Ye olde Stratfordian waifs ..

I have been meaning to blip more of the town for weeks,but it is quite rare that I am in town as to park costs a shocking amount .. This is to rip the tourists off don't you see ? Sigh .. No I don't see .. You are actually pushing trade out not in ...
Anyway as usual my little helpy helpers were on hand to pose as Mini crones models ... They had been given a treat,they were asked where they would like to go and buy some goodies from... They chose POUNDLAND !! Haaahaaaa :D fine by meeee ..they are clutching bubble machine guns and pen sets in their paws .. This monument is the American fountain . The Shakespeare Memorial Fountain and Clock Tower (as it is officially known) was presented to the town of Stratford by American journalist, and some would say philanthropist, George W Childs of Philadelphia in 1887. Built to honour not only William Shakespeare, but also Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, the amazing monument was unveiled at the time by actor Sir Henry Irving1. Victorian Gothic in style, the fountain is constructed mostly from Peterhead granite and freestone, resembling a small gothic cathedral of sorts, complete with a set of bells designed by JA Cossin's of Birmingham and a clock above each face of which sits a caricature of a fairy from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Also prominent on the fountain are carved stone lions and eagles, representing Great Britain and the United States of America respectively, while horse-troughs line each side. However, the fountain no longer provides water, so neither do these, and flowers happily grow in them instead. In 1984, the local council and other benefactors had the clock repaired after a long period of stoppage, and an 'American Fountain Centenary Celebration' was held in 1987.