Stratford-upon-Avon
is a market town in south Warwickshire with a population of around
23,000. It lies on the River Avon, 22 miles south east of Birmingham and
8 miles south west of Warwick. The town is a popular tourist
destination owing to its status as birthplace of the playwright and poet
William Shakespeare. Apart from tourism, which is a huge employer
(especially in the hotel and catering sectors), other industries in the
town include boat building and maintenance, mechanical and electrical
engineering, food manufacture, finance and insurance, and a large retail
sector.