Glorious Gloucester
The perfect place for that special Christmas present
“I can’t stop!” screams a girl behind me.
I twist round in time to see a teenager crash into the side of the ice rink. Thankfully, she’s not hurt, and bursts into giggles as her friend glides effortlessly across the ice to join her.
The temporary ice rink at Gloucester Docks is proving popular with Christmas shoppers. Perhaps the upbeat tempo of Rocking Around The Christmas Tree blaring from the speakers is encouraging novices to skate faster as they try a circuit without falling over.
I’m in Gloucester to do some Christmas shopping and, although I’ve bought a few presents, I fancy exploring the city. I mustn’t, though, forget to buy a gift for a friend who likes mysteries.
Gloucester’s docks are a bit of a mystery, too. They’re the UK’s most inland port. So why were they built so far from the sea? I find the solution in the dockside National Waterways Museum, which resides in a Grade II Victorian grain warehouse.
The National Waterways Museum at Gloucester Docks is home to 90% of the UK’s inland waterways collections, which…
