the recent additions to the town that continually thwart the town council'sprogress, for example, two (yes that's two) strip joints in the space of one year. That, and the continual problems with widespread drunkeness and violence, poor old Stratford upon Avon seems destined to remain,in the words of Ron Lyre, 'a sad little town'.