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To see, or not to see? That is not the question, because Stratford-upon-Avon is a perennial must, whatever the weather. And what more apt time to visit William Shakespeare’s home town than around the time of The Bard’s 450th birthday on April 23? This glover’s son transcends the centuries, with his great friend and fellow playwright Ben Jonson describing him as “not of an age, but for all time”. But whether you know a lot or a little about the English language’s greatest writer, you soon discover a wealth of information here, beginning with Shakespeare’s Birthplace, on Henley Street. See in fascinating detail how Elizabethans lived, from his father’s workshop to the little beds they slept in. Why so small? Partly because the Elizabethans were shorter than us, but also, we’re told, because they feared if they lay flat, the Devil might think they were dead and take their souls, so they slept upright against bolsters. Shakespeare’s christening would probably have been on April 26 – three days after his birth – and the font in which he was baptised is at Holy Trinity Church, a short walk from the town centre. The church, dating from 1210, is also where he is buried, in a 15th-century chancel. His grave carries a warning, that cursed be he who moves his bones. Equally worth a visit, particularly for children, is Mary Arden’s Farm. Shakespeare’s mother’s home, a short distance away by car and celebrating its 500th anniversary this year, is a working Tudor farm, where people “live” – and even speak – as they would have done in the 16th century. | 
