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The first day we arrive at the Speech House in the Forest of Dean and celebrated my birthday. It is said that the Forest of Dean was the inspiration for Tolkeins Lord of the Rings. I very much recommend our hotel. It still has the court of the Verderers there and they are also able to hang anyone for poaching the deer in the Forest. However the guilty party must be hanged on the jibbet outside the Speech House, which appears to have been stolen. There are wild boar in the Forest, also polecat and a large variety of other wild life.
The following day we visit Symmonds Yat the more active took a canoe down the Wye while the lazier ones went in a motorised boat. Peregrine falcons can be seen hovering above and the ducks seemed to be having a siesta along the banks.
