Stamford, England is a small town in East Central England. It was on my agenda during my trip last year but fell through due to lack of time. However, on this trip I made it a priority to visit as I had a friend to visit here.
The fastest way to go from Birmingham was by train. I purchased my train at Birmingham New Street station, a highly underrated station by the way, since I wasn’t exactly sure what time I would be going and the train was only hourly. The price for the ticket was 25 pounds round trip. It was a flexible ticket, meaning that I could return on any train that day.
The journey took one hour and thirty-seven minutes. Though the train seemed fast, the distance between the two cities is only about 76 miles. I believe the train takes longer than it should due to a meandering path that it takes after crossing Leicester. Instead of going directly east, it makes a horseshoe shape until it reaches Stamford. That being said, it’s a much more comfortable journey than going by car. The views of the countryside are splendid.
Upon arrival, I was startled by the appearance of the town. It truly did look like an English village. The town looked like something from centuries ago, with narrow cobblestone streets with ancient buildings lining the sides.
The first place to go was nowhere else but a local English pub. The dish of the day was something a bit different, mackerel. Now, when I ordered this, I thought it would be a mackerel similar to what I ate in Istanbul, but what I received was something very different. Instead of a grilled mackerel, this was more of a paste. Now, being a fan of fish I did enjoy it in the sense that it was something different. But, for those who are squeamish with anything of a taste that is fishy, this is not for the faint of heart.
After the pub, it was time to do some meandering about the town before the England vs. Sweden world cup match. Like many English cities, there is a church in center of the city. Unlike many cities though, the crowds are low, due to the low population of the town itself.
By this time, it was game time. The atmosphere was tense until England put in a goal, the pub erupted in celebration thereafter. Eventually, England took a commanding 2-0 lead that Sweden could never threaten. The mood was jubilant, but by the time the game ended, it was time to take a train back to Birmingham.
Stamford was something different that I never experienced in England, and in most other countries, a typical town of the countryside. Though I am a city boy, the countryside does hold its own allure, and I think I will make special effort to visit such places in the future.