Rugby

Allez les Anglais.
Having just beaten France in Paris we are now on our way to winning/retaining the Rugby World Cup.
Here in the middle of England the town, which is the birthplace of the game, is flying the flags high. If you enjoy this sport you should visit this small market town and it’s museum dedicated to the game, and the home of the official “Gilbert” balls which have been made here since 1823.

I wonder how many people know of the important developments that took place in the UK town of Rugby which enabled our ability to now fly all over the world.
Sir Frank Whittle developed his design for a jet engine at Rugby. The BTH company (now Alstom Power) build his first experimental jet engine, a “WU” (Whittle Unit). The very first runs of his jet engine were at Rugby in April 1937. The “WU” was a direct forerunner of the engines that now power all the jet planes that takes us around the planet.

Rugby. Not a remarkable place but it’s not unpleasant. A clean and safe, relatively quiet, market town in the heart of England. It’s situated in a great central location; motorways in every direction, stopping trains on the mainline Euston (1hr) to the north rail track, snail paced canal network interconnects here (Braunston), fly in or out from Coventry or Birmingham, both less than 30 mins away. That’s the practical stuff.
The town is well supplied by bars, pubs and clubs, but short on shopping, with some notable independent exceptions. OK for a night out, but maybe not for a weeks holiday. There are some interesting things to see. Rugby School, an ensemble of some fine High Victorian architecture is mainly associated with it’s link with Rugby Football. This is the birthplace of the game that has taken the name all over the world.
What really is attractive about Rugby is that you don’t have to go far out of town to be in wonderful Warwickshire countryside. Gentle and easy for cycling or walking, Diverse farmland, woodlands, water sports and quaint villages in easy reach.
If you plan to come here by car make it soon before our money grabbing tin pot council install parking meters to take away what is now free on-street parking and at the same time increase the car parking charges. On second thoughts leave it for a year and you’ll probably have the town centre all to yourself as everybody will be shopping out of town.