Not quite what one might expect

We enjoyed the company of Miriam, a friend from New York, overnight and did the usual thing by cramming every waking moment with sightseeing and activity. Poor Miriam struggled to overcome her jet lag and did amazingly well to stay awake until almost 10pm - a real achievement.

Besides going out into the Cotswolds countryside and trying to avoid the usual tourist honeypots, we dipped into Pittville Pump Rooms, Cheltenham, to illustrate why the name on the railway station signs is "Cheltenham Spa". Having spent a while describing the nature and activities involved in this kind of spa (as opposed to a place with jacuzzis and steam rooms) it came as a small disappointment to find this: